Sulaiman, M. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Unified high-resolution immune cell fraction estimation in blood tissue from birth to old age

BackgroundBlood is composed of many different immune cell-types, whose proportions vary throughout life. If not accounted for, these variations can seriously cause confounding or hamper interpretation of DNAm-based biomarkers. Although cell-type deconvolution methods can address this challenge for cord and adult blood, there is currently no method that can be applied to blood tissue from other age groups, including infants and children. ResultsHere we construct and extensively validate a DNAm reference panel, called UniLIFE, for 19 immune cell-types, applicable to blood tissue of any age. We use UniLIFE to delineate the dynamics of immune-cell fractions from birth to old age, and to infer disease associated immune cell fraction variations in newborns, infants, children and adults. In a prospective longitudinal study of type-1 diabetes in infants and children, UniLIFE identifies differentially methylated positions that precede type-1 diabetes diagnosis and that map to diabetes related signaling pathways. In contrast to previous studies, we are able to validate these biomarker associations in an independent DNAm dataset comprising purified monocytes from monozygotic twins discordant for type-1 diabetes, but not in lymphocytes, highlighting the importance of epigenetic changes in the innate immune system in the development of type-1 diabetes. ConclusionsIn summary, we present a life course immune-cell estimator for blood tissue of any age to help improve the identification and interpretation of blood-based DNAm biomarkers for any age groups and specially for longitudinal studies that include infants and children. The UniLIFE DNAm reference panel and algorithms to estimate cell-type fractions and perform cell-type deconvolution are available from our EpiDISH Bioconductor R-package: https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/EpiDISH.html

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

Antimicrobial Potential and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Ocimum Sanctum Extract

The growing resistance of microbes to conventional antibiotics and the environmental impact of chemical synthesis methods highlight the urgent need for effective and sustainable antimicrobial agents. In this study, we address these challenges by synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Ocimum sanctum leaf extract, a green and efficient method. We confirmed AgNPs synthesis through UV-vis spectroscopy, observing a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) peak centered at 420 nm. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis showed intense peaks at 37.81{degrees}, 45.01{degrees}, 63.91{degrees}, and 78.0{degrees}, corresponding to Braggs reflections at 111, 200, 220, and 311, respectively, with an average particle size of approximately 18 nm calculated using Scherrers formula. The reduction of Ag+ was monitored using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), which revealed a rapid decrease from 2.73 ppm to 0.023 ppm within four minutes, driven by the active reducing agents in the O. sanctum extract. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image confirmed the spherical shape of the AgNPs, with an average size of 23.82 {+/-} 4.17 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified absorption peaks at 1635 cm-1 and 3430 cm-1, associated with the amide I bond of proteins and OH stretching in alcohols and phenolic compounds, respectively. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, demonstrated by a dose-dependent inhibitory effect against bacterial strains. The inhibition zone measured 6 mm at the lowest concentration of 5 {micro}g/L and increased progressively to 14 mm at the highest concentration of 25 {micro}g/L, indicating strong antimicrobial potential even at low dosages.

biochemistry↗