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Functional Impact Of Ethyl-Β-D-Glucuronide On Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Stimulated Lung Macrophages, Charles Inaku

Biotechnology Theses

Chronic alcohol abuse has been shown to alter immune defense mechanisms in humans and mice which makes the host susceptible to infections, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. However, limited information is available on the mechanisms involved in alcohol-mediated host immune system dysfunction.

In this study, we determined the effects of ethyl-β-d-glucuronide (EtG), an alcohol-derived metabolite, on immune response of mice lung macrophages. We measured cytokine and chemokine production by gamma-irradiated mtb (γ-mtb) stimulated mice lung macrophages in the presence or absence of EtG. We also determined the effect of EtG on the metabolic state of γ-mtb stimulated mice lung macrophages. …

Microrna (Mirna) Complexity In Alzheimer’S Disease (Ad), Walter J. Lukiw

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

AD is a complex, progressive, age-related neurodegenerative disorder representing the most common cause of senile dementia and neurological dysfunction in our elderly domestic population. The widely observed heterogeneity of AD is a reflection of the complexity of the AD process itself and the altered molecular-genetic mechanisms operating in the diseased human brain and CNS. One of the key players in this complex regulation of gene expression in human pathological neurobiology are microRNAs (miRNAs) that, through their actions, shape the transcriptome of brain cells that normally associate with very high rates of genetic activity, gene transcription and messenger RNA (mRNA) generation. …

Discovery Of Phosphorylated Lantibiotics With Proimmune Activity That Regulate The Oral Microbiome, Abdelahhad Barbour, Leif Smith, Morvarid Oveisi, Mckinley Williams, Ruo Chen Huang, Cara Marks, Noah Fine, Chunxiang Sun, Fereshteh Younesi, Sina Zargaran, Ravi Orugunty, Thomas D Horvath, Sigmund J Haidacher, Anthony M Haag, Amarpreet Sabharwal, Boris Hinz, Michael Glogauer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that are produced by bacteria. Interest in this group of natural products is increasing rapidly as alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Some human microbiome–derived commensals produce lantibiotics to impair pathogens’ colonization and promote healthy microbiomes. Streptococcus salivarius is one of the first commensal microbes to colonize the human oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, and its biosynthesis of RiPPs, called salivaricins, has been shown to inhibit the growth of oral pathogens. Herein, we report on a phosphorylated class of three related RiPPs, collectively referred to as salivaricin 10, that exhibit proimmune activity and …

Microfibril-Associated Protein 5 And The Regulation Of Skin Scar Formation, Chen Han, Trevor R Leonardo, Bruna Romana-Souza, Junhe Shi, Shalyn Keiser, Heidi Yuan, Mohamad Altakriti, Matthew J Ranzer, Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, Samuel C Mok, Timothy J Koh, Seok Jong Hong, Lin Chen, Luisa A Dipietro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Many factors regulate scar formation, which yields a modified extracellular matrix (ECM). Among ECM components, microfibril-associated proteins have been minimally explored in the context of skin wound repair. Microfibril-associated protein 5 (MFAP5), a small 25 kD serine and threonine rich microfibril-associated protein, influences microfibril function and modulates major extracellular signaling pathways. Though known to be associated with fibrosis and angiogenesis in certain pathologies, MFAP5's role in wound healing is unknown. Using a murine model of skin wound repair, we found that MFAP5 is significantly expressed during the proliferative and remodeling phases of healing. Analysis of existing single-cell RNA-sequencing data from …

Therapeutic Potential Of A Small-Molecule Stat3 Inhibitor In A Mouse Model Of Colitis, Prema Robinson, Kelsey Montoya, Emily Magness, Emma Rodriguez, Viviana Villalobos, Nikita Engineer, Peng Yang, Uddalak Bharadwaj, Thomas Kris Eckols, David John Tweardy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) predisposes to colorectal cancer (CRC). In the current studies, we used the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) murine model of colitis, which is widely used in preclinical studies, to determine the contribution of STAT3 to IBD. STAT3 has two isoforms: (STAT3 α; which has pro-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic functions, and STAT3β; which attenuates the effects of STAT3α). In the current study, we determined the contribution of STAT3 to IBD across all tissues by examining DSS-induced colitis in mice that express only STAT3α and in mice treated with TTI-101, a direct small-molecule inhibitor of both isoforms …

Enhanced Evasion Of Neutralizing Antibody Response By Omicron Xbb15, Ch11, And Ca31 Variants, Panke Qu, Julia N Faraone, John P Evans, Yi-Min Zheng, Claire Carlin, Mirela Anghelina, Patrick Stevens, Soledad Fernandez, Daniel Jones, Ashish R Panchal, Linda J Saif, Eugene M Oltz, Baoshan Zhang, Tongqing Zhou, Kai Xu, Richard J Gumina, Shan-Lu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Omicron subvariants continuingly challenge current vaccination strategies. Here, we demonstrate nearly complete escape of the XBB.1.5, CH.1.1, and CA.3.1 variants from neutralizing antibodies stimulated by three doses of mRNA vaccine or by BA.4/5 wave infection, but neutralization is rescued by a BA.5-containing bivalent booster. CH.1.1 and CA.3.1 show strong immune escape from monoclonal antibody S309. Additionally, XBB.1.5, CH.1.1, and CA.3.1 spike proteins exhibit increased fusogenicity and enhanced processing compared with BA.2. Homology modeling reveals the key roles of G252V and F486P in the neutralization resistance of XBB.1.5, with F486P also enhancing receptor binding. Further, K444T/M and L452R in CH.1.1 and …

Progesterone From Ovulatory Menstrual Cycles Is An Important Cause Of Breast Cancer, Herjan J T Coelingh Bennink, Iman J Schultz, Marcus Schmidt, V Craig Jordan, Paula Briggs, Jan F M Egberts, Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson, Ludwig Kiesel, Kirsten Kluivers, Jan Krijgh, Tommaso Simoncini, Frank Z Stanczyk, Robert D Langer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Many factors, including reproductive hormones, have been linked to a woman's risk of developing breast cancer (BC). We reviewed the literature regarding the relationship between ovulatory menstrual cycles (MCs) and BC risk. Physiological variations in the frequency of MCs and interference with MCs through genetic variations, pathological conditions and or pharmaceutical interventions revealed a strong link between BC risk and the lifetime number of MCs. A substantial reduction in BC risk is observed in situations without MCs. In genetic or transgender situations with normal female breasts and estrogens, but no progesterone (P4), the incidence of BC is very low, suggesting …

Architecture Of Androgen Receptor Pathways Amplifying Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Insulinotropic Action In Male Pancreatic Β Cells, Weiwei Xu, M M Fahd Qadir, Daniela Nasteska, Paula Mota De Sa, Caroline M Gorvin, Manuel Blandino-Rosano, Charles R Evans, Thuong Ho, Evgeniy Potapenko, Rajakrishnan Veluthakal, Fiona B Ashford, Stavroula Bitsi, Jia Fan, Manika Bhondeley, Kejing Song, Venkata N Sure, Siva S V P Sakamuri, Lina Schiffer, Wandy Beatty, Rachael Wyatt, Daniel E Frigo, Xiaowen Liu, Prasad V Katakam, Wiebke Arlt, Jochen Buck, Lonny R Levin, Tony Hu, Jay Kolls, Charles F Burant, Alejandra Tomas, Matthew J Merrins, Debbie C Thurmond, Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, David J Hodson, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Male mice lacking the androgen receptor (AR) in pancreatic β cells exhibit blunted glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), leading to hyperglycemia. Testosterone activates an extranuclear AR in β cells to amplify glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) insulinotropic action. Here, we examined the architecture of AR targets that regulate GLP-1 insulinotropic action in male β cells. Testosterone cooperates with GLP-1 to enhance cAMP production at the plasma membrane and endosomes via: (1) increased mitochondrial production of CO

Glial Progenitor Heterogeneity And Key Regulators Revealed By Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Provide Insight To Regeneration In Spinal Cord Injury, Haichao Wei, Xizi Wu, Joseph Withrow, Raquel Cuevas-Diaz Duran, Simranjit Singh, Lesley S Chaboub, Jyotirmoy Rakshit, Julio Mejia, Andrew Rolfe, Juan J Herrera, Philip J Horner, Jia Qian Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent studies have revealed the heterogeneous nature of astrocytes; however, how diverse constituents of astrocyte-lineage cells are regulated in adult spinal cord after injury and contribute to regeneration remains elusive. We perform single-cell RNA sequencing of GFAP-expressing cells from sub-chronic spinal cord injury models and identify and compare with the subpopulations in acute-stage data. We find subpopulations with distinct functional enrichment and their identities defined by subpopulation-specific transcription factors and regulons. Immunohistochemistry, RNAscope experiments, and quantification by stereology verify the molecular signature, location, and morphology of potential resident neural progenitors or neural stem cells in the adult spinal cord before …

Gastrulation Morphogenesis In Synthetic Systems, Alyssa A Emig, Margot L K Williams

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent advances in pluripotent stem cell culture allow researchers to generate not only most embryonic cell types, but also morphologies of many embryonic structures, entirely in vitro. This recreation of embryonic form from naïve cells, known as synthetic morphogenesis, has important implications for both developmental biology and regenerative medicine. However, the capacity of stem cell-based models to recapitulate the morphogenetic cell behaviors that shape natural embryos remains unclear. In this review, we explore several examples of synthetic morphogenesis, with a focus on models of gastrulation and surrounding stages. By varying cell types, source species, and culture conditions, researchers have recreated …

Intouch Week Of May 29, 2023, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMC Celebrates the Class of 2023 at 164th Commencement Exercises
• Department of Surgery Hosts 20th Annual Louis R.M. DelGuercio Distinguished Visiting Professorship and Research Day
• NYMC Hosted the 12th Annual Paul K. Woolf, M.D., Pediatric Trainee Research Day
• Bench-to-Bedside Seminar Series: Fetal Biophysical Profile, Development of an In-utero Apgar Score
• Study Addresses Disparities in Women and Diverse Racial and Ethnic Groups in Radiation Oncology
• Five Tips to Stay Safe During Tick Season from NYMC's Lyme Disease Expert
• NYMC's Blood Drives Donate More Than 500 Units This Academic Year

Ca2+ Efflux Facilitated By Co-Transport Of Inorganic Phosphate Anion In The H+/Ca2+ Antiporter Yfke, Wei Niu, Wenchang Zhou, Shuo Lu, Trung Vu, Vasanthi Jayaraman, José D Faraldo-Gómez, Lei Zheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ca2+ is an important signaling messenger. In microorganisms, fungi, and plants, H+/Ca2+ antiporters (CAX) are known to play key roles in the homeostasis of intracellular Ca2+ by catalyzing its efflux across the cell membrane. Here, we reveal that the bacterial CAX homolog YfkE transports Ca2+ in two distinct modes: a low-flux H+/Ca2+ exchange mode and a high-flux mode in which Ca2+ and phosphate ions are co-transported (1:1) in exchange for H+. Coupling with phosphate greatly accelerates the Ca2+ efflux activity of YfkE. Our studies reveal that Ca2+ and phosphate bind to adjacent sites in a central translocation pathway and lead …

Symptom Duration And Resolution With Early Outpatient Treatment Of Convalescent Plasma For Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Trial, Sheriza N Baksh, Sonya L Heath, Yuriko Fukuta, David Shade, Barry Meisenberg, Evan M Bloch, Aaron A R Tobian, Emily S Spivak, Bela Patel, Jonathan Gerber, Jay S Raval, Donald Forthal, James Paxton, Giselle Mosnaim, Shweta Anjan, Janis Blair, Edward Cachay, Judith Currier, Piyali Das, Moises Huaman, Catherine Sutcliffe, Anusha Yarava, Arturo Casadevall, David Sullivan, Daniel Hanley, Kelly A Gebo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) reduces hospitalizations among outpatients treated early after symptom onset. It is unknown whether CCP reduces time to symptom resolution among outpatients.

METHODS: We evaluated symptom resolution at day 14 by trial arm using an adjusted subdistribution hazard model, with hospitalization as a competing risk. We also assessed the prevalence of symptom clusters at day 14 between treatments. Clusters were defined based on biologic clustering, impact on ability to work, and an algorithm.

RESULTS: Among 1070 outpatients followed up after transfusion, 381 of 538 (70.8%) receiving CCP and 381 of 532 (71.6%) receiving …

Nailfold Videocapillaroscopic Alterations As Markers Of Microangiopathy In Covid-19 Patients, Roberta Gualtierotti, Sharon E. Fox, Fernanda Da Silva Lameira, Andrea Giachi, Luca Valenti, Maria Orietta Borghi, Pier Luigi Meroni, Massimo Cugno, Flora Peyvandi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Nailfold videocapillaroscopic alterations have been described in COVID-19, but their correlations with biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation and endothelial perturbation are still unclear, and no information is available on nailfold histopathology. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy was performed on fifteen patients with COVID-19 in Milan, Italy and the signs of microangiopathy were correlated with plasma biomarkers of inflammation (C reactive protein [CRP], ferritin), coagulation (D-dimer, fibrinogen), endothelial perturbation (Von Willebrand factor [VWF]) and angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]) along with genetic drivers of COVID-19 susceptibility. Histopathological analysis of autoptic nailfold excisions was performed on fifteen patients who died for COVID-19 in New Orleans, …

Differential Gene Expression Of Fresh Tissue And Patient-Derived Explants’ Matricellular Proteins Augment Inflammatory Breast Cancer Metastasis: The Possible Role Of Il-6 And Mcp-1, Alshaimaa Tarek, Hossam Taha Mohamed, Aya Ali El-Sharkawy, Shrouk Khalaf El-Sayed, Jon Mark Hirshon, Wendy A Woodward, Mohamed El-Shinawi, Mona Mostafa Mohamed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Matricellular proteins comprising matrisome and adhesome are responsible for structure integrity and interactions between cells in the tumour microenvironment of breast cancer. Changes in the gene expression of matrisome and adhesome augment metastasis. Since inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is characterized by high metastatic behaviour. Herein, we compared the gene expression profile of matrisome and adhesome in non-IBC and IBC in fresh tissue and ex vivo patient-derived explants (PDEs) and we also compared the secretory inflammatory mediators of PDEs in non-IBC and IBC to identify secretory cytokines participate in cross-talk between cells via interactions with matrisome and adhisome.

METHODS: Fifty …

The Role Of Extracellular Heat Shock Proteins In Cardiovascular Diseases, Soumya Patnaik, Sriram Nathan, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric, Yi-Ping Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the early 1960s, heat shock proteins (HSPs) were first identified as vital intracellular proteinaceous components that help in stress physiology and reprogram the cellular responses to enable the organism's survival. By the early 1990s, HSPs were detected in extracellular spaces and found to activate gamma-delta T-lymphocytes. Subsequent investigations identified their association with varied disease conditions, including autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cancer, hepatic, pancreatic, and renal disorders, and cachexia. In cardiology, extracellular HSPs play a definite, but still unclear, role in atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndromes, and heart failure. The possibility of HSP-targeted novel molecular therapeutics has generated much interest and hope …

The Intensity Of Free Radical Processes And Chaperone Activity In The Saliva Of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Anna A. Cheprasova, Sergey S. Popov, Alexander N. Pashkov, Aleksei N. Verevkin, Valentina O. Mittova, Konstantin K. Shulgin

BioMedicine

Introduction: Saliva is a clinically informative biological fluid that contains many biomarkers, allowing multiple analyses to be performed. Aim: The objectives of this study were the assessment of the serum and saliva levels of biochemical parameters and intensity of free radical processes in T2DM patients and the identification of the correlation between certain criteria. Methods: This case-control study included 40 T2DM patients, which were compared with 40 healthy individuals. The levels of glucose, cholesterol triglycerides, total protein, diene conjugates, and chaperone activity were measured using the spectrophotometric method. The concentration of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine was assessed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: …

Radial Arterial Waves For Chemotherapy- And Radiotherapy-Related Myocardial Damage Identification In Patients With Breast Cancer, Chia-Ying Lee, Daniela Yunchin Yen, Mark C. Hou, Ying-Ling Chen, Rong-Jen Shiau

BioMedicine

Introduction

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for breast cancer cause side effects, such as cardiovascular changes, which can be monitored with echocardiography. However, more convenient methods are always encouraged. Radial arterial waves that are used to detect cardiovascular changes can be used to assist in confirming cardiovascular changes.

Aim

This retrospective study aimed to analyze the frequency and time domains of the radial artery pulse wave in patients with breast cancer to understand its effectiveness in identifying cardiovascular changes.

Methods

Patients with breast cancer were screened from the pulse examination records in

Changhua Christian Hospital and divided into the treatment and …

Effects Of Anti-Retroviral Therapy On Baseline Serum Interleukin-18 Levels In Hiv-I Infected Patients Relative To Viral Suppression And Cd4+ Gain: A Prospective Pilot Study, Olayemi Balogun, Bukhari Isah Shuaib, Abdulrasheed Usman, Aminu Abba Yusuf, Bolanle O. P. Musa, Obiako O. Reginald, Aliyu Ahmadu Babadoko

BioMedicine

Background: In HIV infection, dysregulation of cytokines, including interleukin 18 (IL-18), has been linked to poor clinical outcomes in studies mainly conducted in resource-rich countries. This phenomenon has not been well-studied in resource-limited settings where outcomes could be confounded by exposure to endemic infections and genetic factors.

Objectives: Therefore, the influence of immunological and virological status of HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients on serum IL-18 levels at baseline (pretreatment) and 24 weeks following initiation of combination ART (cART24) in a resource-limited setting was investigated. Methods Using the cross-sectional and longitudinal mixed method design, a total of Forty-four (44) newly diagnosed …

Metformin Induces Autophagy Of Cisplatin-Resistant Human Gastric Cancer Cells In Addition To Apoptosis, Chih-Wun Fang, Jai-Sing Yang, Jo-Hua Chiang, Po-Chuen Shieh, Fuu-Jen Tsai, Chia-Wen Tsai, Wen-Shin Chang

BioMedicine

Metformin has been used to treat cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and mounting studies have shown that metformin can act alone or in synergy with other anticancer agents to achieve anti-cancer efficacies on various types of tumors. However, the role of metformin in either inducing autophagy and cisplatin-resistance of human gastric cancer (GC) cells has never been examined. The study has established a cisplatin-resistant GC cell line and investigated the effects of metformin on inducing autophagy on it. The results demonstrated that treatment with metformin can concentration-dependently suppress the cell viability and cell confluence of cisplatin-resistant GC cells, while …

Precision Medicine Advancements In Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review, Karan Iyer, Shubham Saini, Suman Bhadra, Sohini Kulavi, Jaya Bandyopadhyay

BioMedicine

Background. Glioblastoma multiforme, commonly known as GBM or glioblastoma is a grade IV astrocytoma. Brain tumors are difficult to treat and lead to poor prognosis and survival in patients. Gliomas are categorized into four different grades among which GBM is the worst grade primary brain tumor with a survival of less than a year. The genomic heterogeneity of the brain tumor results in different profiles for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma. Precision medicine focuses on this specific tumor type and suggests specialized treatment for better prognosis and overall survival (OS). Purpose. With the recent advancements in Genome-Wide Studies (GWS) and various …

Genome-Wide Association Study Of Lung Adenocarcinoma In East Asia And Comparison With A European Population, Jianxin Shi, Kouya Shiraishi, Jiyeon Choi, Keitaro Matsuo, Tzu-Yu Chen, Juncheng Dai, Rayjean J Hung, Kexin Chen, Xiao-Ou Shu, Young Tae Kim, Maria Teresa Landi, Dongxin Lin, Wei Zheng, Zhihua Yin, Baosen Zhou, Bao Song, Jiucun Wang, Wei Jie Seow, Lei Song, I-Shou Chang, Wei Hu, Li-Hsin Chien, Qiuyin Cai, Yun-Chul Hong, Hee Nam Kim, Yi-Long Wu, Maria Pik Wong, Brian Douglas Richardson, Karen M Funderburk, Shilan Li, Tongwu Zhang, Charles Breeze, Zhaoming Wang, Batel Blechter, Bryan A Bassig, Jin Hee Kim, Demetrius Albanes, Jason Y Y Wong, Min-Ho Shin, Lap Ping Chung, Yang Yang, She-Juan An, Hong Zheng, Yasushi Yatabe, Xu-Chao Zhang, Young-Chul Kim, Neil E Caporaso, Jiang Chang, James Chung Man Ho, Michiaki Kubo, Yataro Daigo, Minsun Song, Yukihide Momozawa, Yoichiro Kamatani, Masashi Kobayashi, Kenichi Okubo, Takayuki Honda, Dean H Hosgood, Hideo Kunitoh, Harsh Patel, Shun-Ichi Watanabe, Yohei Miyagi, Haruhiko Nakayama, Shingo Matsumoto, Hidehito Horinouchi, Masahiro Tsuboi, Ryuji Hamamoto, Koichi Goto, Yuichiro Ohe, Atsushi Takahashi, Akiteru Goto, Yoshihiro Minamiya, Megumi Hara, Yuichiro Nishida, Kenji Takeuchi, Kenji Wakai, Koichi Matsuda, Yoshinori Murakami, Kimihiro Shimizu, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Motonobu Saito, Yoichi Ohtaki, Kazumi Tanaka, Tangchun Wu, Fusheng Wei, Hongji Dai, Mitchell J Machiela, Jian Su, Yeul Hong Kim, In-Jae Oh, Victor Ho Fun Lee, Gee-Chen Chang, Ying-Huang Tsai, Kuan-Yu Chen, Ming-Shyan Huang, Wu-Chou Su, Yuh-Min Chen, Adeline Seow, Jae Yong Park, Sun-Seog Kweon, Kun-Chieh Chen, Yu-Tang Gao, Biyun Qian, Chen Wu, Daru Lu, Jianjun Liu, Ann G Schwartz, Richard Houlston, Margaret R Spitz, Ivan P Gorlov, Xifeng Wu, Ping Yang, Stephen Lam, Adonina Tardon, Chu Chen, Stig E Bojesen, Mattias Johansson, Angela Risch, Heike Bickeböller, Bu-Tian Ji, H-Erich Wichmann, David C Christiani, Gadi Rennert, Susanne Arnold, Paul Brennan, James Mckay, John K Field, Sanjay S Shete, Loic Le Marchand, Geoffrey Liu, Angeline Andrew, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Shan Zienolddiny-Narui, Kjell Grankvist, Mikael Johansson, Angela Cox, Fiona Taylor, Jian-Min Yuan, Philip Lazarus, Matthew B Schabath, Melinda C Aldrich, Hyo-Sung Jeon, Shih Sheng Jiang, Jae Sook Sung, Chung-Hsing Chen, Chin-Fu Hsiao, Yoo Jin Jung, Huan Guo, Zhibin Hu, Laurie Burdett, Meredith Yeager, Amy Hutchinson, Belynda Hicks, Jia Liu, Bin Zhu, Sonja I Berndt, Wei Wu, Junwen Wang, Yuqing Li, Jin Eun Choi, Kyong Hwa Park, Sook Whan Sung, Li Liu, Chang Hyun Kang, Wen-Chang Wang, Jun Xu, Peng Guan, Wen Tan, Chong-Jen Yu, Gong Yang, Alan Dart Loon Sihoe, Ying Chen, Yi Young Choi, Jun Suk Kim, Ho-Il Yoon, In Kyu Park, Ping Xu, Qincheng He, Chih-Liang Wang, Hsiao-Han Hung, Roel C H Vermeulen, Iona Cheng, Junjie Wu, Wei-Yen Lim, Fang-Yu Tsai, John K C Chan, Jihua Li, Hongyan Chen, Hsien-Chih Lin, Li Jin, Jie Liu, Norie Sawada, Taiki Yamaji, Kathleen Wyatt, Shengchao A Li, Hongxia Ma, Meng Zhu, Zhehai Wang, Sensen Cheng, Xuelian Li, Yangwu Ren, Ann Chao, Motoki Iwasaki, Junjie Zhu, Gening Jiang, Ke Fei, Guoping Wu, Chih-Yi Chen, Chien-Jen Chen, Pan-Chyr Yang, Jinming Yu, Victoria L Stevens, Joseph F Fraumeni, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Olga Y Gorlova, Chao Agnes Hsiung, Christopher I Amos, Hongbing Shen, Stephen J Chanock, Nathaniel Rothman, Takashi Kohno, Qing Lan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Known risk variants explain only a small fraction of lung adenocarcinoma heritability. Here, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma of East Asian ancestry (21,658 cases and 150,676 controls; 54.5% never-smokers) and identified 12 novel susceptibility variants, bringing the total number to 28 at 25 independent loci. Transcriptome-wide association analyses together with colocalization studies using a Taiwanese lung expression quantitative trait loci dataset (n = 115) identified novel candidate genes, including FADS1 at 11q12 and ELF5 at 11p13. In a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of East Asian and European …

Smarcb1 Regulates A Tfcp2l1-Myc Transcriptional Switch Promoting Renal Medullary Carcinoma Transformation And Ferroptosis Resistance, Bujamin H Vokshi, Guillaume Davidson, Nassim Tawanaie Pour Sedehi, Alexandra Helleux, Marc Rippinger, Alexandre R Haller, Justine Gantzer, Jonathan Thouvenin, Philippe Baltzinger, Rachida Bouarich, Valeria Manriquez, Sakina Zaidi, Priya Rao, Pavlos Msaouel, Xiaoping Su, Hervé Lang, Thibault Tricard, Véronique Lindner, Didier Surdez, Jean-Emmanuel Kurtz, Franck Bourdeaut, Nizar M Tannir, Irwin Davidson, Gabriel G Malouf

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an aggressive tumour driven by bi-allelic loss of SMARCB1 and tightly associated with sickle cell trait. However, the cell-of-origin and oncogenic mechanism remain poorly understood. Using single-cell sequencing of human RMC, we defined transformation of thick ascending limb (TAL) cells into an epithelial-mesenchymal gradient of RMC cells associated with loss of renal epithelial transcription factors TFCP2L1, HOXB9 and MITF and gain of MYC and NFE2L2-associated oncogenic and ferroptosis resistance programs. We describe the molecular basis for this transcriptional switch that is reversed by SMARCB1 re-expression repressing the oncogenic and ferroptosis resistance programs leading to ferroptotic …

Kras-Dependency In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Mechanisms Of Escaping In Resistance To Kras Inhibitors And Perspectives Of Therapy, Enrico Gurreri, Giannicola Genovese, Luigi Perelli, Antonio Agostini, Geny Piro, Carmine Carbone, Giampaolo Tortora

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is still one of the deadliest cancers in oncology because of its increasing incidence and poor survival rate. More than 90% of PDAC patients are KRAS mutated (KRASmu), with KRASG12D and KRASG12V being the most common mutations. Despite this critical role, its characteristics have made direct targeting of the RAS protein extremely difficult. KRAS regulates development, cell growth, epigenetically dysregulated differentiation, and survival in PDAC through activation of key downstream pathways, such as MAPK-ERK and PI3K-AKT-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, in a KRAS-dependent manner. KRASmu induces the occurrence of acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) and pancreatic intraepithelial …

An Unknown Essential Function Of Trna Splicing Endonuclease Is Linked To The Integrated Stress Response And Intron Debranching, Jennifer E Hurtig, Ambro Van Hoof

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) has a well-characterized role in transfer RNA (tRNA) splicing but also other functions. For yeast TSEN, these other functions include degradation of a subset of mRNAs that encode mitochondrial proteins and an unknown essential function. In this study, we use yeast genetics to characterize the unknown tRNA-independent function(s) of TSEN. Using a high-copy suppressor screen, we found that sen2 mutants can be suppressed by overexpression of SEN54. This effect was seen both for tRNA-dependent and tRNA-independent functions indicating that SEN54 is a general suppressor of sen2, likely through structural stabilization. A spontaneous suppressor screen identified mutations …

New Actions On Actionable Mutations In Lung Cancers, Xiuning Le, Yasir Y Elamin, Jianjun Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Actionable mutations refer to DNA alterations that, if detected, would be expected to affect patients' response to treatments [...].

Comparing Performance Of Spectral Image Analysis Approaches For Detection Of Cellular Signals In Time-Lapse Hyperspectral Imaging Fluorescence Excitation-Scanning Microscopy, Marina Parker, Naga S. Annamdevula, Donald Pleshinger, Zara Ijaz, Josephine Jalkh, Raymond Penn, Deepak Deshpande, Thomas C. Rich, Silas J. Leavesley

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology has been applied in a range of fields for target detection and mixture analysis. While HSI was originally developed for remote sensing applications, modern uses include agriculture, historical document authentication, and medicine. HSI has also shown great utility in fluorescence microscopy. However, traditional fluorescence microscopy HSI systems have suffered from limited signal strength due to the need to filter or disperse the emitted light across many spectral bands. We have previously demonstrated that sampling the fluorescence excitation spectrum may provide an alternative approach with improved signal strength. Here, we report on the use of excitation-scanning HSI …

Differential Response Of C9orf72 Transcripts Following Neuronal Depolarization, Layla T. Ghaffari, Davide Trotti, Aaron R. Haeusler

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

The (G4C2)n nucleotide repeat expansion (NRE) mutation in C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD. The biological functions of C9orf72 are becoming understood, but it is unclear if this gene is regulated in a neural-specific manner. Neuronal activity is a crucial modifier of biological processes in health and neurodegenerative disease contexts. Here, we show that prolonged membrane depolarization in healthy human iPSC-cortical neurons leads to a significant downregulation of a transcript variant 3 (V3) of C9orf72, with a concomitant increase in variant 2 (V2), which leads to total C9orf72 RNA transcript levels remaining unchanged. However, the …

Serological Prevalence Of Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Infection In Small Ruminants And Cattle In The Gambia, Jerusha Matthews, Arss Secka, David Scott Mcvey, Kimberly A. Dodd, Bonto Faburay

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a widely distributed tickborne zoonotic agent that infects a variety of host species. There is a lack of information on the true geographic distribution of the prevalence and risk of CCHFV in West Africa. A countrywide cross-sectional study involving 1413 extensively managed indigenous small ruminants and cattle at livestock sales markets and in village herds, respectively, was carried out in The Gambia. In sheep, an overall anti-CCHFV antibody prevalence of 18.9% (95% CI: 15.5–22.8%), goats 9.0% (95% CI: 6.7–11.7%), and cattle 59.9% (95% CI: 54.9–64.7%) was detected. Significant variation (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of anti-CCHFV antibodies at sites in the five administrative regions (sheep: 4.8–25.9%; goats: 1.8–17.1%) and three agroecological zones (sheep: 8.9–32.9%; goats: 4.1–18.0%) was also observed. Comparatively, higher anti-CCHFV antibody prevalence was detected in cattle (33.3–84.0%) compared to small ruminants (1.8–8.1%). This study represents the first countrywide investigation of the seroprevalence of CCHFV in The Gambia, and the results suggest potential circulation and endemicity of the virus in the country. These data provide critical information vital to the development of informed policies for the surveillance, diagnosis, and control of CCFHV infection in The Gambia and the region.

Smarcb1 Regulates The Hypoxic Stress Response In Sickle Cell Trait, Melinda Soeung, Luigi Perelli, Ziheng Chen, Eleonora Dondossola, I-Lin Ho, Federica Carbone, Li Zhang, Hania Khan, Courtney N Le, Cihui Zhu, Michael D Peoples, Ningping Feng, Shan Jiang, Niki Millward Zacharias, Rosalba Minelli, Daniel D Shapiro, Angela K Deem, Sisi Gao, Emily H Cheng, Donatella Lucchetti, Cheryl L Walker, Alessandro Carugo, Virginia Giuliani, Timothy P Heffernan, Andrea Viale, Nizar M Tannir, Giulio F Draetta, Pavlos Msaouel, Giannicola Genovese

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an aggressive kidney cancer that almost exclusively develops in individuals with sickle cell trait (SCT) and is always characterized by loss of the tumor suppressor SMARCB1. Because renal ischemia induced by red blood cell sickling exacerbates chronic renal medullary hypoxia in vivo, we investigated whether the loss of SMARCB1 confers a survival advantage under the setting of SCT. Hypoxic stress, which naturally occurs within the renal medulla, is elevated under the setting of SCT. Our findings showed that hypoxia-induced SMARCB1 degradation protected renal cells from hypoxic stress. SMARCB1 wild-type renal tumors exhibited lower levels …