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Interview With Orca Award Winner David Hage, Unl Chemistry; Drug-Protein Interactions, Mark Griep, David Hage

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Prof. David Hage was awarded the ORCA in 2018. He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. Next, he earned a doctorate from Iowa State University and did postdoctoral work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1989, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of chemistry and quickly rose through the ranks. He has won many awards and, for the past 13 years, has been the James Hewet University Professor of Chemistry. Allow me to share some remarkable facts about Dave before we get into …

A Livelihood Intervention Improved Nutritional, Mental Health And Sexual Health Outcomes Among Hiv-Affected Adolescents In Western Kenya: Results From The Shamba Maisha Randomised Controlled Trial, Sheri D. Weiser, Lila Aziz Sheira, Pauline Wekesa, Jennifer Monroe Zakaras, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Elly Weke, Jason M. Nagata, Amy A. Conroy, Marguerita Lightfoot, Torsten B. Neilands, Lisa M. Butler, Elizabeth A. Bukusi, Craig R. Cohen, Maricianah Atieno Onono

Faculty Publications

Introduction Interventions that address household-level factors, including food insecurity (FI) and poverty, may reduce HIV risk and improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH) among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW).

Methods This cluster randomised controlled trial in Kenya assessed AGYW living in households of adults enrolled in Shamba Maisha (SM). SM was a multisectoral agricultural livelihood intervention designed to improve HIV health. At the trial end, we used linear and logistic regressions to compare differences between the intervention and control arms in FI, and mental health among AGYW-caregiver pairs and SRH outcomes among the AGYW, accounting for clusters with robust …

Donor Sex And Platelet Storage Change The Therapeutic Effects Of Platelet-Derived Extracellular Vesicles On Endothelium, Mandeep Kaur, Malvika Gupta, Sowmya Shree Gopal, Charles E. Wade, Jessica C. Cardenas, Amit K. Srivastava

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) play an active role in vascular protection and repair and are being explored as a viable alternative to platelet therapy. Because platelet function and stability are shaped by donor sex and storage conditions, these same factors are likely to influence the PEVs they release. Understanding these influences is key to developing PEVs into a safe and dependable therapeutic option. In this study, we investigated how donor sex and platelet storage affect the therapeutic properties of PEVs. To address this, PEVs were isolated from platelets of healthy male and female donors. Platelets were either processed immediately after …

Practice Patterns And Inpatient Outcomes In Lung Abscess: A Cross Sectional Study, Saikou Saidy, Ali Iqbal, Saqib H. Baig

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Lung abscess is typically managed with antibiotics, but drainage procedures are sometimes performed when there is inadequate clinical response or when source control is needed. Real-world inpatient practice patterns remain incompletely described in contemporary U.S. data. Our aim was to evaluate national inpatient practice patterns, predictors of procedural intervention, and associated in-hospital outcomes and resource utilization among patients hospitalized with lung abscess managed conservatively, with bronchoscopic drainage, or with percutaneous drainage.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (2016–2018), we identified adult (18 years and older) hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of lung abscess [International Classification of Diseases, 10th …

An Integrated Germline And Somatic Genomic Model For Coronary Artery Disease, Xiong Yang, Min Seo Kim, Xinyu Zhu, Md Mesbah Uddin, Tetsushi Nakao, So Mi Jemma Cho, Satoshi Koyama, Tingfeng Xu, Laurens F Reeskamp, Rufan Zhang, Zhaoqi Liu, Yunga A, Paul S De Vries, Ramachandran S Vasan, Eric Boerwinkle, Alanna C Morrison, Bruce M Psaty, Russell P Tracy, Susan R Heckbert, Michael H Cho, Jeong H Yun, Nicholette D Palmer, Donald W Bowden, Joanne M Murabito, Daniel Levy, Nancy L Heard-Costa, George T O'Connor, Lewis C Becker, Brian G Kral, Lisa R Yanek, Laura M Raffield, Bertha Hidalgo, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Kent D Taylor, Wendy S Post, Charles Kooperberg, Alexander P Reiner, Braxton D Mitchell, Sharon L R Kardia, Jennifer A Smith, Patricia A Peyser, Lawrence F Bielak, Dong Keon Yon, Hong-Hee Won, Donna K Arnett, Albert V Smith, Stacey B Gabriel, Patrick T Ellinor, Nhlbi Trans-Omics For Precision Medicine (Topmed) Consortium, Pradeep Natarajan, Minxian Wang, Akl C Fahed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple germline and somatic genomic factors are associated with risk of coronary artery disease, but there is no single measure of risk that integrates all information from a DNA sample. To address this gap, we develop an integrated genomic model that includes six germline and somatic genetic drivers for coronary artery disease, including polygenic risk score, genetically-proxied proteomic/metabolomic risk scores, and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential. We evaluated its predictive power in the UK Biobank (N = 391,536), and validate it using data from the TOPMed program (N = 34,177). The 10-year coronary artery disease risk based on the integrated …

Recent Progress In Nanogel Technology: From Molecular Design To Biomedical Applications, Fatima Raed Al-Ahmed, Mohammed Sabar Al-Lami

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Nanogels, a hydrophilic polymer network at the nanoscale, combine the structural flexibility of hydrogels with the dynamic behavior of nanoparticles, offering unprecedented control over drug loading and release. Their large surface area, tunable porosity, high water content, biocompatibility, and stimuli-responsive behavior enable transport across biological barriers. This review critically examines nanogels’ unique properties, classifications, diverse methods of preparation, drug release mechanisms, characterization techniques, and various applications in therapeutic areas, such as cancer therapy, wound healing, transdermal and ocular drug delivery, and theranostics. Highlights are shed on nanogels’ potential to target specific sites, both by functionalization and stimuli-responsive behavior, therefore improving …

Cbx6-Ca9 Axis: An Epigenetic-Metabolic Vulnerability In Glioblastoma, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most therapeutically recalcitrant malignancies, with median survival rarely exceeding 15 months despite maximal therapy.¹ The hypoxic tumor microenvironment drives treatment resistance through epigenetic and metabolic adaptations.²

In this issue of Molecular Therapy Oncology, the study by Wang et al.³ demonstrates a novel regulatory axis between CBX6 (chromobox 6), a polycomb group protein, and CA9 (carbonic anhydrase 9), revealing how hypoxia-driven epigenetic reprogramming promotes tumor progression and identifying a mechanistically linked pathway for therapeutic intervention in GBM.

The study by Wang et al.3 advances our understanding of how the tumor microenvironment …

What Does Next-Generation Mass Spectrometry Offer For Proteomics? A Comprehensive Platform Comparison, Filipa Blasco Tavares Pereira Lopes, Daniela Schlatzer, Tara Sudhadevi, Anantha Harijith, Marzieh Ayati, Mehmet Koyutürk, Mark R. Chance

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Next-generation mass spectrometry platforms (Orbitrap Astral, timsTOF Ultra) are reshaping proteomics by enhancing analytical depth and sensitivity. We compared these platforms against Orbitrap Exploris 480 using neonatal mouse lung tissues from a bronchopulmonary dysplasia model (n = 12), employing four acquisition strategies: Exploris 480 DDA/DIA, Astral HR-DIA, and timsTOF Ultra DIA-PASEF. All platforms identified ∼4000 proteins in common, with 98% proteome coverage of data-dependent acquisition (DDA) identifications using data-independent (DIA) methods and 92% concordance between next-generation systems. Orbitrap Astral and timsTOF Ultra quantified >225,000 peptides and 13,000 proteins, representing ∼800% and ∼300% greater depth than Exploris 480 DDA, respectively. …

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Analysis Of Entheses: Using An Ordinal Scale And 3d Scanned Metrics To Understand Entheseal Differences In The Charity Hospital Cemetery (16or108), Gillian Stewart

LSU Master's Theses

Using a sample from New Orleans’ Charity Hospital Cemetery (16OR108), an analysis between ordinal scores and digital quantitative analysis (DQA) measurements of the entheses (muscle attachment sites) was performed. The skeletal elements (n = 235) examined were the humerus, radius, femur, and tibia. The entheses were 3D scanned using an Artec Space Spider scanner and processed with the Artec Studio Professional© v.2018 and Geomagic Wrap® v.2021 software. Entheses were analyzed by: left and right sides, male and female, and distribution of scores across elements. The analyses yielded significant differences between proliferative and erosive score distribution. Scores between elements exhibited variation. …

Explainable Drug Side Effect Prediction In Central Neural System Via Biologically Informed Graph Neural Network, Tongtong Huang, Ko-Hong Lin, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Jair C Soares, Xiaoqian Jiang, Yejin Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The early detection of potential side effects (SEs) is a critical yet formidable challenge within the realms of drug development and patient healthcare management. Conventional in-vitro or in-vivo approaches for SE detection are often not feasible to scale during the preclinical phase for numerous drug candidates. Innovations in explainable artificial intelligence offer the prospect of early detection of potential SEs for novel therapeutics prior to their release in the market, as well as the explication of the underlying biological mechanisms. In this context, we present a novel biologically informed graph-based model, called HHAN-DSI, which capitalizes on multimodal interactions among molecular …

Investigation Of Molecular Footprints In Ultra-High Diluted Homoeopathic Solutions Of Arnica Montana And Rhus Toxicodendron Through Combined Infrared And Impedance Spectroscopy, Sharbadeb Kundu, Usha Rani Dash, Chirasree Roychaudhuri, Aindrila Roy, Sanatan Chattopadhyay, Rathin Chakravarty, Debadatta Nayak, Subhash Kaushik, Amit Roy Chowdhury, Ananya Barui, Subhadip Chakraborty

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: The study of ultra-high diluted (UHD) solutions is a compelling and controversial domain in modern science. Despite numerous investigations and hypotheses, there is a lack of rigorous, reproducible empirical evidence supporting the existence of molecular footprints beyond the Avogadro's limit. Objective: This study conducted a detailed investigation of the molecular and electrical properties, focusing on hydrogen bonding and impedance to understand the fundamental nature of UHD solutions. Materials and methods: Combined impedance and infrared spectroscopic investigations were performed to probe the structural behaviour of relevant water networks at the molecular level of UHD alcoholic extract of Arnica montana (AM) …

Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptotic Induction By Chionanthus Virginica Q: A Cytotoxic And Oxidative Stress-Driven Approach In Hepg2 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells, Arun R. Nair, Venkateshan Hariram, Vettrivel Arul

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with current therapeutic options limited by late-stage detection, recurrence, and toxicity. Alternative treatments derived from medicinal plants are gaining attention due to their potential anticancer properties. Chionanthus virginica, traditionally used for liver disorders, contains bioactive compounds with hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects. However, its anticancer potential remains largely unexplored. Objective: This study evaluates the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and apoptotic effects of Chionanthus virginica in mother tincture (Q) and potentised (12C) forms on HepG2 liver cancer cells to determine its efficacy as a natural anticancer agent. Materials and methods: HepG2 …

Research Highlights, Meenu Gupta, Sunaina Shanker

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

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Fundamental Research Principles In Homoeopathy: Bridging Empirical And Clinical Evidence, Himanshu Shekhar, Parth Aphale, Shashank Dokania

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Letter to Editor

Holistic Approach Of Homoeopathy In Treatment Of Multimorbidity: A Case Report, Divya Verma, Nitin Kumar Saklani, Arun Kumar

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: Multimorbidity, a rise in all ages, is a challenge for health care systems that are focused on single-disease management. Homoeopathy has shown competence in the management of chronic diseases, whether they occur as a single ailment or as multimorbidities. Case Summary: A 25-year-old female suffering from symptoms of PCOS, like irregular menses, secondary dysmenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea, along with chronic migraine visited the OPD. She also developed renal calculi during the previous homoeopathic treatment. Her condition improved through homoeopathic medicines Pulsatilla and Lycopodium. The case is reported according to HOM-CASE guidelines. The assessment of causal attribution of homoeopathic …

Fasting-Based Dietary Interventions In Cancer Patients And Survivors: A Scoping Review, Kuang-Yi Wen, Julianne Freedman, Abenezer Melaku Tafese, William Kevin Kelly, Nicole L Simone

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Fasting-based interventions are increasingly investigated as adjuncts to cancer treatment for the potential to reduce therapy-related toxicities, improve metabolic health, and enhance quality of life. However, clinical evidence regarding their efficacy, tolerability, and acceptability remains limited and fragmented. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the current evidence on fasting-based interventions in cancer patients and survivors.

Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL up to 10 June 2025. Eligible interventional studies included cancer patients or survivors and evaluated fasting-based interventions, such as time-restricted eating, intermittent fasting, short-term fasting, or fasting-mimicking …

Multi-Modal Tensor Fusion For Alzheimer’S Disease Recognition, Mason Li, Tiffany Le, Jiajing Huang, Yuxin Wen

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is critical for effective intervention, disease monitoring, and patient care. Traditional diagnostic approaches rely on a single modality, such as clinical assessments, neuroimaging, or genetic markers, which may fail to capture the complex, multifaceted nature of AD. Multimodal learning has therefore been explored to integrate complementary information across data sources. However, conventional fusion strategies, including early feature concatenation and late decision-level fusion, often model modalities independently and fail to capture high-order cross-modal interactions. To address these limitations, we propose a multimodal tensor fusion network (MTFN) that integrates heterogeneous data sources, including visual …

Mdm4 At The Crossroads: Beyond P53 And Mdm2., Dipesh Thapa, Allison St John, Alejandro Parrales, Atul Ranjan, Tomoo Iwakuma

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

MDM4 (Murine Double Minute 4), also known as MDMX, is a crucial negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53. MDM4 heterodimerizes with MDM2 to enhance MDM2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of p53, thereby promoting tumorigenesis. Beyond its canonical role in inhibiting p53 activity, recent studies have revealed diverse p53-independent functions. MDM4 interacts with various proteins, including p73, E2F1, casein kinase 1α, PPARα, and TRIM21 to regulate cell cycle progression, β-catenin-mediated pre-leukemic progression, and ferroptosis independent of p53. In addition, MDM4 functions independently of both p53 and MDM2 by interacting with proteins, such as SMAD family members 3/4, retinoblastoma protein (pRB), p21, …

Bio 230 - Microbiology, Sarah Moroianu

Open Educational Resources

This open educational resource (OER) syllabus is designed for BIO 230: Microbiology at Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY), a single-semester introductory microbiology course for non-biology majors such as Nursing, Dietetics, Health Education, and Physical Education. The course reviews microbial structure, metabolism, genetics, and microbial ecology, with applied emphasis on infectious disease, antimicrobial drugs, host immune defenses, and microbial diseases. The syllabus aligns course content with the freely available OpenStax Microbiology textbook (Parker et al., CC BY 4.0) and reflects accessibility best practices consistent with CUNY guidelines.

In Vitro And In Silico Evaluation Of Calcined Chicken Eggshell Powder As An Antibacterial Agent Against Staphylococcus Aureus, Hadi Kurniawan, Hariyanto Ih, Fajar Nugraha, Siti Nani Nurbaeti, Inarah Fajriaty, Ardi Kurniawan, Ridho Maulana Difa

Makara Journal of Science

Staphylococcus aureus is a major Gram-positive pathogen that is increasingly resistant to antibiotics, significantly contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related deaths. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the antibacterial activity of calcined chicken eggshell powder (CCEP), a waste-derived material rich in calcium compounds. CCEP was prepared by calcining eggshell powder at 900 °C for 3 hours. Its antibacterial potential was evaluated using in vitro assays, including agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution, as well as in silico molecular docking against penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP4, PDB ID: 3HUM). The in vitro results showed that a 20% (w/v) CCEP solution in glycerol produced …

Comparative Analysis Of Clearing Methods For 3d Imaging Of The Vasculature In Mineralized Mouse Tissues, Azeez O Ishola, Athira Pillai, Taeyong Ahn, Re-Join Consortium, Chih-Wei Hsu, Brendan Lee, Nele Haelterman, Joshua D Wythe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Historically, visualization of vascular networks within the musculoskeletal system, particularly in mineralized tissues such as bones and joints, has been limited to conventional 2D histological approaches. Recent advances in optical tissue clearing technologies and fluorescence imaging approaches in whole, intact tissues offer an entrée to interrogate the vasculature at unprecedented resolution during both musculoskeletal development and in pathologic contexts in three dimensions. However, these clearing techniques were originally not developed for imaging hard mineralized tissues, such as the femur and tibia. Herein, we have optimized tissue decalcification conditions and compared aqueous- and solvent-based tissue clearing approaches to establish an optimal …

Incidence Of Autoimmune Diseases In Children With Atopy Treated With Dupilumab, Stanislaw J Gabryszewski, Kathryn Hirabayashi, Morgan Botdorf, Mitchell Maltenfort, Christopher B Forrest, Theresa W Guilbert, Madeline Schutt, Hiroki Morizono, Gerardo Vazquez Garcia, Anna Cristina Garza-Mayers, Joseph Demetrius Hernandez, Sara Anvari, Suchitra Rao, Jonathan M Spergel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The type 2 inflammation-blocking agent dupilumab has gained traction as an effective treatment of multiple atopic diseases. New-onset autoimmune manifestations have been infrequently reported in dupilumab-treated atopic patients, primarily among adults. Autoimmune outcomes in atopic children on dupilumab are less clear.

Objective: We aimed to determine if dupilumab treatment of atopic children is associated with increased autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease diagnosis risk.

Methods: Using a multi-institutional electronic health record database composed of 10 PEDSnet academic health systems, we performed a retrospective cohort study of children aged 6-17 with atopy (ie, moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and/or persistent asthma, as defined by …

K2p Channels As Key Regulators Of Cardiovascular And Pulmonary Vascular Function, Hala Y Abdelnasser, Xinchun Pi, Lavannya M Pandit, Bradley K Mcconnell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels are the most recently identified family of potassium channels. They are regarded as the largest group of background “leak” channels, encoded by 15 mammalian KCNK genes, and divided into six subfamilies (TWIK, TREK, TASK, TALK, THIK, and TRESK). These channels have a role in stabilizing the resting membrane potential. Their widespread presence in the heart and vasculature supports cellular homeostasis by regulating cardiac rhythm, vascular tone, and protection against ischemic stress. The TASK, TWIK, and TREK subfamilies are the most abundantly expressed K2P channel subfamilies in the cardiovascular system, and dysregulation of specific members has …

Translating Multi-Omics Into Healthcare: Requisites For Scalable And Equitable Implementation, Birute Tumiene, David R Adams, Robert Allaway, Maria J Barrero, Chun-Hung Chan, Víctor Faundes, Vanessa S Fear, Polina Glezer, Claudia Fuchs, Tudor Groza, Elisa J F Houwink, Saumya Shekhar Jamuar, Mary Catherine V Letinturier, Richa Madan Lomash, Ratna Dua Puri, Juergen K V Reichardt, Ruty Mehrian-Shai, Francois H Van Der Westhuizen, Gaurav K Varshney, Shinya Yamamoto, Gareth Baynam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multi-omics in combination with advanced computational methodologies synthesizes diverse omics data to provide deeper insights into molecular interactions and offers transformative potential for unravelling phenomenon behind disease complexities, improving diagnostics, disease prevention, and personalized treatments. This integrative strategy enables our understanding of gene-environment relationships, chronic disease progression, and the intricate molecular pathways involved in health. Effective multi-omics analyses require robust data sharing, accessibility, interoperability, and governance, which are critical for linking genomic elements to phenotypic traits. The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health advocates for responsible data-sharing practices, by promoting key principles such as transparency and equity. By emphasizing a …

Mitochondrial Transfer And Induced Ros As A Therapeutic Strategy In Idh2-Mutant Chondrosarcoma, Vegas R. Bedder, Caleb Wyckoff, Chris Osgood, Gavin A. Vasquez, Michael Stacey

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Chondrosarcoma (CS) are common bone cancers that produce cartilaginous tumors and are extremely refractive to chemo-and-radiation therapies, leaving very limited treatment options. They contain mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase genes, IDH1 or IDH2. Either IDH1 or IDH2 mutations are present in individual tumors, but not both. They both convert alphaketoglutarate (αKG) into the potent oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG). D2HG can be transported from the tumors to cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME) where it can alter metabolic and epigenetic profiles in recipient cells. The process of α-KG to D2HG conversion occurs in the cytoplasm of IDH1 mutant cells, and in the …

Randomized Controlled Trial Outcomes For Homestyles-2, An Online Obesity Prevention Program For Families With Children In Middle Childhood, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Angelica A. Pozzoli, Kaitlyn M. Eck, John Worobey, Karla Pagan Shelnutt, Melissa D. Olfert, Virginia Quick

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

Background: Parents are children’s primary role models, are food and physical activity gatekeepers, and create the home structure/lifestyle environment. Thus, parents strongly influence children’s weight-related behaviors and have the opportunity to cultivate a “culture of health” within the home. Methods: The aim of the HomeStyles-2 (also called HomeStyles-Child) RCT was to determine whether this online, novel, age-appropriate, family intervention enabled and motivated the 131 systematically randomly assigned by computer parents of children in middle childhood (ages 6 to 11) in the experimental condition to shape home environments and healthy weight-related lifestyle practices to be more supportive of optimal health and …

Molecular Characterization Of Humanized Apoe Mouse Models Reveals Source And Genotype Dependent Differences, Na Wang, Gefei Yu, Zhen Wang, Alla Alnobani, Suren Jeevaratnam, Xue Zhang, Meghan Mcreynolds, Yuzhou Chang, Fangfang Qi, William Tauer, Cassandra Rosenberg, Melissa Wren, Tadafumi C Ikezu, Yuka A Martens, Minghui Wang, Bin Zhang, Gregory W Carter, Michael Sasner, David M Holtzman, Junmin Peng, Long-Jun Wu, Takahisa Kanekiyo, Chia-Chen Liu, Guojun Bu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background

Humanized APOE targeted-replacement (TR) mice are essential tools for studying apoE isoform effects in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other apoE-related disorders. Despite their widespread use, existing APOE mouse models, generated with different gene targeting strategies, have not been directly compared in terms of apoE isoform expression, lipid profiles, and transcriptomic signatures. Such differences could impact how we interpret APOE genotype-related outcomes, as well as related underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive molecular comparison of humanized APOE mouse models from three sources: Taconic Biosciences (TAC), the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (CAF), and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). We assessed apoE …

Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury After Thrombectomy For Ischemic Stroke: Prognostic Impact And Can-Rest Predictive Score, Ghil Schwarz, Angelo Cascio Rizzo, Gareth Ambler, Pawel Wrona, Agnieszka Slowik, Szymonn Kotas, Mohamed F. Doheim, Alhamza R. Al-Bayati, Raul G. Nogueira, Ameer E. Hassan, Samantha Miller

School of Medicine Publications

Background and objectives: Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is a potentially preventable complication after exposure to iodinated contrast media. In patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), the incidence and clinical impact are poorly characterized, and no validated prediction tool is currently available. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and prognostic significance of CA-AKI in EVT-treated patients with AIS and to develop and validate a predictive score.

Methods: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted involving EVT-treated patients across 73 centers in 16 countries (January-December 2023). Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, absence …

Thalamic Organization Differentially Contributes To Clinical Conditions In Epilepsy, Qirui Zhang, Sam S. Javidi, Ankeeta Ankeeta, Michael R. Sperling, Zhiqiang Zhang, Joseph I. Tracy

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The thalamus plays an important role in key clinical conditions of focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but no investigation has examined whether the same thalamic local and connectome properties shape a patient's status across these different conditions.

METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal MRI study used resting-state fMRI and structural imaging to identify whole-brain focal/regional and connectome-level features associated with six binary clinical conditions of TLE (pre/post-surgery, seizure and neurocognitive outcomes, pathology, seizure subtype, and SOZ lateralization) in 91 patients across two centers (age range: 15-65 years) and 85 matched healthy participants (age range: 18-60 years).

RESULTS: Across conditions, relative to …

Genome-Wide Crispr Screen Identifies A Cytokine-Enhancer Circuit Driving Hif-2Α Activation In Renal Cancer, Jun Fang, Jeremy M Simon, Tao Wang, Yunpeng Gao, Xianju Bi, Lianxin Hu, Chengheng Liao, Cheng Zhang, Yayoi Adachi, Jin Zhou, Hongyi Liu, Qian Liang, James A Nathan, Ram Mani, James Brugarolas, Qing Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Resistance to HIF-2α inhibitors such as Belzutifan underscores the need to better understand how HIF-2α is transcriptionally regulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Here, we uncover a cytokine-driven enhancer mechanism that sustains HIF-2α expression through the JAK1-STAT3 signaling pathway. Using a genome-wide CRISPR screen in VHL-deficient ccRCC cells, we identified SOCS3 as a key negative regulator of HIF-2α. Mechanistically, loss of SOCS3 activates JAK1-STAT3 signaling, leading to the recruitment of STAT3 to distal enhancers upstream of EPAS1 that physically loop to its promoter to drive HIF-2α transcription. This cytokine-enhancer circuit was recapitulated in ccRCC patient samples and functionally …