In this episode of Inflammatory Content, Dr. Kellen Cavagnero breaks down a new Nature paper showing that a subset of skin neutrophils doesn’t just fight bacteria—they also build extracellular matrix (ECM). After injury, these neutrophils rapidly assemble rings of ECM around the wound that strengthen the barrier and limit bacterial entry. This program depends on TGF-β signaling within neutrophils; when that pathway is disabled, the rings fail to form and bacteria penetrate more easily.

Relevant Links:

• Paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40108463/

• Commentary: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-025-01170-5

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I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out with questions, feedback, or topic suggestions via email at kcavagnero@gmail.com, on X @KellenCavagnero, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Stay curious and keep exploring at www.inflammatorycontent.com

In this episode of Inflammatory Content, Dr. Kellen Cavagnero dives into a landmark 2024 Nature study by Thierry Nordman and colleagues, titled “Spatial proteomics identifies JAKi as treatment for a lethal skin disease.” This cutting-edge research changes the game for patients suffering from toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)—a devastating cutaneous adverse drug reaction with limited treatment options.

Using a powerful approach including spatial proteomics and mouse models of TEN, the authors identify interferon signaling as a key inflammatory pathway driving TEN. Most remarkably, they repurpose an FDA-approved JAK inhibitor to safely and effectively treat patients with TEN in a small clinical trial.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how ‘omics technologies can rapidly unlock therapies for even the rarest and most lethal diseases.

Relevant Links:

• Paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39415009/

• Commentary: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39501097/

If you enjoy Inflammatory Content and want to help me keep the conversations going, consider supporting the podcast! You can write a review, share this episode with friends and colleagues, or make a donation to help keep the show ad-free and thriving. Your contributions, big or small, go directly toward covering production costs and allow me to bring you even more Inflammatory Content. You can donate directly here: https://venmo.com/Kellen-Cavagnero.

I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out with questions, feedback, or topic suggestions via email at kcavagnero@gmail.com, on X @KellenCavagnero, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Stay curious and keep exploring at www.inflammatorycontent.com.

In this episode, Dr. Kellen Cavagnero is joined by Dr. Dequina Nicholas. Dr. Nicholas is an Assistant Professor at the University of California Irvine in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Her laboratory studies endocrine diseases, including type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. Specifically, her group investigates the intersection of the nutrient environment, the immune system, and metabolic disease using a combination of molecular and cellular biology, transgenic mouse models, cytokine profiling, and flow cytometry. Dr. Nicholas is the recipient of numerous awards including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.

In their conversation, Kellen and Dequina discuss type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, lipid antigen presentation, transitioning to independence, DEI, and more.

Relevant Links:

• Nicholas Lab Website: https://nicholaslab.bio.uci.edu/

• Transitioning to Independence: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35644775/

• TikTok: @NicholasLab

• X: @QuinaScience

• Bluesky: @quinascience.bsky.social

If you enjoy Inflammatory Content and want to help me keep the conversations going, consider supporting the podcast! You can write a review, share this episode with friends and colleagues, or make a donation to help keep the show ad-free and thriving. Your contributions, big or small, go directly toward covering production costs and allow me to bring you even more Inflammatory Content. You can donate directly here: https://venmo.com/Kellen-Cavagnero.

I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out with questions, feedback, or topic suggestions via email at kcavagnero@gmail.com, on X @KellenCavagnero, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Stay curious and keep exploring at www.inflammatorycontent.com.