Digital Commons Network^™

Premature Aging In Serious Mental Illness, Breno S Diniz, Gabriel R Fries, Chia-Ling Kuo, Ming Xu, Eric J Lenze

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Serious mental illnesses (SMIs), including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, have long been linked to cognitive decline, multiple chronic medical conditions, and premature mortality. These factors significantly contribute to the severe disability seen in SMIs, extending beyond the severity of psychopathology and indicating a premature aging phenotype associated with these conditions. The mechanisms that underlie the relationship between SMIs and the premature aging phenotype are not well understood, but recent evidence suggests that individuals with SMIs may exhibit accelerated biological aging. In this review, we present a comprehensive analysis of the current literature, demonstrating the potential association of …

Real-Time Hemodynamic Deterioration Following Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia In A Patient With Preexisting Aicd Implanted With Lvad, Dhruvil Patel, Maya Guglin, Deepa Iyer, Chonyang Albert, Jagpreet Grewal, Kenneth Dulnuan

The VAD Journal

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are common in patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), but the literature remains inconclusive regarding the benefits of an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) in this population, especially in those with a preexisting device before LVAD implantation. Here, we report the acute hemodynamic consequences of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in a patient with a preexisting biventricular AICD who was implanted with an LVAD (HeartMate 3). This case underscores the importance of considering AICD placement on a case-by-case basis and highlights the need for a well-designed study to establish its benefit in this population.

Cleft Feeding: Practical Tips For Pediatricians, Michael Smith, Leah Hunt, Brenda Fetter, Hannah J. Bergman

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

Feeding infants with cleft lip and palate can be challenging. In this episode, a pediatric surgeon, occupational therapist, and speech pathologist share practical strategies for pediatricians—from pre- and post-surgery care to therapy techniques and key red flags. Learn how to guide families and collaborate effectively for the best outcomes.

Note: This episode is not awarded CME.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Rare Heterozygous De Novo Variants In Rapgef2 Are Associated With A Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Ali H Bereshneh, Kirkland A Wilson, Xueyang Pan, Shabab B Hannan, Megan A Cooper, Jullianne Diaz, Eyby Leon, Tiana M Moses, Mahshid S Azamian, Daryl A Scott, Ping Yee Billie Au, Juan Pablo Appendino, Ingrid E Scheffer, Antony Kaspi, Melanie Bahlo, Michael S Hildebrand, Angela T Morgan, Ekanem Ekure, Joshua M Shulman, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Jennifer E Posey, Paul Kruszka, Eric Vilain, Shinya Yamamoto, Oguz Kanca, Seth Berger, Hugo J Bellen

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose: RAPGEF2 encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates small GTPases and has not been linked to a Mendelian disorder. RAPGEF2 is highly intolerant to loss-of-function variants. We report 5 de novo heterozygous variants in RAPGEF2 in unrelated individuals with developmental delay, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, dysmorphic features, or other manifestations. We used a Drosophila model to assess the functional impact of the identified human variants.

Methods: We generated a Kozak-GAL4 null allele of the Drosophila ortholog of RAPGEF2, PDZ-GEF, and used the allele to determine the gene expression pattern as well as the loss-of-function phenotypes. We …

Glutamatergic Projection Neurons In The Basal Forebrain Underlie Learned Olfactory Associational Valence Assignments, Pey-Shyuan Chin, Zhuokun Ding, Mikhail Kochukov, Snigdha Srivastava, Elizabeth H Moss, Qingchun Tong, Benjamin R Arenkiel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sensory perception is shaped by experience, giving stimuli behavioral significance. Basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons in mice, which are crucial for arousal and motivation, also regulate sensory processing. Within BF nuclei, glutamatergic (vGlut2BF) neurons receive cholinergic input and modulate behaviors, but their roles in encoding sensory significance remain unclear. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we found that vGlut2BF neurons initially poorly encoded odor identity. However, their response to conditioned odors increased following associative learning, and their population activity more distinctly encoded paired stimuli, reflecting emergent value representation. Furthermore, pairing stimulation or inhibition of vGlut2BF neurons with specific odors altered odor …

Loss Of Payload Sensitivity And Other Mechanisms Of Resistance To T-Dxd In Her2-Mutant Nsclc: Implications For Subsequent Responsiveness To Her2 Tkis, Monique B Nilsson, Xiuning Le, Alissa Poteete, Xiaoxing Yu, Junqin He, Qian Huang, Yuji Shibata, Ximeng Liu, Cesar Moran, Ash A Alizadeh, Maximilian Diehn, Heather Wakelee, Diego Almanza, Scott Soltys, Takeshi Sugio, Jurik Mutter, Xiaoman Kang, Rui Wang, Soyeong Jun, Mohammad Shahrokh Esfahani, Hai Tran, Yuanxin Xi, Lingzhi Hong, Xiaofang Huo, Ashwani Kumar, Xiaoyang Ren, Kei Oguchi, Kazuhisa Minamiguchi, Caroline M Weipert, Jing Wang, Ralf Kittler, John V Heymach

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Effective therapies are needed for patients with NSCLC with HER2-mutant tumors who progress on the HER2 antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), a standard-of-care treatment. A greater understanding of mechanisms mediating acquired T-DXd resistance and whether these tumors could benefit from HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is needed.

Methods: Using preclinical models of acquired T-DXd resistance, LentiMutate scanning mutagenesis, and clinical analyses, we investigated mechanisms mediating acquired resistance to T-DXd and assessed the impact of each of these resistance mechanisms on cross-resistance to alternative HER2-targeting approaches.

Results: We determined that acquired resistance to T-DXd could occur through multiple mechanisms including …

Aberrant Cd25 And Increased Cd123 Expression Are Common In Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Kmt2a Partial Tandem Duplication And Are Associated With Flt3 Internal Tandem Duplication, Qing Wei, Guilin Tang, Shaoying Li, Sa A Wang, Pei Lin, Wei Wang, Sanam Loghavi, Wei J Wang, L Jeffrey Medeiros, Jie Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: KMT2A partial tandem duplication (PTD) occurs in approximately 5-10% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases and is associated with poor prognosis. While its cytogenetic and molecular features are well described, the immunophenotypic characteristics of AML with KMT2A-PTD remain incompletely defined.

Methods: We identified 47 cases of AML with KMT2A-PTD by optical genome mapping. All cases underwent flow cytometric immunophenotypic analysis and next-generation sequencing using an 81-gene panel.

Results: The cohort included 32 men and 15 women with a median age of 67 years (range, 19-87). Thirty-eight cases were de novo AML, and nine were secondary to myelodysplastic …

Emt-Induced Stem Cell And Mesenchymal Programs Can Be Decoupled Via Cell Division And Esrp1-Dependent Mechanisms, Petra Den Hollander, Maria Castaneda, Suhas V Vasaikar, Joanna Joyce Maddela, Claire Gould, Breanna R Demestichas, Robiya Joseph, Shivangi Agarwal, Abhijeet P Deshmukh, Alvina Zia, Shruti Shah, Tieling Zhou, Geraldine Raja, Paul Allegakoen, Nick A Kuburich, Mika Pietila, Chunxiao Fu, Jeffrey Chang, Chad J Creighton, William F Symmans, Rama Soundararajan, Sendurai A Mani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to induce both stemness and mesenchymal properties, and our findings reveal that these two programs can be uncoupled. During EMT, epithelial cells transition from symmetric divisions producing differentiated daughter cells to self-renewing daughter cells. When we block cell division and induce EMT, cells gain mesenchymal properties but not stemness, suggesting the importance of cell division for gaining stemness. We identified ESRP1 as a key regulator of EMT-driven stemness, which get downregulated during EMT in a cell division-dependent manner. Overexpression of ESRP1 prevents the gain of stemness without affecting the mesenchymal program. Only the stemness and …

Role Of The Etv5/P38 Signaling Axis In Aggressive Thyroid Cancer Cells, Jerry H Houl, Rozita Bagheri-Yarmand, Muthusamy Kunnimalaiyaan, Paola Miranda Mendez, Joseph L Kidd, Ali Dadbin, Andrea Ruiz-Jurado, Parag A Parekh, Ying C Henderson, Nikhil S Chari, Aatish Thennavan, Reid T Powell, Clifford C Stephan, Xiao Zhao, Anastasios Maniakas, Roza Nurieva, Naifa L Busaidy, Maria E Cabanillas, Ramona Dadu, Mark Zafereo, Jennifer R Wang, Stephen Y Lai, Marie-Claude Hofmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Patients with poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) face a much poorer prognosis than those with differentiated thyroid cancers. Around 25% of PDTCs and 35% of ATCs carry the BRAFV600E mutation, which constitutively activates the MAPK pathway, a key driver of cell growth. Although combining BRAF and MEK inhibitors can shrink tumors, resistance often develops. The exact cause of this resistance remains unclear. We previously found that in PDTC and ATC cells, the BRAFV600E mutation is strongly linked to the expression of ETV5, a transcription factor downstream of the MAPK pathway. In the current study, we …

Advances In Targeting Her2 Across Cancer Subtypes: A Pan-Tumor Approach, Taiwo Adesoye, Ecaterina E Dumbrava, Kanwal P S Raghav, Aysegul A Sahin, Hui Chen, Sunyoung S Lee, Milind M Javle, Shubham Pant, Omar Alhalabi, Xiuning Le, Vicente Valero, Paula R Pohlmann, Funda Meric-Bernstam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is an established therapeutic target in multiple solid tumors, particularly breast and gastric cancers. Significant advancements have been made in the development of HER2-targeted therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), and novel bispecific antibodies. These agents have revolutionized the treatment landscape for HER2-positive metastatic cancers, resulting in improved progression-free and overall survival, and quality of life for patients. Beyond breast and gastric cancers, HER2 expression/amplification has been observed in other solid tumors, such as colorectal, lung, bladder, ovarian, and biliary tract cancers, offering new opportunities for personalized therapy in …

Integrative Spatial Multi-Omics Reveal Niche-Specific Inflammatory Signaling And Differentiation Hierarchies In Aml, Enes Dasdemir, Ivo Veletic, Christopher P Ly, Andres E Quesada, Christopher D Pacheco, Fatima Z Jelloul, Pamella Borges, Sreyashi Basu, Sonali Jindal, Zhiqiang Wang, Alexander Lazar, Khalida M Wani, Dinler A Antunes, Patrick K Reville, Preethi H Gunaratne, Robert J Tower, Padmanee Sharma, Hussein A Abbas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal disorder characterized by immature blasts and arrested differentiation that primarily affects the bone marrow (BM) and occasionally presents as extramedullary (EM) disease. EM manifestations highlight AML's adaptability to distinct microenvironments, which we examined using spatial analyses of medullary and EM tissues. We describe a workflow for Visium-based spatial transcriptomics in medullary and EM AML, revealing insights into cell-cell communication and the spatial organization of AML hierarchies. In BM, monocytes and granulocyte-monocyte progenitors colocalized with leukemic populations, sharing molecular signatures with those in EM sample. CXCL12-CXCR4-mediated communication correlated with PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in inflammatory niches.

Leadless Versus Transvenous Dual-Chamber Pacemakers: Real-World Evidence From Aveir Dr Coverage With Evidence Development Study., Monica Lo, Anish K Amin, Marcin Kowalski, Anne Kroman, Dilip Mathew, Valay Parikh, Stanislav Weiner, Jennifer M Joseph, Leonard Ganz, Mohammed Mortada

Heart and Vascular Articles

BACKGROUND: AVEIR DR, an industry-first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker (LP), provides continuous atrioventricular synchrony through implant-to-implant (i2i) communication between atrial and ventricular LP devices. It is important to evaluate the early real-world comparative safety of AVEIR DR LP.

OBJECTIVE: To compare complications and mortality between AVEIR DR LP and dual-chamber transvenous pacemakers (TP).

METHODS: De novo LP and TP patients were identified in Medicare Fee-for-Service claims (October 2023 and December 2024). Outcomes were 30-day and 6-month complications, reinterventions, heart failure hospitalizations, and all-cause mortality. Comparisons were adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, and hospital encounter characteristics.

RESULTS: Compared to TP (N = 77 …

Onset And Exacerbation Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder In The Perinatal Period, Jack Samuels, Mary Kimmel, Janice Krasnow, Rashelle Musci, Paul S Nestadt, Lauren M Osborne, Eric A Storch, Jonathan S Abramowitz, Gerald Nestadt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can emerge during pregnancy and the postpartum and may adversely affect mother and newborn. However, little is known about potential risk factors for the onset of OCD in the perinatal period. Therefore, we investigated the onset of diagnosed DSM-5 OCD in women followed from the second trimester of pregnancy to 6-months postpartum.

Methods: We followed 256 women from the 20-24th week of pregnancy to 6-month postpartum. Participants had psychiatric diagnostic interviews at baseline and 6-month postpartum and completed self-report instruments. We compared women with and without incident OCD on sociodemographic characteristics and clinical features.

Results: Of …

Rnai-Based Screen For Pigmentation In Drosophila Melanogaster Reveals Regulators Of Brain Dopamine And Sleep, Samantha L Deal, Danqing Bei, Shelley B Gibson, Harim Delgado-Seo, Yoko Fujita, Kyla Wilwayco, Elaine S Seto, Amita Sehgal, Shinya Yamamoto

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The dopaminergic system has a large role in behavior and neurological disease, and understanding dopamine level regulation in vivo is critical. To identify dopamine regulators, we utilized Drosophila melanogaster cuticle pigmentation, where dopamine is a precursor to melanin. We measured dopamine from known pigmentation mutants (e.g., tan, ebony, black) and performed an RNAi-based screen to identify additional regulators. We found 153 hits, enriched for developmental signaling pathways and mitochondria-associated proteins. From 35 prioritized candidates, 11 affected head dopamine levels. Effects on brain dopamine were mild, even knocking down the rate-limiting synthesis enzyme Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), suggesting …

Associations Of Arsenic Exposure And Folate In Maternal Leukocyte Dna Methylation: A Case-Control Study Of Mothers With Spina-Bifida Affected Children, Amy M Inkster, Anne K Bozack, Bernardo Lemos, Tabitha Lumour-Mensah, Sudipta Kumar Mukherjee, Shekh Muhammad Ekramullah, D M Arman, Joynul Islam, Xingyan Wang, Liming Liang, Richard H Finnell, Maitreyi Mazumdar, Andres Cardenas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Suggests Different Progenitor Lineages Between Idh Mutant And Idhwt Glioma, Iyad Alnahhas, Allison Kayne, Mehak Khan, Wenyin Shi

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Introduction Single-cell RNA sequencing has elucidated the heterogeneity in cancer. Single-cell glioblastoma (GBM) analyses have also proposed the resemblance of GBM cells to radial glia and outer radial glia (oRG) supporting the hypothesis that remnants of developmental tissue get reactivated in cancer. A recent study isolated neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from developing fetal human brain (gestational week 17-19) and classified NPCs based on their expression of THY1 (CD90), CD24 and EGFR. Ventricular radial glia are THY1⁻CD24⁻EGFR⁺ whereas oRG are THY1⁻CD24⁻EGFR⁻. Early neuron precursors are CD24⁺THY1⁻EGFR …

Institutional Practices Drive Antibiotic Variability In Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Baseline Evidence To Inform National Stewardship Interventions In Oman, Abdullah Alqayoudhi, Manoj Malviya, Sathiya Murthi, Mohammed Rasik Nv, Adil Said Al-Wahaibi, Raya Al-Habsi, Said Al-Balushi, Talal Alwardi, Agha Hatif Shamsi, Halah Bait Raidan, Aamera Al-Majrafi, Preethi Kiran, Eyad Hani Abu Abu Alhaijaa, Kawther Al Amri, Khalfan Al Abdali, Mohammed S. Al Reesi, Nasser Al-Shafouri, Amal Al-Jabri, Sachin Shah, Said Al-Kindi, Zubair H. Aghai, Mohammed Al-Yahmadi, Amal Al-Maani

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Background: Antibiotic overuse in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance and adverse neonatal outcomes. This study aims to evaluate baseline antibiotic utilization (AU), identify factors influencing variability, and assess the impact of neonatal characteristics and sepsis incidence. Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis examined AU in seven NICUs from 2019 to 2023, involving 25,532 neonatal admissions during national antibiotic stewardship program implementation. Data encompassed neonatal clinical parameters, sepsis incidence, and AU metrics, including days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days. Statistical analyses included correlation assessments and multivariate regression to identify determinants of antibiotic use. Results: …

Beyond The Exam Room: Pediatricians Advocating Through State Aap, Heidi Sallee, Kelly Kreisler, Thuylinh Pham

Grand Rounds

1. Evaluate the current political climate and effects on child health at a National and State level.
2. Identify key child health policy issues for the states of Missouri and Kansas.
3. Use different forms of advocacy to share personal expertise.
4. Partner with state AAP Chapters to improve child health outcomes locally.

Teriparatide Use In Osteopenic Patients Undergoing Single-Level Lumbar Fusion Associated With Decreased 2-Year Revision Rates, Mitchell K. Ng, Ariel N. Rodriguez, Abigail Razi, Ahmed K. Emara, Brian T. Ford, Ameer Tabbaa, Divya Gouni, Jacquelyn J. Xu, Paul G. Mastrokostas, Jad Bou Monsef, Afshin E. Razi

Rothman Institute Papers

Context:  Low bone density is common among lumbar fusion patients and increases the risks of pseudarthrosis, hardware failure, and revision. Teriparatide improves bone mass and fusion in osteoporosis, but its benefit in osteopenia or normal bone remains uncertain.

Aims:  To evaluate the association between teriparatide exposure and (1) postoperative complications, (2) 90-day readmission, and (3) 2-year reoperation, stratified by bone health status (osteoporotic, osteopenic, and normal) in patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion.

Setting and Design:  A retrospective cohort study using the PearlDiver database from 2010 to 2021 identified patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion.

Subjects and Methods:  Patients on teriparatide were …

Rab5c Increases Endothelial Release Of Vwf By Regulating Vesicle Trafficking, Paula Reventun, Pablo Toledano-Sanz, Maria Delgado-Marin, Maria Viskadourou, D Brian Foster, Paul S De Vries, Maria Sabater-Lleal, Nunzio Alcharani, Claudia Gonzalez-Cucharero, William O Osburn, Alanna C Morrison, Alisa S Wolberg, Nicholas L Smith, Marios Arvanitis, Charles J Lowenstein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Abnormal levels of VWF (von Willebrand Factor) are a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and bleeding. Genome-wide association studies for VWF have identified novel candidate genes that may regulate VWF levels in humans, including RAB5C (RAS-associated protein RAB5C). We hypothesized that RAB5C regulates VWF release from endothelial cells.

Methods: We studied the effect of RAB5C on vesicle trafficking in human endothelial cells. We performed CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) interference targeting 2 genetic variants linked to altered VWF levels and evaluated RAB5C expression by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We silenced RAB5C or overexpressed RAB5C wild-type, …

Epigenome-Wide Association Study Meta-Analysis Of Bmi In African Americans, Kendra Ferrier, Mariaelisa Graff, Iain R Konigsberg, Maggie Stanislawski, Heather M Highland, Laura M Raffield, April P Carson, Eric Boerwinkle, Jill M Norris, Chris R Gignoux, Audrey E Hendricks, Sridharan Raghavan, Kari E North, Kristin L Young, Anne E Justice, Matthew A Allison, Mathew J Budoff, Silva Kasela, François Aguet, Joshua J Joseph, Charles Kooperberg, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Ethan M Lange, Leslie A Lange

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite considerable advances in identifying risk factors for obesity, gaps remain in our understanding about its etiology. Genetic variants explain only a small portion of variation in obesity-related traits such as body mass index (BMI). Epigenetic regulation, which controls gene expression and is influenced by environmental and genetic factors, may account for additional variability in BMI. Epigenetic studies of BMI have largely been conducted in European ancestry populations, despite the disproportionate burden of obesity in African Americans (AAs). We conducted a sex-stratified BMI epigenome-wide association study meta-analysis in AA participants from the Jackson Heart Study (n = 1,604) and …

Dna Methyltransferase Inhibitors In Hematological Malignancies And Solid Tumors, Valentin Wenger, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Robert Zeiser, Michael Lübbert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation play a fundamental role in oncogenesis and the progression of neoplasms neoplasias. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) constitute a family of therapeutic agents that impede the methylation at the 5-position on cytosine nucleotides, thereby modulating the epigenetic regulation of tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, and other key regulatory genes. The first-generation DNMTi azacitidine and decitabine have demonstrated substantial efficacy in the treatment of medically non-fit, older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) ineligible for intensive chemotherapy (IC), by virtue of their favorable safety profile. Despite these clinical achievements, however, single-agent DNMTi treatment …

C Elegans As A Tractable Infection Model For The Emerging Fungal Pathogen Candida Auris, Melissa Martinez, Melissa R Cruz, Danielle A Garsin, Michael C Lorenz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen. The genetic factors contributing to the virulence, drug resistance, and stress-tolerant nature of C. auris are mostly unknown. Additional animal models of virulence are needed, especially those amenable to high-throughput analysis. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been validated as an effective tool for studying multiple fungal and bacterial pathogens. We describe here a C. elegans infection model in which exposure to C. auris is lethal to worms with kinetics similar to killing by Candida albicans; in contrast to C. albicans, C. auris does not form hyphae, indicating distinct virulence mechanisms. …

Bdcd: A Comprehensive Brain Disease Cell-Cell Communication Database, Xinyi Liu, Citu Citu, Gang Qu, Wendao Liu, Nitesh Enduru, Andi Liu, Chia-Hao Tung, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dysregulated cell–cell communication (CCC) is increasingly recognized as a driver of brain disease pathology, contributing to neuroinflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. Nevertheless, existing resources remain limited in brain specificity, regional coverage, and functional annotation. To address this gap, we develop the Brain Disease Cell-cell communication Database (BDCD), the first comprehensive resource focused on CCC networks across major brain diseases. BDCD integrates 38 manually curated datasets, comprising 8 519 425 single cells from single-cell RNA-seq studies and 140 744 spots from spatial transcriptomic maps, spanning 14 brain regions and 13 canonical cell types covering Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, …

Bridging Hypoxia And Vision Loss: The Emerging Role Of Connexins In Local And Systemic Eye Diseases, Xianping Zhang, Yalong Cheng, Jean X Jiang, Yuting Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hypoxic eye diseases represent a pivotal yet often underappreciated contributor to the onset and progression of many retinal disorders. When hypoxia persists or exceeds the tissue's compensatory capacity, it triggers pathological retinal neovascularization, blood-retinal barrier disruption, and neuronal apoptosis, ultimately resulting in irreversible visual impairment. Connexins (Cxs) form gap junction channels and hemichannels and regulate retinal cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival, thereby playing a central regulatory role in the pathogenesis of hypoxic ocular diseases. In addition to gap junctions, Cx hemichannels promote transmission of molecules between intra- and extracellular environments, further influencing retinal homeostasis under hypoxic stress. This review synthesizes …

The Impact Of Indigenous American-Like Ancestry On The Risk Of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia In Hispanic/Latino Children, Jalen Langie, Tsz Fung Chan, Wenjian Yang, Alice Y Kang, Libby Morimoto, Daniel O Stram, Nicholas Mancuso, Xiaomei Ma, Catherine Metayer, Philip J Lupo, Karen R Rabin, Michael E Scheurer, Joseph L Wiemels, Jun J Yang, Adam J De Smith, Charleston W K Chiang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, with Hispanic/Latino children having a higher incidence of ALL than other racial/ethnic groups. Among the genetic variants previously implicated in ALL risk, a number of them were found to be enriched in Indigenous American (IA)-like ancestries and inherited by many Hispanic/Latino individuals. However, due to potential confounding from environmental factors, the association between IA-like ancestry and risk for ALL has remained unclear. In this study, we characterized the impact of IA-like ancestry on overall ALL risk and on the frequency and effect size of known risk alleles, while accounting for …

The Effects Of Bone-Remodeling Therapy On Survival, Pain, And Skeletal Related Events In The Setting Of Renal Cell Carcinoma With Bone Metastases: A Multicenter Investigation From A Large Global Health Research Network (Trinetx), Brian H. Im, Kevin K. Zarrabi, Aaron R. Hochberg, Mihir M. Shah, Md, James R. Mark, Joseph K. Izes, Patrick T. Gomella, Costas D. Lallas, Leonard G. Gomella, Adam R. Metwalli

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common renal malignancy-bone metastases (BM) are indicative of aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. We aim to evaluate the overall mortality of patients with RCC with and without BM, and to elucidate the effects of bone-remodeling therapy on mortality, incidence of skeletal-related events, and opioid usage patterns in patients with BM.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using TriNetX, a large, collaborative network sourced from electronic medical records of over 110 million patients from over 100 healthcare organizations. All adult patients with RCC and RCC with BM were queried.

RESULTS: There …

Muc13 Is A Crucial Player In Yap1-Β-Catenin Survival Complex Mediated Cancer Metastasis, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, Murali Yallapu, Subhash Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

Neuroradiological Features Across Major Psychiatric Disorders And Behavioral Variant Of Alzheimer’S Disease: A Concise Multimodal Synthesis, Sina Dindarian, Joga Chaganti, Nazanin Rafiei, Scott H. Faro

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Psychiatric disorders are complex, disabling conditions that continue to rely on subjective diagnostic criteria due to the absence of objective biological markers. Neuroradiology has become a critical discipline for examining the structural, functional, and biochemical underpinnings of these disorders through advanced brain imaging. This review synthesizes findings from five major psychiatric conditions including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, and briefly discusses the behavioral variant of Alzheimer's disease, a variant with neuropsychological overlay, across multiple imaging modalities, including structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging, functional MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, functional near-infrared …

Real-World Multicenter Assessment Of Sustained Clinical Outcomes After Digital Deep Brain Stimulation, Alireza Gharabaghi, Sergiu Groppa, Elena Casas, Alfons Schnitzler, Laura Muñoz-Delgado, Vicky L. Marshall, Jessica Karl, Lin Zhang, Ramiro Alvarez, Mary S. Feldman, Michael J. Soileau, Lan Luo, Benjamin L. Walter, Chengyuan Wu, Hong Lei, Damian M. Herz, Devyani Nanduri, Claudia A. Salazar, Corneliu Luca, Daniel Weiss

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Remote, internet-based deep brain stimulation programming for Parkinson's disease accelerates clinical benefits postoperatively by improving access to therapy adjustments compared to in-clinic optimization. After completion of the initial digital programming phase, we show that clinical outcomes, quality of life, and safety remain sustained over at least twelve months under routine care conditions. Embedding a randomized trial within a larger cohort study enables long-term, real-world evaluation, offering a scalable and pragmatic model for assessing complex digital interventions in routine clinical care. (NCT05269862 registered on 2022-03-08 and NCT04071847 registered on 2019-08-28).