Welcome to Yin Lab

Despite advances in antibiotic therapy, there is a significant need for more efficacious treatments of severe bacterial infections. The host responds to bacterial infection by activating the innate immune system to clear pathogen by phagocytic and killing mechanisms. The host then needs to resolve inflammation and return to homeostasis. Resolution is an active process which involves reducing neutrophil activity, increasing macrophage recruitment, augmenting monocyte/macrophage activity, and decreasing systemic inflammatory response. In severe bacterial infections such as sepsis, activation of host response causes massive inflammation which the host is unable to resolve, leading to a later paradoxical dysregulated inflammatory response where the host is immunocompromised and susceptible to secondary infections.

Specialized Pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are endogenously produced lipid mediators with infection resolution activity. They are fatty acid metabolites of arachidonic acid or omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid; docosahexaenoic acid). The SPM metabolites of arachidonic acid are Lipoxin A4 and B4. The eicosapentaenoic acid metabolites are Resolvins (Rvs of the E-series, and the metabolites of docosahexenoic acid are Rvs of the D series.

The overarching theme of the Lab is to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of Specialized Proresolving Mediators (SPMs) on host defense and bacterial virulence.