Biology subjects

Dudek, A. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Dudek, A. M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Targeting catecholate siderophore systems enables precision depletion of gut enterobacteria during colitis

Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) is frequently isolated from the dysbiotic gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease and is implicated in disease progression, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Here we show that iron acquisition is essential for AIEC colonization of the inflamed gut. Mechanistically, four catecholate siderophore receptors act redundantly to support AIEC growth under iron-limited conditions and during colitis. Immunization of colitis-prone Il10-/- mice against catecholate siderophores reduced intestinal AIEC colonization, particularly its association with the mucosa, while largely preserving overall gut microbiome composition. Longitudinal metagenomic profiling identified immunization-associated shifts in Akkermansiaceae and Lactobacillaceae, and experiments in gnotobiotic Il10-/- mice demonstrated that Limosilactobacillus reuteri, a member of the Lactobacillaceae, limited AIEC colonization, whereas Akkermansiaceae exacerbated disease. Our findings establish catecholate siderophore-mediated iron acquisition as a therapeutic target in AIEC and provide proof-of-principle that virulence-targeted immunization can selectively antagonize a disease-associated bacterium while preserving the gut microbiota

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Engineering hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to generate red blood cells as viral traps against HIV-1

Canonical HIV-1 entry into target cells depends on binding to CD4 as a primary receptor. Because of this, use of the CD4 receptor as a viral trap (a decoy receptor used to prevent infection of target cells) is a promising strategy for the treatment of HIV-1. One challenge in using CD4 viral traps is maintaining enough of the decoy receptor in circulation to remain effective. Here we present a strategy to produce cell-based CD4 viral traps by engineering hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to express the CD4 receptor in red blood cell (RBC) progeny. This takes advantage of the ability of the HSPC to repopulate the blood system for a lifetime, while leveraging the fact that RBCs greatly outnumber any cell targeted for infection. Engineered HSPCs efficiently express CD4 on their cell surface after differentiation to the RBC lineage in vitro. Fusion of CD4 to glycophorin A (GPA) and introduction of a truncated erythropoietin receptor (tEPOR) leads to increased CD4 expression and enrichment of edited cells (CD4-GPA-tEPOR) to levels capable of neutralizing HIV-1 pseudovirus in vitro. In sum, this work presents a potential strategy for the one-time delivery of CD4-RBC viral traps through autologous transplantation of engineered HSPCs.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2024

Combining Cell-Intrinsic and -Extrinsic Resistance to HIV-1 By Engineering Hematopoietic Stem Cells for CCR5 Knockout and B Cell Secretion of Therapeutic Antibodies

Autologous transplantation of CCR5 null hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is the only known cure for HIV-1 infection. However, this treatment is limited because of the rarity of CCR5-null matched donors, the morbidities associated with allogeneic transplantation, and the prevalence of HIV-1 strains resistant to CCR5 knockout (KO) alone. Here, we propose a one-time therapy through autologous transplantation of HSPCs genetically engineered ex vivo to produce both CCR5 KO cells and long-term secretion of potent HIV-1 inhibiting antibodies from B cell progeny. CRISPR-Cas9-engineered HSPCs maintain engraftment capacity and multi-lineage potential in vivo and can be engineered to express multiple antibodies simultaneously. Human B cells engineered to express each antibody secrete neutralizing concentrations capable of inhibiting HIV-1 pseudovirus infection in vitro. This work lays the groundwork for a potential one-time functional cure for HIV-1 through combining the long-term delivery of therapeutic antibodies against HIV-1 and the known efficacy of CCR5 KO HSPC transplantation.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2021

Targeted replacement of full-length CFTR in human airway stem cells by CRISPR/Cas9 for pan-mutation correction in the endogenous locus

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic disease caused by impaired production and/or function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. Although we have previously shown correction of the most common pathogenic mutation, there are many other pathogenic mutations throughout the CF gene. An autologous airway stem cell therapy in which the CFTR cDNA is precisely inserted into the CFTR locus may enable the development of a durable cure for almost all CF patients, irrespective of the causal mutation. Here, we use CRISPR/Cas9 and two adeno-associated viruses (AAV) carrying the two halves of the CFTR cDNA to sequentially insert the full CFTR cDNA along with a truncated CD19 (tCD19) enrichment tag in upper airway basal stem cells (UABCs) and human bronchial basal stem cells (HBECs). The modified cells were enriched to obtain 60-80% tCD19+ UABCs and HBECs from 11 different CF donors with a variety of mutations. Differentiated epithelial monolayers cultured at air-liquid interface showed restored CFTR function that was >70% of the CFTR function in non-CF controls. Thus, our study enables the development of a therapy for almost all CF patients, including patients who cannot be treated using recently approved modulator therapies.

bioengineering↗