Digital Commons Network^™

Preparing Patients For Oral Immunotherapy (Ppoint): International Delphi Consensus For Procedural Preparation And Consent, Douglas P Mack, Timothy E Dribin, Paul J Turner, Richard L Wasserman, Mariam A Hanna, Marcus Shaker, Mimi L K Tang, Pablo Rodríguez Del Río, Brad Sobolewski, Elissa M Abrams, Aikaterini Anagnostou, Stefania Arasi, Sakina Bajowala, Philippe Bégin, Scott B Cameron, Edmond S Chan, Sharon Chinthrajah, Andrew T Clark, Paul Detjen, George Du Toit, Motohiro Ebisawa, Arnon Elizur, Jeffrey M Factor, Justin Greiwe, Jonathan O'B Hourihane, Sarah W Hughes, Douglas H Jones, Antonella Muraro, Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, Nandinee B Patel, Amy M Scurlock, Atul N Shah, Sayantani B Sindher, Stephen Tilles, Brian P Vickery, Julie Wang, Hugh H Windom, Matthew Greenhawt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite the promise of oral immunotherapy (OIT) to treat food allergies, this procedure is associated with potential risk. There is no current agreement about what elements should be included in the preparatory or consent process.

OBJECTIVE: We developed consensus recommendations about the OIT process considerations and patient-specific factors that should be addressed before initiating OIT and developed a consensus OIT consent process and information form.

METHODS: We convened a 36-member Preparing Patients for Oral Immunotherapy (PPOINT) panel of allergy experts to develop a consensus OIT patient preparation, informed consent process, and framework form. Consensus for themes and statements was …

Unswitched Memory B Cell Deficiency In Children With Sickle Cell Disease And Response To Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine, Venée N Tubman, Daniel Maysonet, Norma Estrada, Tripti Halder, Lindsey Ramos, Sameera Bhamidipati, Alexandre F Carisey, Charles G Minard, Carl E Allen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Early mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD) is attributed to increased infections due to loss of splenic function. Marginal zone B cells are important for initial opsonization of pathogens and can be absent in spleen histopathology in SCD. The frequency of unswitched memory B cells (UMBC), the circulating correlate of marginal zone B cells, reflects the immunologic function of the spleen. We hypothesized that asplenia in SCD is associated with alterations in the peripheral blood lymphocyte population and explored whether UMBC deficiency was associated with a clinical phenotype. We analyzed B cell subsets and clinical history for 238 children with …

Hyperkinetic Movement Disorder Caused By The Recurrent C892c>T Nacc1 Variant, Jonna Komulainen-Ebrahim, Salla M Kangas, Estrella López-Martín, Timothy Feyma, Fernando Scaglia, Beatriz Martínez-Delgado, Outi Kuismin, Maria Suo-Palosaari, Lucinda Carr, Reetta Hinttala, Manju A Kurian, Johanna Uusimaa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Genetic syndromes of hyperkinetic movement disorders associated with epileptic encephalopathy and intellectual disability are becoming increasingly recognized. Recently, a de novo heterozygous NACC1 (nucleus accumbens-associated 1) missense variant was described in a patient cohort including one patient with a combined mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: The objective is to characterize the movement disorder in affected patients with the recurrent c.892C>T NACC1 variant and study the NACC1 protein and mitochondrial function at the cellular level.

METHODS: The movement disorder was analyzed on four patients with the NACC1 c.892C>T (p.Arg298Trp) variant. Studies on NACC1 protein and mitochondrial function …

Single-Cell Analysis Identifies Plk1 As A Driver Of Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment In Luad, Yifan Kong, Chaohao Li, Jinpeng Liu, Sai Wu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

PLK1 (Polo-like kinase 1) plays a critical role in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Recent studies have unveiled that targeting PLK1 improves the efficacy of immuno- therapy, highlighting its important role in the regulation of tumor immunity. Nevertheless, our understanding of the intricate interplay between PLK1 and the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains incomplete. Here, using genetically engineered mouse model and single- cell RNA-seq analysis, we report that PLK1 promotes an immunosuppressive TME in LUAD, characterized with enhanced M2 polarization of tumor associated macrophages (TAM) and dampened antigen presentation process. Mechanistically, elevated PLK1 coin- cides with increased secretion of CXCL2 …

Androgen Aggravates Aortic Aneurysms Via Suppression Of Pd-1 In Mice, Xufang Mu, Shu Liu, Zhuoran Wang, Kai Jiang, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Arnold Stromberg, Alejandro V. Tezanos, Eugene S. Lee, John A. Curci, Ming C. Gong, Zhenheng Guo

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Androgen has long been recognized for its pivotal role in the sexual dimorphism of cardiovascular diseases, including aortic aneurysms (AAs), a devastating vascular disease with a higher prevalence and fatality rate in men than in women. However, the mechanism by which androgen mediates AAs is largely unknown. Here, we found that male, not female, mice developed AAs when exposed to aldosterone and high salt (Aldo-salt). We revealed that androgen and androgen receptors (ARs) were crucial for this sexually dimorphic response to Aldo-salt. We identified programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), an immune checkpoint, as a key link between androgen and …

Displacement Of Hospital-Acquired, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Clones By Heterogeneous Community Strains In Kenya Over A 13-Year Period, Justin Nyasinga, Zubair Munshi, Collins Kigen, Andrew Nyerere, Lillian Musila, Andrew Whitelaw, Wilma Ziebuhr, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

We determined antibiotic susceptibility and employed Oxford Nanopore whole-genome sequencing to explore strain diversity, resistance, and virulence gene carriage among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from different infection sites and timepoints in a tertiary Kenyan hospital. Ninety-six nonduplicate clinical isolates recovered between 2010 and 2023, identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility on the VITEK ID/AST platform, were sequenced. Molecular typing, antibiotic resistance, and virulence determinant screening were performed using the relevant bioinformatics tools. The strains, alongside those from previous studies, were stratified into two periods covering 2010–2017 and 2018–2023 and comparisons were made. Mirroring phenotypic profiles, aac(6′)-aph(2″) [aminoglycosides]; gyrA (S84L) …

A Wide Range Of Fusions And Alterations Are Detected In Myb- Or Mybl1- Altered Gliomas, S Rajan, Z Abdullaev, H Lidov, Y Wilson, D Thomas, Joseph Fullmer, K Jones, D Brown, P Kobalka, A Buckley

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Diffuse astrocytoma, MYB- or MYBL1-altered are rare pediatric low-grade gliomas, reported in young adults that are often associated with refractory seizures and generally located in the supratentorial compartment. While GFAP is consistently expressed, interestingly OLIG2 expression (another glial marker) is not a common finding. Here we describe the various associated genetic alterations. Methods: Fourteen cases matching to methylation class (MC), Diffuse astrocytoma, MYB- or MYBL1-altered, were analyzed for structural variants/fusion partners. Results: The median age was 16 years (range 1-64), with male: female ratio of 1:1. All but one was supratentorial (one located in pons). On histology, some showed …

Common Epilepsy Variants From The General Population Are Not Associated With Epilepsy Among Individuals With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Melissa A Richard, Philip J Lupo, Erik A Ehli, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger, Joyce Y Wu, Elizabeth M Bebin, Kit Sing Au, Hope Northrup, Laura S Farach

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Common genetic variants identified in the general population have been found to increase phenotypic risks among individuals with certain genetic conditions. Up to 90% of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are affected by some type of epilepsy, yet the common variants contributing to epilepsy risk in the general population have not been evaluated in the context of TSC-associated epilepsy. Such knowledge is important to help uncover the underlying pathogenesis of epilepsy in TSC which is not fully understood, and critical as uncontrolled epilepsy is a major problem in this population. To evaluate common genetic modifiers of epilepsy, our study …

Fibroblast Subpopulations In Systemic Sclerosis: Functional Implications Of Individual Subpopulations And Correlations With Clinical Features, Honglin Zhu, Hui Luo, Brian Skaug, Tracy Tabib, Yi-Nan Li, Yongguang Tao, Alexandru-Emil Matei, Marka A Lyons, Georg Schett, Robert Lafyatis, Shervin Assassi, Jörg H W Distler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fibroblasts constitute a heterogeneous population of cells. In this study, we integrated single-cell RNA-sequencing and bulk RNA-sequencing data as well as clinical information to study the role of individual fibroblast populations in systemic sclerosis (SSc). SSc skin demonstrated an increased abundance of COMP+, COL11A1+, MYOC+, CCL19+, SFRP4/SFRP2+, and PRSS23/SFRP2+ fibroblasts signatures and decreased proportions of CXCL12+ and PI16+ fibroblast signatures in the Prospective Registry of Early Systemic Sclerosis and Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcome Study cohorts. Numerical differences were confirmed by multicolor immunofluorescence for selected fibroblast populations. COMP+, COL11A1+, SFRP4/SFRP2+, PRSS23/SFRP2+, and PI16+ fibroblasts were similarly altered between normal …

Risk-Benefit Trade-Offs And Precision Utilities In Phase I-Ii Clinical Trials, Pavlos Msaouel, Juhee Lee, Peter F Thall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Identifying optimal doses in early-phase clinical trials is critically important. Therapies administered at doses that are either unsafe or biologically ineffective are unlikely to be successful in subsequent clinical trials or to obtain regulatory approval. Identifying appropriate doses for new agents is a complex process that involves balancing the risks and benefits of outcomes such as biological efficacy, toxicity, and patient quality of life.

Purpose: While conventional phase I trials rely solely on toxicity to determine doses, phase I-II trials explicitly account for both efficacy and toxicity, which enables them to identify doses that provide the most favorable risk-benefit …

Omicsmic: A Comprehensive Benchmarking Platform For Robust Comparison Of Imputation Methods In Mass Spectrometry-Based Omics Data, Weiqiang Lin, Jiadong Ji, Kuan-Jui Su, Chuan Qiu, Qing Tian, Lan-Juan Zhao, Zhe Luo, Chong Wu, Hui Shen, Hongwen Deng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mass spectrometry is a powerful and widely used tool for generating proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics profiles, which is pivotal for elucidating biological processes and identifying biomarkers. However, missing values in mass spectrometry-based omics data may pose a critical challenge for the comprehensive identification of biomarkers and elucidation of the biological processes underlying human complex disorders. To alleviate this issue, various imputation methods for mass spectrometry-based omics data have been developed. However, a comprehensive comparison of these imputation methods is still lacking, and researchers are frequently confronted with a multitude of options without a clear rationale for method selection. To address …

Evaluations Of An Early Change In Tumor Pathophysiology In Response To Radiotherapy With Oxygen Enhanced Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging (Oe Epri), Tianzhe Li, Grace A Murley, Xiaofei Liang, Renee L Chin, Jorge De La Cerda, F William Schuler, Mark D Pagel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging (EPRI) can image the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) within in vivo tumor models. We sought to develop Oxygen Enhanced (OE) EPRI that measures tumor pO2 with breathing gases of 21% O2 (pO221%) and 100% O2 (pO2100%), and the differences in pO2 between breathing gases (ΔpO2). We applied OE EPRI to study the early change in tumor pathophysiology in response to radiotherapy in two tumor models of pancreatic cancer.

Procedures: We developed a protocol that intraperitoneally administered OX071, a trityl radical contrast agent, and then acquired anatomical MR images to localize the tumor. Subsequently, we …

Outcome Of Patients With Relapsed Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Koji Sasaki, Farhad Ravandi, Tapan Kadia, Courtney D Dinardo, Musa Yilmaz, Nicholas Short, Elias Jabbour, Keyur P Patel, Sanam Loghavi, Sherry Pierce, Gautam Borthakur, Hagop Kantarjian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The outcome of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has improved significantly since the introduction of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) as APL therapies. The optimal therapy for APL relapse is believed to require autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) based on historical experience.

Study aims: To evaluate the outcome of patients with relapsed APL before and after the era of ATRA-ATO.

Patients and methods: We reviewed 61 patients with relapsed APL treated from November 1991 to June 2023; 31 patients (51%) received modern therapy with the combination of ATRA and ATO with and without …

Germline Predisposition In Hematologic Malignancies: Testing, Management, And Implications, Lucy A Godley, Courtney D Dinardo, Kelly Bolton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although numerous barriers for clinical germline cancer predisposition testing exist, the increasing recognition of deleterious germline DNA variants contributing to myeloid malignancy risk is yielding steady improvements in referrals for testing and testing availability. Many germline predisposition alleles are common in populations, and the increasing number of recognized disorders makes inherited myeloid malignancy risk an entity worthy of consideration for all patients regardless of age at diagnosis. Germline testing is facilitated by obtaining DNA from cultured skin fibroblasts or hair bulbs, and cascade testing is easily performed via buccal swab, saliva, or blood. Increasingly as diagnostic criteria and clinical management …

Loss Of Ovol2 In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Promotes Fatty Acid Oxidation Fueling Stemness Characteristics, Ruipeng Lu, Jingjing Hong, Tong Fu, Yu Zhu, Ruiqi Tong, Di Ai, Shuai Wang, Qingsong Huang, Ceshi Chen, Zhiming Zhang, Rui Zhang, Huiling Guo, Boan Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, has a poor prognosis and lacks effective treatment strategies. Here, the study discovered that TNBC shows a decreased expression of epithelial transcription factor ovo-like 2 (OVOL2). The loss of OVOL2 promotes fatty acid oxidation (FAO), providing additional energy and NADPH to sustain stemness characteristics, including sphere-forming capacity and tumor initiation. Mechanistically, OVOL2 not only suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation by directly inhibiting JAK transcription but also recruited histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) to STAT3, thereby reducing the transcriptional activation of downstream genes carnitine palmitoyltransferase1 (CPT1A and CPT1B). PyVT-Ovol2 knockout mice develop a …

Plasmacytoid Urothelial Carcinoma Of The Urinary Bladder-A Clinicopathological And Molecular Analysis Of 52 Cases, Lan Zheng, Hui Chen, Jianping Zhao, Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri, Ashish M Kamat, Omar Alhalabi, Jianjun Gao, Arlene Siefker-Radtke, Donna E Hansel, Bogdan Czerniak, Charles C Guo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a rare histologic subtype of bladder cancer that is associated with an aggressive clinical behavior. We analyzed the clinicopathologic and molecular features of plasmacytoid UC in 52 patients from a single institute. The patients included 44 men and 8 women, with a mean age of 64 years (range, 41-91 years). All bladder cancers were high-grade UC, and plasmacytoid component accounted for a mean of 47% of bladder tumors (range, 5-100%). Distinct gene mutations were found in most plasmacytoid UCs (n = 49); the most common mutations were TP53 (n = 30), followed by TERT (n …

Confirmation And Inheritance Of Glufosinate Resistance In An Amaranthus Palmeri Population From North Carolina, Eric A L Jones, Jeffrey C Dunne, Charles W Cahoon, Katherine M Jennings, Ramon G Leon, Wesley J Everman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A putative glufosinate‐resistant Amaranthus palmeri population was reported in 2015 in Anson County, North Carolina. The results from dose–response assays conducted in the field suggested plants were surviving lethal rates of glufosinate. Dose–response assays conducted in the glasshouse determined the Anson County accession exhibited reduced susceptibility to glufosinate compared to three glufosinate‐susceptible populations. The LD50 values (210–316 g ai ha−1) for the Anson County population were always higher than the LD50 values (118–158 g ai ha−1) for the tested susceptible populations from the dose–response assays. Anson County plants that survived lethal glufosinate rates were reciprocally crossed with susceptible plants to …

Incidence And Factors In Delayed Neurological Deficits After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage In Mice, William Wroe, Ari Dienel, Sungha Hong, Kanako Matsumura, Jose Guzman, Kiara Torres, Angelica Bernal, Hussein A Zeineddine, Peeyush Thankamani Pandit, Spiros L Blackburn, Devin W Mcbride

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is one of the most feared complications in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Animal models are crucial to studying the disease mechanisms and potential treatments. DCI in rodents was thought to not exist; herein we examine literature and our experience with DCI in rodents.

Methods: Daily behavioral performance was assessed every day from day 1 to up to 7 days post-SAH on mice from 5 different studies that used the endovascular perforation model. Performance was graded using an 8-test sensorimotor neuroscore previously described. The daily neuroscore was then used to identify the incidence and timing of …

Endothelial-Specific Telomerase Inactivation Causes Telomere-Independent Cell Senescence And Multi-Organ Dysfunction Characteristic Of Aging, Zhanguo Gao, Rafael Bravo Santos, Joseph Rupert, Rachel Van Drunen, Yongmei Yu, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, Mikhail G Kolonin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It has remained unclear how aging of endothelial cells (EC) contributes to pathophysiology of individual organs. Cell senescence results in part from inactivation of telomerase (TERT). Here, we analyzed mice with Tert knockout specifically in EC. Tert loss in EC induced transcriptional changes indicative of senescence and tissue hypoxia in EC and in other cells. We demonstrate that EC-Tert-KO mice have leaky blood vessels. The blood-brain barrier of EC-Tert-KO mice is compromised, and their cognitive function is impaired. EC-Tert-KO mice display reduced muscle endurance and decreased expression of enzymes responsible for oxidative metabolism. Our data indicate that Tert-KO EC have …

The Unusual Substrate Specificity Of Escherichia Coli Cardiolipin Synthase C Does Not Require The Product Of The Transcriptionally Engaged Ymdb Gene, Katsuhiro Sawasato, Mikhail Bogdanov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Polycistronic transcription and translation of ymdB-clsC have been thought to be required for full activity of ClsC. The authentic initiation codon of the clsC gene is present within the open reading frame of the upstream located ymdB gene. ClsC translated from authentic initiation codon drives cardiolipin (CL) synthesis without transcriptionally paired YmdB. YmdB is not necessary for the substrate specificity of ClsC utilizing phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as a co-substrate.

Unveiling Myeloid Transformation: T-Lgll With Eosinophilia Masking Myeloid-Associated Stat5b Mutation Culminating In Aml, Qianze Dong, Yang Wang, Yan Xiu, Xiaogang Wu, Stacey O'Neill, Howard Meyerson, Tobias Suske, Richard Moriggl, Shimin Hu, Wei Wang, Chen Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Flow Cytometry Profiling Of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasms, Siba El Hussein, Wei Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this review, we aim to provide a summary of the diverse immunophenotypic presentations of distinct entities associated with plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) proliferation. These entities include the following: (1) blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN); (2) mature pDC proliferation (MPDCP), most commonly seen in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML); and (3) myeloid neoplasms with pDC differentiation, in which pDCs show a spectrum of maturation from early immature pDCs to mature forms, most commonly seen in acute myeloid leukemia (pDC-AML). Our aim is to provide a flow cytometry diagnostic approach to these distinct and sometimes challenging entities and to clarify the …

A Prospective Observational Study Of Disease Severity And Mortality In Hispanic American Patients With Systemic Sclerosis, Bochra Jandali, Marka Lyons, Julio Charles, Meng Zhang, Samuel Theodore, Claudia Pedroza, Maureen D Mayes, Shervin Assassi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To characterize disease manifestations in Hispanic American patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in comparison with non-Hispanic White and Black patients.

Methods: Longitudinal clinical characteristics were collected prospectively in the Genetics versus Environment in Scleroderma Outcome Study cohort. All patients fulfilled the classification criteria for SSc and had a disease duration less than five years at enrollment.

Results: A cohort of 427 patients, consisting of 124 Hispanic, 220 non-Hispanic White, and 83 non-Hispanic Black participants were examined. At enrollment, Hispanic patients were significantly younger but had longer disease duration, higher frequency of U1-RNP positivity as well as concurrent systemic lupus …

Development Of An Antioxidant-Rich Sugar-Free Plantain Candy And Assessment Of Its Shelf Life In A Flexible Laminate, Poulami Sarkar, Paramita Bhattacharjee, Bidhan Das

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Candy is a popular confection worldwide, and it would be beneficial to society if it were converted into a source of antioxidant molecules to eliminate its adverse health effects. The amount of antioxidants available even in fruit candies is questionable due to the high thermal processing losses they undergo and the presence of various food additives. Plantains (

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: To accomplish the first objective, lyophilized plantain powder, sorbitol and mannitol were used as base materials with minimal additives under minimal processing conditions to reduce processing loss. Sensory, proximate, physicochemical and phytochemical properties, including the antioxidant synergy among …

Trends In Shortages Of Lead Chelators From 2001 To 2022, James D Whitledge, Pelayia Soto, Kieran M Glowacki, Diane P Calello, Erin R Fox, Maryann Mazer-Amirshahi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to describe drug shortages affecting lead chelators in the United States from 2001 through 2022.

METHODS: Drug shortage data were retrieved from the University of Utah Drug Information Service from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2022. Shortages of first- and second-line lead chelators were analyzed. Drug class, formulation, administration route, shortage reason, shortage duration, generic status, single-source status, and presence of temporally overlapping shortages were examined. Total shortage months, percentages of study period on shortage, and median shortage durations were calculated.

RESULTS: Thirteen lead chelator shortages were reported during the study period. Median duration was …

Novel Cancer Prevention Strategies In Individuals With Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: Focus On Brca1, Brca2, And Lynch Syndrome, Charles M Bowen, Kaitlin Demarest, Eduardo Vilar, Payal D Shah

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes confer elevated risks of breast, ovarian, and other cancers. Lynch syndrome (LS) is associated with increased risks of multiple cancer types including colorectal and uterine cancers. Current cancer risk mitigation strategies have focused on pharmacologic risk reduction, enhanced surveillance, and preventive surgeries. While these approaches can be effective, they stand to be improved on because of either limited efficacy or undesirable impact on quality of life. The current review summarizes ongoing investigational efforts in cancer risk prevention strategies for patients with germline PVs in BRCA1, BRCA2, or LS-associated …

Consistency Of Metabolite Associations With Measured Glomerular Filtration Rate In Children And Adults., Taibo Li, Morgan E. Grams, Lesley A. Inker, Jingsha Chen, Eugene P. Rhee, Bradley A. Warady, Andrew S. Levey, Michelle R. Denburg, Susan L. Furth, Vasan S. Ramachandran, Paul L. Kimmel, Josef Coresh

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: There is interest in identifying novel filtration markers that lead to more accurate GFR estimates than current markers (creatinine and cystatin C) and are more consistent across demographic groups. We hypothesize that large-scale metabolomics can identify serum metabolites that are strongly influenced by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and are more consistent across demographic variables than creatinine, which would be promising filtration markers for future investigation.

METHODS: We evaluated the consistency of associations between measured GFR (mGFR) and 887 common, known metabolites quantified by an untargeted chromatography- and spectroscopy-based metabolomics platform (Metabolon) performed on frozen blood samples from 580 participants …

Understanding Nanoparticle-Liver Interactions In Nanomedicine, Yuxin He, Yifan Wang, Lin Wang, Wen Jiang, Stefan Wilhelm

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Understanding the interactions between administered nanoparticles and the liver is crucial for developing safe and effective nanomedicines. As the liver can sequester up to 99% of these particles due to its major phagocytic role, understanding these interactions is vital for clinical translation.

Areas covered: This review highlights recent studies on nanoparticle-liver interactions, including the influence of nanoparticle physicochemical properties on delivery, strategies to enhance delivery efficiency by modulating liver Kupffer cells, and their potential for treating certain hepatic diseases. Additionally, we discuss how aging impacts the liver's phagocytic functions.

Expert opinion: While liver accumulation can hinder nanomedicine safety and …

Pegvaliase For The Treatment Of Phenylketonuria: Final Results Of A Long-Term Phase 3 Clinical Trial Program, Cary O Harding, Nicola Longo, Hope Northrup, Stephanie Sacharow, Rani Singh, Janet A Thomas, Jerry Vockley, Roberto T Zori, Kaleigh Bulloch Whitehall, Joshua Lilienstein, Kristin Lindstrom, Drew G Levy, Shaun Jones, Barbara K Burton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder caused by deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), which results in phenylalanine (Phe) accumulation in the blood and brain, and requires lifelong treatment to keep blood Phe in a safe range. Pegvaliase is an enzyme-substitution therapy approved for individuals with PKU and uncontrolled blood Phe concentrations (>600 μmol/L) despite prior management. Aggregated results from the PRISM clinical trials demonstrated substantial and sustained reductions in blood Phe with a manageable safety profile, but also noted individual variation in time to and dose needed for a first response. This analysis reports longer-term aggregate findings …

Liver Late Effects In Childhood Cancer Survivors Treated With Radiation Therapy: A Pentec Comprehensive Review, Matthew D Hall, Rebecca M Howell, Andrew Jackson, Constance A Owens, Soleil Hernandez, Sharon M Castellino, Cecile M Ronckers, Louis S Constine, Julie A Bradley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: A pediatric normal tissue effects in the clinic (PENTEC) comprehensive review of patients with childhood cancer who received radiation therapy (RT) to the liver was performed to develop models that may inform RT dose constraints for the liver and improve risk forecasting of toxicities.

Methods and materials: A systematic literature search was performed to identify published data on hepatic toxicities in children. Treatment and outcome data were extracted and used to generate normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models. Complications from both whole and partial liver irradiation were considered. For whole liver irradiation, total body irradiation and non-total body irradiation …