Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40494852›Full record

ArticleNPJ biofilms and microbiomes2025

Polybacterial intracellular macromolecules shape single-cell inflammatory profiles in upper airway epithelia.

Quinn T Easter, Zabdiel Alvarado-Martinez, Meik Kunz, Bruno F Matuck, Brittany T Rupp, Theresa Weaver, Zhi Ren, Aleksandra Tata, Juan Caballero-Perez, Nick Oscarson and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ biofilms and microbiomes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. CD38bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Quinn T Easter *Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Zabdiel Alvarado-Martinez *Independent Contractor, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Meik KunzThe Bioinformatics CRO, Orlando, FL, USA.
Bruno F MatuckDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Brittany T RuppDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Theresa WeaverDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Zhi RenBiofilm Research Laboratories, Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Aleksandra TataDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Juan Caballero-PerezThe Bioinformatics CRO, Orlando, FL, USA.
Nick OscarsonInstitute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Akira HasuikeDepartment of Periodontology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Ameer N GhodkeDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Adam J KimpleDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Purushothama R TataDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Scott H RandellMarsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Hyun KooBiofilm Research Laboratories, Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Kang I KoDepartment of Periodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Kevin M ByrdDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. kevinmbyrd@gmail.com.

Funding

Virology Research Program (Program 4)P30CA016086 · NCI · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Deborah F. Tate · 1985 to 2026
$201.5M
Mechanisms of submucosal gland cell mediated airway regenerationR01HL146557 · NHLBI · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI TATA, PURUSHOTHAMA RAO · 2019 to 2023
$2.0M
Probing the role of Selenomonas sputigena in supragingival biofilm spatial structuring and virulenceK99DE033428 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI REN, ZHI · 2024 to 2025
$254k
ADA Science & Research Institute Volpe Research Scholar AwardNCI NIH HHS P30 CA016086NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL146557NHLBI NIH HHS R01HL146557NIDCR NIH HHS 1K99DE033428NIDCR NIH HHS K99 DE033428Virginia Commonwealth University startup funds
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mucosal epithelial cells of the upper airways are continuously exposed to microbes throughout life. Specialized niches such as the anterior nares and the tooth are especially susceptible to dysbiosis and chronic inflammatory diseases. Here, we reanalyzed our v1-Human Periodontal Atlas, identifying polybacterial signatures (20% Gram-positive; 80% Gram-negative) and distinct responses of bacterial-associated epithelia. Fluorescence microscopy detected numerous persistent polybacterial intracellular macromolecules (PIMs) within human oral keratinocytes (HOKs), including bacterial rRNA, mRNA, and glycolipids. PIM levels directly correlated with enhanced receptor-ligand signaling in vivo. Inflammatory "keratokines" targeting immune cells were synergistically upregulated in lipopolysaccharide-challenged HOKs, while endogenous lipoteichoic acid (LTA) correlated with CXCL1/8 expression in vitro and in vivo. Application of Drug2Cell suggested altered drug efficacy predictions based on PIM detection-agnostic of disease state. CXCL1/8 expression again correlated with LTA in epithelial cells of the nasal cavity, oropharynx, and trachea. Thus, PIMs shape epithelial single-cell profiles across upper airway mucosae.

Indexed as

BacteriaEpithelial CellsGram-Positive BacteriaKeratinocytesMacromolecular SubstancesAnimalsChemokine CXCL1HumansInflammationInterleukin-8LipopolysaccharidesOropharynxSingle-Cell AnalysisTeichoic AcidsTracheaChemokine CXCL1CXCL1 protein, humanCXCL8 protein, humanInterleukin-8Lipopolysaccharideslipoteichoic acidMacromolecular SubstancesTeichoic Acids

Identifiers

PMID40494852
PMCPMC12152179

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.