Experimental results have highlighted the role of serotonin in fetal brain development, and have indicated that inflammation can cause a cyclical disruption to the blood-brain barrier permeability, leading to long-term neurological disorders. In this talk I will present a mathematical model of the tryptophan-serotonin pathway in the placenta that includes modulation by maternal inflammation. ...
In this talk I will present a mathematical model that describes the interaction of gut and brain through the presence of serotonin and tryptophan. The neurotransmitter serotonin is produced in the brain and the gut from the amino acid tryptophan via an enzymatic reaction. However, tryptophan is not produced by the body, but is obtained from food. While serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain...
Endocrine physiology is a complex system of crosstalk between hormones in various tissues. Tight regulation of reproductive hormones is essential for ovulatory function, but dysregulation can lead to infertility and may be exacerbated by other endocrine--especially metabolic--abnormalities and/or racial and ethnic disparities. Further, inter-individual differences may alter clinical outcomes...
Circadian rhythms play an important role in human health and disease. In mammals, many cells in the central nervous system and periphery have circadian clocks; these cellular clocks are synchronized hierarchically, with the synchronized cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) acting as the master clock. For the pineal gland, an indirect neural projection from the SCN conveys this timing...
The ovarian tumor microenvironment is shaped by dynamic interactions among cancer, stromal, and immune cells, but the drivers of progression remain unclear. In ovarian cancer, we found that immune balance is more prognostic than absolute immune cell abundance: CD8/Treg and CD8/CD4 ratios were more strongly associated with survival than CD8+, CD4+, or Treg levels alone. Macrophage state was...
Prostate cancer (PCa) remains a major global health burden, with more than 1.5 million new cases diagnosed annually worldwide. In the United States alone, over 300,000 men are expected to be diagnosed in 2026, with more than 36,000 deaths. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is widely used as a surrogate marker of tumor burden, and its temporal dynamics are closely associated with disease...
Background: Down syndrome (Trisomyโฏ21) includes triplication of the APP gene, leading to excess amyloid precursor protein and early amyloid plaque formation. Individuals with Down syndrome typically develop plaques in their 40s, and Alzheimer's disease is their leading cause of mortality. APPโdirected interventions may therefore provide substantial clinical benefit in Down syndrome. ...
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) diabetes disease progression is associated with genetic susceptibility coupled with risk factors like overweight/obesity and prior incidence of gestational diabetes. Impaired insulin sensitivity coupled with alpha and beta cell dysregulation is observed in the progression to T2D. What is unclear is why some individuals progress to T2D while others never transition. In our...
Hormones play a central role in regulating physiological systems and maintaining homeostasis, yet the multiscale, feedback-rich nature of endocrine function poses major challenges for understanding and treating disorders spanning metabolic, mood, and hormone-responsive disorders. This mini-symposium brings together researchers developing mathematical and computational frameworks to interrogate...
