My research program seeks to develop a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of the interactions between immune responses, cellular and systemic metabolic processes, and commensal bacteria. This program, which is a direct extension of my interests in innate immunity, metabolism, and the gastrointestinal tract, uses an integrated immunological and systems biology approach (e.g., metabolomics and transcriptomics) to investigate: 1) how innate immune responses are regulated by metabolic programming, 2) how dysfunctional innate immune responses and chronic inflammation promote metabolic abnormalities and increase susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious diseases, and 3) how commensal bacteria and their metabolic products contribute to the function and dysfunction of innate immune responses.
My current research focusses on understanding the role of persistent inflammation and chronic innate immune activation in the development of co-morbid conditions in high risk and under-represented populations such as HIV-infected individuals, illicit drug users and aging populations. This work is performed in collaboration with clinicians and scientists both nationally and internationally.
Cassol E, Misra V, Dutta A, Morgello S, and Gabuzda D. CSF Metabolomics Reveals Altered Waste Clearance and Accelerated Aging in HIV Patients with Neurocognitive Impairment. AIDS. Jul 17, 2014; 28(11): 1579–1591.
Cassol E, Misra V, Holman A, Kamat A, Morgello S, and Gabuzda D. Plasma metabolomics identifies lipid abnormalities linked to markers of inflammation, microbial translocation, and hepatic function in HIV patients receiving protease inhibitors. BMC Infect Dis. 2013 May 4;13:203.
Cassol E, Malfeld S, Mahasha P, Bond R, Slavik T, Seebregts C, Poli G, Cassol S, van der Merwe S, Rossouw T. Impaired CD4+ T cell restoration in the small vs. large intestine of HIV-1+ South Africans receiving combination antiretroviral therapy. J Infect Dis. 2013 Oct 1;208(7):1113-22.
Cassol E, Malfeld S, Mahasha P, van der Merwe S, Cassol S, Seebregts C, Alfano M, Poli G, Rossouw T. Persistent microbial translocation and immune activation in HIV-1-infected South Africans on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). J Infect Dis 2010;202(5):722-33.
Cassol E, Cassetta L, Rizzi C, Alfano M, Poli G. M1 and M2a polarization of human monocyte-derived macrophages inhibits HIV-1 replication by distinct mechanisms. J Immunol 2009: 182:6237-46.
Cassol E, Alfano M, Biswas, P, Poli G. Monocyte-derived-macrophages and myeloid cell lines as targets of HIV-1 replication and persistence. J Leukoc Biol 2006;80 (5):1018-30.