This study identifies a functional effector CD8+ T cell program in mice and humans that persists into memory after antigen clearance, driven by CD43 1B11 expression.

American Journal of Transplantation · Feb 21, 2026Peer-reviewedImmunology

Immunosuppressants Rewire the Gut Microbiome-Alloimmune Axis Through Time-Dependent and Tissue-Specific Mechanisms

Long Wu, Allison Kensiski, Samuel J. Gavzy, Yang Song, Hnin Wai Lwin, Michael France, Dejun Kong, Lushen Li, Ram Lakhan, Vikas Saxena, Wenji Piao, Marina Willson Shirkey, Valeria R. Mas, Brendan James Lohmar, Yan Shu, , Bing Ma

This study examines how four immunosuppressants alter the gut microbiome and immune responses over time, revealing drug-specific and tissue-dependent effects on microbial composition and lymphoid architecture.

Cell Communication and Signaling · Nov 26, 2025Peer-reviewedImmunology

Epithelial-Immune-Stromal Interactions Define Divergent Repair and Fibrosis Pathways After Acute Kidney Injury in Human Renal Transplants

Shafquat Azim, Thomas V. Rousselle, Haseeb Zubair, Amol Carl Shetty, Kellie J. Archer, Juliana N Marshall, Ali Asghar Rajabi, Caroline M. Lara, Sadia Mustofa, Cinthia Beskow Drachenberg, Jonathan S. Bromberg, Madhav C. Menon, Daniel G. Maluf, Enver Akalin, Valeria R. Mas

This study identifies regenerative and fibrotic cell programs in human kidney transplants that determine outcomes of acute kidney injury.

bioRxiv · Apr 30, 2025 · PreprintBiochemistry

Cellular and Molecular Resolution of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Recurrence in Human Allografts

Lorenzo G. Gallon, Haseeb Zubair, Thomas V. Rousselle, Amol Carl Shetty, Shafquat Azim, Elissa Bardhi, Eleonora Forte, Cinthia Beskow Drachenberg, Enver Akalin, Manish Talwar, Jonathan S. Bromberg, Daniel G. Maluf, Valeria R. Mas

This study uses snRNA-seq to analyze kidney transplant biopsies and identifies molecular and cellular mechanisms of recurrent FSGS, including podocyte loss and PEC dedifferentiation.

bioRxiv · Apr 24, 2025 · PreprintMolecular Biology

Rapamycin Immunomodulation Utilizes Time-Dependent Alterations of Lymph Node Architecture, Leukocyte Trafficking, and Gut Microbiome

Long Wu, Allison Kensiski, Samuel J. Gavzy, Hnin Wai Lwin, Yang Song, Michael T. France, Ram Lakhan, Dejun Kong, Lushen Li, Vikas Saxena, Wenji Piao, Marina Willson Shirkey, Valeria R. Mas, Bing Ma, Jonathan S. Bromberg

This study investigates how rapamycin modulates lymph node architecture, leukocyte trafficking, and gut microbiome over time, revealing a novel mechanism of immunosuppression.

JCI Insight · Apr 21, 2025Peer-reviewedImmunology

Regulatory T cells crosstalk with tumor and endothelium through lymphotoxin signaling

Wenji Piao, Long Wu, Yanbao Xiong, Gregory C. Zapas, Christina M. Paluskievicz, Robert S. Oakes, Sarah M. Pettit, Margaret L. Sleeth, Keli Lee Hippen, Jessica Schmitz, Philipp Ivanyi, Amol Carl Shetty, Yang Song, Dejun Kong, Young Lee, , Jonathan S. Bromberg

This study identifies Treg-mediated lymphotoxin signaling that promotes tumor growth and metastasis by activating nonclassical NFκB pathways in tumor and endothelial cells, and shows that targeting this pathway can suppress tumor progression.

Nature Communications · Dec 2, 2024Peer-reviewedCancer Biology

Macrophage microRNA-146a is a central regulator of the foreign body response to biomaterial implants

Manisha Mahanty, Bidisha Dutta, Wenquan Ou, Xiaoping Zhu, Jonathan S. Bromberg, Xiaoming He, Shaik O. Rahaman

This study identifies miR-146a as a key regulator of the foreign body response to biomaterial implants, showing its role in macrophage function, fibrosis, and FBGC formation.

Biomaterials · Apr 4, 2024Peer-reviewedCell Biology