Digital Commons Network^™

Systemic Vascular Dysregulation And Retinal Microvascular Alterations In Glaucoma, Amin Ibrahim, Tori Sayers, Alexa Nichols, Igor Zwir, Andrew Tsin, Lorena Flores-Hernandez, Gladys E. Maestre, Jesus D. Melgarejo

Research Colloquium

Background: Glaucoma is a multifactorial, progressive optic neuropathy, for which both mechanical and vascular mechanisms of pathogenesis have been proposed. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) enables noninvasive visualization of the choroidal and retinal vasculature and may be used to quantify vascular changes associated with glaucoma. Systemic risk factors, including variations in blood pressure (BP), whether low or elevated, have been associated with the vascular pathogenesis of glaucoma. This systematic review aims to synthesize the current evidence on the relationship between systemic vascular dysregulation and OCTA-derived retinal vascular markers in glaucomatous eyes.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search …

Retinal Vessel Density And Diameter Changes In Alzheimer’S Disease: A Systematic Review, Alexa E. Nichols, Tori Sayers, Amin Ibrahim, Jorge Zwir, Andrew Tsin, Lorena Flores-Hernandez, Gladys Maestre, Jesus Melgarejo

Research Colloquium

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by cerebral microvascular dysfunction, which may be mirrored in the retina due to shared embryological origins and common risk factors such as hypertension.1 Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) offers a noninvasive approach to quantify retinal microvascular changes associated with AD.2 This systematic review evaluated retinal vessel density and diameter changes in relation to AD and related disorders, including mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.3 Eligible studies included peer-reviewed human research using OCTA to assess retinal vessel density and/or diameter in mild cognitive impairment, AD, …

Structural Basis For Mtorc1 Activation On The Lysosomal Membrane, Zhicheng Cui, Alessandra Esposito, Gennaro Napolitano, Andrea Ballabio, James H Hurley

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) integrates growth factor (GF) and nutrient signals to stimulate anabolic processes connected to cell growth and inhibit catabolic processes such as autophagy1,2. GF signalling through the tuberous sclerosis complex regulates the lysosomally localized small GTPase RAS homologue enriched in brain (RHEB)3. Direct binding of RHEB-GTP to the mTOR kinase subunit of mTORC1 allosterically activates the kinase by inducing a large-scale conformational change4. Here we reconstituted mTORC1 activation on membranes by RHEB, RAGs and Ragulator. Cryo-electron microscopy showed that RAPTOR and mTOR interact directly with the membrane. Full engagement of the membrane anchors …

Galntl5 Binds Galnac And Is Required For Migration Through The Uterotubal Junction And Sperm-Zona Pellucida Binding, Taichi Noda, Reika Uriu, Daisuke Mashiko, Hina Shinohara, Yongcun Qu, Ayumu Taira, Ryan M Matzuk, Duri Tahala, Motochika Nakano, Kimi Araki, Zhifeng Yu, Ying Zhang, Martin M Matzuk, Masahito Ikawa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

More than 20 genes expressed in the male reproductive tract have been identified as essential factors for sperm migration to and through the utero-tubal junction (UTJ), and they are divided into ADAM3-dependent and ADAM3-independent pathways. In parallel, sperm having UTJ migration defects also show impaired binding to the zona pellucida (ZP). Herein, we demonstrate that knockout of Galntl5, encoding a sperm surface protein, causes impaired sperm binding with the UTJ and ZP, and null males have severe infertility. GALNTL5 appreciably disappears in sperm lacking Adam3 or Lypd4, required for ADAM3-dependent and ADAM3-independent pathways, and GALNTL5 binds to N …

Galntl5 Binds Galnac And Is Required For Migration Through The Uterotubal Junction And Sperm-Zona Pellucida Binding, Taichi Noda, Reika Uriu, Daisuke Mashiko, Hina Shinohara, Yongcun Qu, Ayumu Taira, Ryan M Matzuk, Duri Tahala, Motochika Nakano, Kimi Araki, Zhifeng Yu, Ying Zhang, Martin M Matzuk, Masahito Ikawa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: To review the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke care-metrics and report data from a health system in Houston.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of the published literature reporting stroke admissions, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) cases, number of thrombolysis (tPA) and thrombectomy (MT) cases, and time metrics (door to needle, DTN; and door to groin time, DTG) during the pandemic compared to prepandemic period. Within our hospital system, between January-June 2019 and January-June 2020, we compared the proportion of stroke admissions and door to tPA and MT times.

Results: A total of 32,640 stroke admissions from 29 studies …

Impact Of Tricuspid Regurgitation On The Clinical Outcomes Of Patients With Heart Failure, Muhammad U. Almani, Rasha Khan, Noor Fatima, Muhammad Yousuf, Aman Amanullah

Einstein Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common occurrence in patients with heart failure (HF), and its role in disease progression has gained attention in recent years. Although TR can worsen clinical outcomes in HF patients, the impact of gender, racial, and socioeconomic factors remains largely unexplored. With growing evidence supporting the role of percutaneous interventions for the treatment of significant TR, understanding these disparities is more crucial than ever.

METHODS: Data were extracted from the National Inpatient and National Readmission 2016-2020 Databases. We used ICD-10 code I50 to identify the patients primarily admitted for HF and subdivided the cohort into …

Bard1: A Friend Or Foe In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma?, Lily Zekavat, Aditi Jain

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive solid malignancy with poor overall prognosis and limited response to standard treatments. Growing interest in the modulation of DNA repair mechanisms, including the homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway, has opened new avenues for therapeutic development. BARD1 (BRCA1-Associated RING Domain 1) plays a complex role in tumor biology, functioning either as a tumor suppressor or as an oncogenic driver, depending on isoform expression, cellular context, and regulatory environment. In this review, we examine the dual roles of BARD1, focusing on its regulation and paradoxical activities in PDAC. We summarize evidence that BARD1 and BARD1 …

A Single Center Study Of The Symbol Digit Modalities Test As A Screening Tool For Cognitive Impairment In Parkinson’S Disease, Daniyell Thomason, Morganne Manuel, Shannin Moody, Jesus Lovera, Brain Copeland, Deidre Devier

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) can include physical signs and possibly cognitive impairment, resulting from the convergence of pathologicalprocesses involving dopaminergic dysfunction, accumulation ofalpha-synuclein, cholinergic deficits, and disruption of otherneurotransmitter systems. We used screening tests to evaluate thecharacteristics of cognitive performance in patients with PD and to assess their validity compared tothe Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Methods: This is a natural history study of participants with PD and controls screened for possible cognitive impairment using the MoCA, Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and King-Devick (KD). The groups were compared on performance and then factors associated with cognitive performance (age, diagnosis, and …

Amino Acids And Cart Distinguish A-Β+ Ketosis-Prone Diabetes From Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes During Hyperglycemic Crises, Farook Jahoor, Jean W Hsu, Kelly R Keene, W Frank Peacock, Xiaofang Huang, Danielle Guffey, Jinyoung Byun, Rasmus Bennet, Ake Lernmark, Mustafa Tosur, Ashok Balasubramanyam

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Context: When clinically stable, patients with A-β+ ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) manifest unique markers of amino acid metabolism. Biomarkers differentiating KPD from type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) during hyperglycemic crises would accelerate diagnosis and management.

Objective: Compare serum metabolomics of KPD, T1D, and T2D patients during hyperglycemic crises, and utilize classification and regression tree (CART) modeling to distinguish these forms of diabetes.

Methods: At an urban hospital emergency center, adults with KPD, T1D, and T2D during hyperglycemic crises with or without diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and healthy controls, underwent comparisons of serum metabolite and hormonal profiles and CART analyses. …

Sorting Nexin 3 Promotes Ischemic Retinopathy Through Rip1- And Rip3-Mediated Myeloid Cell Necroptosis And Mitochondrial Fission, Jiaojiao Wang, Chunhong Zhou, Kai Zhuang, Jiami Zou, Wanlu Qiu, Mei Jin, Weile Ye, Pinglian Yang, Zhihua Zheng, Qing Zhou, Zunnan Huang, Yuanxiang Wang, Peiqing Liu, Jing Lu, Yuqing Huo, Zhiping Liu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Proliferative retinopathy is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in humans; however, the molecular mechanisms behind the immune cell–mediated retinal angiogenesis remain poorly elucidated. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing in an oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model, we identified an enrichment of sorting nexin (SNX)-related pathways, with SNX3, a member of the SNX family that is involved in endosomal sorting and trafficking, being significantly upregulated in the myeloid cell subpopulations of OIR retinas. Immunostaining showed that SNX3 expression is markedly increased in the retinal microglia/macrophages of mice with OIR, which is mainly located within and around the neovascular tufts. Myeloid cell-specific deficiency …

Artificial Intelligence In Head And Neck Cancer: Towards Precision Medicine, Jacob Hagen, Logan Hornung, William Barham, Supratik Mukhopadhyay, Adam Bess, Kevin Contrera, Devraj Basu, Vlad Sandulache, Guillaume Spielmann, Sagar Kansara

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Over the past 20 years, the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) have gained significant interest. While AI has been implemented to various degrees in several disciplines, its unique applications in head and neck cancer (HNC) remain underdeveloped. This narrative review examines the existing body of literature regarding the use of AI in HNC. Studies to date have demonstrated AI’s utility across multiple phases of the HNC treatment continuum. Despite its promise, integrating AI into clinical practice faces several challenges, including concerns about system integrity, generalizability, privacy, and bias. In this review, we address these challenges and offer insights into future …

Elevated Nr2f1 Underlies The Persistence Of Invasive Disease After Treatment Of Braf-Mutant Melanoma, Manoela Tiago, Timothy J Purwin, Casey D Stefanski, Renaira Oliveira Da Silva, Mitchell E Fane, Yash Chhabra, Jelan I Haj, Jessica Lf Teh, Rama Kadamb, Weijia Cai, Sheera R Rosenbaum, Vivian Chua, Nir Hacohen, Michael A Davies, Jessie Villanueva, Inna Chervoneva, Ashani T Weeraratna, Dan A Erkes, Claudia Capparelli, Julio A Aguirre-Ghiso, Andrew E Aplin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite the success of targeted inhibitors in cutaneous melanoma, therapeutic responses are limited by the aged tumor microenvironment and drug-tolerant residual cells. Given the similarities between drug tolerance and cellular dormancy, we studied the dormancy marker, nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 1 (NR2F1), in response to BRAF-V600E inhibitors (BRAFi) plus MEK inhibitors (MEKi) in BRAF-mutant melanoma models. Transcriptomic analysis of melanoma patient samples treated with BRAFi + MEKi showed increased NR2F1. NR2F1 was highly expressed in the drug-tolerant invasive cell state of minimal residual disease in patient-derived and mouse-derived xenografts on BRAFi + MEKi. NR2F1 over-expression was sufficient …

33 Unresolved Questions In Nanoscience And Nanotechnology, Chad A Mirkin, Sarah Hurst Petrosko, Natalie Artzi, Koray Aydin, Austin Biaggne, C Jeffrey Brinker, Katherine E Bujold, Y Charles Cao, Rachel R Chan, Chaojian Chen, Peng-Cheng Chen, Xiaodong Chen, Olivier J G L Chevalier, Chung Hang Jonathan Choi, Richard M Crooks, Vinayak P Dravid, Jingshan S Du, Sasha B Ebrahimi, Hongyou Fan, Omar K Farha, C Adrian Figg, Tanner D Fink, Connor M Forsyth, Harald Fuchs, Franz M Geiger, Nathan C Gianneschi, Kyle J Gibson, David S Ginger, Sishi Guo, Justin S Hanes, Liangliang Hao, Jin Huang, Bryan M Hunter, Fengwei Huo, Jeongmin Hwang, Rongchao Jin, Shana O Kelley, Thomas J Kempa, Youngeun Kim, Sergej Kudruk, Sneha Kumari, Kaitlin M Landy, Ki-Bum Lee, Noel J Leon, Jun Li, Yuanwei Li, Zhiwei Li, Bin Liu, Guoliang Liu, Xiaogang Liu, Luis M Liz-Marzán, Jochen H Lorch, Taokun Luo, Robert J Macfarlane, Jill E Millstone, Milan Mrksich, Catherine J Murphy, Rajesh R Naik, Andre E Nel, Christopher Oetheimer, Jenny K Hedlund Orbeck, So-Jung Park, Benjamin E Partridge, Nicholas A Peppas, Michelle L Personick, Arindam Raj, Namrata Ramani, Michael B Ross, Stacey Barnaby Ross, Edward H Sargent, Tanushri Sengupta, George C Schatz, Dwight S Seferos, Tamar Seideman, Soyoung Eileen Seo, Bo Shen, Wooyoung Shim, Donghoon Shin, Ulrich Simon, Andrew J Sinegra, Peter T Smith, Alexander M Spokoyny, Peter J Stang, Alexander H Stegh, J Fraser Stoddart, Dayne F Swearer, Weihong Tan, Michelle H Teplensky, C Shad Thaxton, David R Walt, Mary X Wang, Zhe Wang, Wei David Wei, Paul S Weiss, Peter H Winegar, Younan Xia, Yi Xie, Xiaoyang Xu, Peidong Yang, Yiming Yang, Zihao Ye, Kuk Ro Yoon, Cuizheng Zhang, Hua Zhang, Ke Zhang, Liangfang Zhang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Ye Zhang, Zijian Zheng, Wenjie Zhou, Shengshuang Zhu, Wei Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Significant advances in science and engineering often emerge at the intersections of disciplines. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are inherently interdisciplinary, uniting researchers from chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, materials science, and engineering. This convergence has fostered novel ways of thinking and enabled the development of materials, tools, and technologies that have transformed both basic and applied research, as well as how we address critical societal challenges. In this Nano Focus, we pose and explore 33 questions whose answers could profoundly impact fields such as energy, electronics, the environment, optics, and medicine. These questions highlight the need for deeper foundational understanding, improved tools …

Regional Citrate Anticoagulation And Infectious Complications In Critically Ill Children And Young Adults Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, Katja M Gist, Sai Prasad N Iyer, H David Humes, Stuart L Goldstein, Mihaela Damian, Andrea Cappoli, Catherine Joseph, Danielle E Soranno, Michelle Starr, Ashita Tolwani, Kevin K Chung, Theresa Mottes, Huaiyu Zang, Jangdong Seo, Nicholas J Ollberding, Shina Menon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Recent studies have identified an association between regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) and subsequent infectious complications during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We aimed to determine if RCA was associated with infectious complications in children and young adults receiving CRRT.

Methods: A secondary analysis of the multinational Worldwide Exploration of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative in Kidney Disease (WE-ROCK) registry (34 centers, 9 countries), was performed, including patients from 2015 to 2018. Patients were excluded if they (1) died within 72 h of CRRT initiation, had minor trauma or were postsurgical (analysis 1), or (2) met an exclusion in analysis 1 …

Setd2 Suppresses Tumorigenesis In A Krasg12c-Driven Lung Cancer Model, And Its Catalytic Activity Is Regulated By Histone Acetylation, Ricardo J Mack, Natasha M Flores, Geoffrey C Fox, Hanyang Dong, Metehan Cebeci, Simone Hausmann, Tourkian Chasan, Jill M Dowen, Brian D Strahl, Pawel K Mazur, Or Gozani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Histone H3 trimethylation at lysine 36 (H3K36me3) is a key chromatin modification that regulates fundamental physiological and pathological processes. In humans, SETD2 is the only known enzyme that catalyzes H3K36me3 in somatic cells and is implicated in tumor suppression across multiple cancer types. While there is considerable crosstalk between the SETD2-H3K36me3 axis and other epigenetic modifications, much remains to be understood. Here, we show that Setd2 functions as a potent tumor suppressor in a KRASG12C-driven lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) mouse model, and that acetylation enhances SETD2 in vitro methylation of H3K36 on nucleosome substrates. In vivo, Setd2 ablation accelerates lethality in …

Bayesian Clustering Prior With Overlapping Indices For Effective Use Of Multisource External Data, Xuetao Lu, J Jack Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The use of external data in clinical trials offers numerous advantages, such as reducing enrollment, increasing study power, and shortening trial duration. In Bayesian inference, information in external data can be transferred into an informative prior for future borrowing (i.e. prior synthesis). However, multisource external data often exhibits heterogeneity, which can cause information distortion during the prior synthesizing. Clustering helps identifying the heterogeneity, enhancing the congruence between synthesized prior and external data. Obtaining optimal clustering is challenging due to the trade-off between congruence with external data and robustness to future data. We introduce two overlapping indices: the overlapping clustering index …

Intouch Week Of September 15, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Founder’s Dinner Set for October 22
• NYMC Receives $400,000 Grant for Pediatric Cancer Research from Hyundai Hope on Wheels
• M1 Students and Alumni Connect at Networking Soiree
• Free Campus Food Pantries Available to Support Students
• Tailgate Gear Savings
• In the Community: NYMC Community Rallies Together at Donate Life Club Blood Drive
• In the Community: SIGN Walks for Epilepsy

Developmental Transformations Of Purkinje Cells Tracked By Dna Electrokinetic Mobility, Cheryl Brandenburg, Garrett W Crutcher, Andrea J Romanowski, Sarah G Donofrio, Lita R Duraine, Richard N A Owusu-Mensah, Benjamin H Cooper, Izumi Sugihara, Gene J Blatt, Roy V Sillitoe, Alexandros Poulopoulos

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Brain development begins with neurogenesis in progenitor zones and ends with expansive, intricately-patterned cellular diversity in the adult brain. We took advantage of bioelectric interactions between DNA and embryonic tissue to perform "stereo-tracking," a developmental targeting strategy that differentially labels cells at different depths within progenitor zones. This 3D labeling was achieved by delivery of plasmids with distinct electrokinetic mobilities in utero. We applied stereo-tracking with light sheet imaging in the cerebellum and identified that Purkinje cells follow embryonically committed developmental trajectories, linking distinct progenitor zone subfields to the mature topography of the cerebellar cortex. We additionally identified an unexpected …

Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery: The Noninvasive Presurgical Evaluation, Deepankar Mohanty, Michael Quach

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Drug-resistant epilepsy is a debilitating condition that afflicts individuals across all demographics, including children. The only recourse for many of these individuals is neurosurgery to reduce seizure burden, by either resecting or ablating the cerebral source or modulating it with a stimulator device. In either case, a thorough presurgical evaluation is required to identify brain regions of interest and construct an appropriate surgical plan. The scope of this evaluation has grown rapidly over the years as new and refined techniques have emerged. The aim of this article was to condense the most salient points regarding investigational tools used commonly …

Study Of Clinical And Bacteriological Profile Of Culture-Positive Neonatal Sepsis At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Qudsiya Ansari, Vaibhav Pawar, Kailas Randad, Poonam Wade

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a significant global health challenge, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality among neonates. Its clinical manifestations and causative agents show regional and temporal variations, necessitating localized studies to guide effective management. This study aimed to assess the clinical features, bacteriological profile, and antimicrobial resistance patterns in culture-positive neonatal sepsis at a tertiary NICU. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed records of 131 inborn neonates with culture-proven sepsis admitted between April 2019 and March 2020. Data on demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, causative organisms, and treatment outcomes were examined. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns were also evaluated. Results: Of the …

Somatostatin Receptor 2 Overexpression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Implications For Cancer Biology And Therapeutic Applications, Servando Hernandez Vargas, Solmaz Aghaamiri, Jack T Adams, Tyler M Bateman, Belkacem Acidi, Sukhen C Ghosh, Vahid Khalaj, Ahmed O Kaseb, Hop S Tran Cao, Majid Momeny, Ali Azhdarinia

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), a G protein-coupled receptor, is overexpressed in multiple malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While SSTR2 has traditionally been viewed as an inhibitory receptor involved in suppressing hormone secretion and cell proliferation, emerging evidence suggests a more complex role in cancer biology. However, the functional implications of SSTR2 expression in HCC remain poorly understood. This study aimed to systematically investigate the molecular landscape associated with SSTR2 expression in HCC and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target.

Methods: SSTR2 expression patterns across 22 tumor types were assessed using TNMplot, and its expression in HCC was further …

Preclinical Perspectives On Disorders Of The Temporomandibular Joint: Tracing The Past, Navigating The Present, And Shaping The Future, John K Neubert, Kyle Allen, Tamara Alliston, Alejandro J Almarza, Kyriacos A Athanasiou, Basak Donertas-Ayaz, Bruna Balbino De Paula, Roxanne Bavarian, Nidhi Bhutani, Brian E Cairns, Robert M Caudle, Yang Chai, Jian-Fu Chen, Yong Chen, Glenn T Clark, Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, Alexandre F Dasilva, Paul L Durham, Airam Vivanco Estela, Millie Embree, Roger Fillingim, Fernando Guastaldi, Shruti Handa, Sunil D Kapila, David Keith, Keith L Kirkwood, Phillip Kramer, Katherine T Martucci, Niall P Murphy, Andrea G Nackley, Richard Ohrbach, Benedikt Sagl, Shad B Smith, Feng Tao, Beth Winkelstein, Hai Yao, Simon Young, Michael S Gold

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are complex conditions characterized by orofacial pain and dysfunction, affecting a significant portion of the population. TMDs may involve joint and/or muscle pain, dysfunction (e.g., noise, limited or altered jaw movements), or both, leading to a marked decrease in quality of life. Patients often experience functional limitations that hinder eating, speaking, and daily activities. Additionally, TMDs are frequently associated with psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, which further impacts overall well-being. Despite the profound individual and societal impact of TMDs, effective therapies remain elusive, partly due to deficiencies in translational research. A primary limitation in the TMD …

Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism With Bi-Atrial Cardiac Thrombi Entrapped In A Patent Foramen Ovale, Denise Mourad, Fahd Eissa Mohamed, Yashi Ballal, Elie Mrad, Natasa Petreska, Sachin Singh, Paritharsh Ghantasala

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Bi-atrial thrombi with bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE) through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is rare and life-threatening, requiring urgent management due to embolization risk. We present a 53-year-old female with left lower extremity extensive deep vein thrombosis (DVT), bilateral PE, and bi-atrial thrombi straddling a PFO. She underwent thrombectomy, PFO closure, and pulmonary embolectomy but later experienced recurrent DVT and PE. Anticoagulation was limited due to bleeding risk given a recent neurosurgery. Literature lacks clear guidelines for managing such cases necessitating individualized treatment. This case highlights the complexity of bi-atrial thrombi with PFO and the need for further research to …

Infusion Of Blood From Young And Old Mice Modulates Amyloid Pathology, Matias Pizarro, Ruben Gomez-Gutierrez, Ariel Caviedes, Catalina Valdes, Ute Woehlbier, Cristian Vargas, Mauricio Hernandez, Claudia Duran-Aniotz, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain. Recently, the impact of blood components in the progression of this disease has come to attention. This study investigates the effects of infusing blood from young and old wild-type mice into transgenic mice that model AD brain amyloidosis. Impaired memory and Aβ accumulation were observed in mice infused with blood from old donors. A proteomic analysis in the brain of these mice identified alterations in components related to synaptogenesis and the endocannabinoid system. The α2δ2 protein, associated with neuronal calcium regulation, was validated …

Loss Of Ptdss1 In Tumor Cells Improves Immunogenicity And Response To Anti-Pd-1 Therapy, Jielin Liu, Shelley Herbrich, Sreyashi Basu, Yulong Chen, Ashwat Nagarajan, Swetha Anandhan, Sangeeta Goswami, Liangwen Xiong, Baoxiang Guan, Padmanee Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PTDSS1 (phosphatidylserine synthase 1) encodes an enzyme that facilitates production of phosphatidylserine (PS), which mediates a global immunosuppressive signal. Here, based on in vivo CRISPR screen, we identified PTDSS1 as a target to improve anti-PD-1 therapy. Depletion of Ptdss1 in tumor cells increased expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-regulated genes, including B2m, Cxcl9, Cxcl10, and Stat1, even in the absence of IFN-γ stimulation in vitro. Loss of Ptdss1 in tumor cells also led to increased expression of MHC-I, enhanced cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, and increased frequency of an iNOS+ myeloid subset. A gene signature derived from the …

Distinct Transcriptional Regulation Of The Wnt And Tgfβ Signaling Families Associated With Wound Healing And Fibrotic Outcomes To Lens Injury, Catherine Lalman, Kylie R. Stabler, Joshua Disatham, Lisa A. Brennan, Marc Kantorow, Janice L. Walker

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a fibrotic complication of cataract surgery caused by aberrant repair of residual lens cells. It remains unclear how the lens injury response shifts toward a pathological repair process. Here, we performed a transcriptional analysis of two major pro-fibrotic pathways, the TGF-β superfamily and Wnt signaling pathways to determine how they are differentially regulated during regenerative wound healing versus fibrosis in a lens injury model. For these studies, RNA sequencing was performed on an ex vivo lens explant system that models post-surgical healing within regenerative and fibrotic microenvironments, from 0 to 3 days post-injury. Fibrotic conditions …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Child, Caregiver, And Clinician Perspectives On Mental Health In Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Justin H Qian, Andrew D Wiese, Clarissa Gonzalez, Whitney S Shepherd, Hannah Cho, Gianna M Colombo, Julia M Morales, Selena Guo, Kristin M Kostick-Quenet, Dianne Nguyen, Sophie C Schneider, Kara Ayers, Members Of The Bbdc, Marie-Eve Robinson, Chaya N Murali, Brendan Lee, V Reid Sutton, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heritable connective disorder with clinical manifestations including bone fragility and short stature. Previous research identified psychosocial themes related to mental health among children with OI and their caregivers, such as independence, social isolation, depression, and anxiety. Several studies have also examined clinicians of individuals with OI for their perspectives on mental health among their patients. However, no known studies have compared psychosocial themes among all three participant groups concurrently. This qualitative study examined mood and anxiety, along with risk and protective factors, from perspectives of youths, parents, and clinicians. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, which were …

The Colonic Crypt: Cellular Dynamics And Signaling Pathways In Homeostasis And Cancer, Anh L. Nguyen, Molly A. Lausten, Bruce M. Boman

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

The goal of this review is to expand our understanding of how the cellular organization of the normal colonic crypt is maintained and elucidate how this intricate architecture is disrupted during tumorigenesis. Additionally, it will focus on implications for new therapeutic strategies targeting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). The colonic crypt is a highly structured epithelial unit that functions in maintaining homeostasis through a complex physiological function of diverse cell types: SCs, transit-amplifying (TA) progenitors, goblet cells, absorptive colonocytes, Paneth-like cells, M cells, tuft cells, and enteroendocrine cells. These cellular subpopulations are spatially organized and regulated by multiple crucial signaling pathways, including …

Human Toxocariasis, Susana Lopez-Alamillo, Pravallika Padyala, Megan Carey, Megan M Duffey, Jill E Weatherhead

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human toxocariasis is a globally prevalent zoonotic parasitic infection caused by larvae of Toxocara species, primarily Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Toxocariasis is commonly transmitted to humans through the ingestion of embryonated Toxocara eggs found in contaminated soil, water, or on surfaces contaminated with animal feces. Unlike in dogs and cats, humans are not definitive hosts for Toxocara spp., and, as a result, Toxocara larvae do not complete their life cycle in humans. Instead, following accidental oral ingestion of embryonated eggs, Toxocara larvae undergo an aberrant larval migratory cycle to various organs including the lungs, liver, muscles, and central …

Barriers And Timely Postoperative Radiation Therapy In Head And Neck Cancer, Megan T Nguyen, Emily Kistner-Griffin, Reid Demass, Bhisham S Chera, Chanita Hughes Halbert, Katherine R Sterba, Elizabeth G Hill, Brian Nussenbaum, Anthony J Alberg, Vlad C Sandulache, David J Hernandez, Ryan S Jackson, Sidharth V Puram, Russel Kahmke, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, Gail Jackson, Sue S Yom, Evan M Graboyes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Initiation of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) within 6 weeks of surgery is associated with improved outcomes among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, the relationship of barriers to care with timely PORT is unknown.

Objective: To categorize barriers to timely PORT, evaluate the association of barriers to care with initiation of timely PORT, and describe the primary reason for delay among patients without timely PORT.

Design, setting, and participants: This prospective cohort study at a US academic medical center included adults with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma undergoing curative-intent surgery with an indication for PORT. …