Authors:

Aryaman Dewan

Date Created:

Not specified

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About Paper:

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antibiotic- associated diarrhea and colitis, with over 220,000 cases annually in the United States. While symptomatic CDI can lead to severe complications or death, a significant number of individuals remain asymptomatic carriers, suggesting that host-specific factors influence disease outcomes. This study aims to elucidate the proteomic and lipidomic differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic murine models of CDI to uncover endogenous protective mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets. Using mass spectrometry-based analyses, we profiled fecal and intestinal samples to characterize differences in host protein expression and lipid composition and their correlation with disease severity. Our preliminary findings indicate that symptomatic mice exhibit disruptions in lipid metabolism, including depletion of anti- inflammatory lipid species and altered bile acid profiles. In contrast, asymptomatic mice maintain lipid signatures associated with mucosal protection and immune modulation. Proteomic analysis further identified distinct patterns of immune and barrier-regulatory protein expression that may contribute to resistance against symptomatic disease. By integrating these datasets, we propose a set of candidate lipids and proteins that may serve as biomarkers of resilience or therapeutic targets. These findings provide new insight into host-pathogen dynamics and offer promising avenues for the development of interventions aimed at reducing CDI severity and recurrence. Keywords: Clostridioides Difficile Infection; Mass Spectrometry; Proteomic; Lipidomic; Host-Pathogen Dynamics

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

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Co-authors:

Aryaman Dewan