The Dean's Celebration of Excellence in Research is an annual event highlighting the research being conducted by junior faculty, senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students at the Uni...

Background and ObjectivesRecent data suggest increasing global prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS). Early diagnosis of MS reduces the burden of disability-adjusted life years and associated health c...

Evidence and experts to help you understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.

Pilagov and colleagues explore role of MyBP-C in regulation of the myosin SRX state in cardiac muscle.

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Most people with severe asthma have obesity. Metabolic dysfunction, often associated with obesity, is particularly associated with severe asthma. Mechanisms linking metabolic dysfunction with asthma, and whether improving metabolic function can affect asthma, are not known. The endocannabinoid system plays a significant role in metabolism; inhibition of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) induces weight loss and improves serum lipid profiles. We used a CB1R inverse agonist, INV-202, in a mouse model of obese asthma and investigated changes in weight, inflammation, airway reactivity, and surfactant lipids. Mice were fed low or high fat diets (LFD, HFD), and house dust mite extract (HDM) was delivered intranasally to induce allergic airway inflammation. Mice received INV-202 by oral gavage. Airway hyperresponsiveness was measured by flexivent and lung tissue cytokines were measured by ELISA. Leukocytes and lipids in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed by flow cytometry and mass spectroscopy, respectively. LFD and HFD mice lost an average of 11% and 27% of their body weight, respectively. LFD mice had a 33% decrease in CCL20 in lung tissue and a 55% decrease in neutrophils in BALF. LFD and HFD mice had improvements in airway hyperresponsiveness, particularly as measured by reduced elastance. Phosphatidylglycerol in BALF increased with INV-202, which significantly correlated with compliance in LFD mice. This study supports a significant contribution of metabolic factors related to the endocannabinoid system in lung compliance and airway reactivity, in part through effects on surfactant lipid composition, and demonstrates the potential of CB1R inverse agonists to treat obese asthma.

With 202.8 cases per 100,000 people, Vermont leads the nation—second only to Rhode Island—in Lyme disease infections per capita, according to 2022 data. UVM researchers work to understand how that hap...

Some area high school students are learning from top researchers in the medical field as part of a conference at UVM. Our Lucy Caile reports.