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The History Of Dr. Suess And European Dentists From The Past: Relevant Lessons In Bioethics For Today, Howard A. Israel Dds, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The works of the author-illustrator Dr. Seuss evoke images of children’s books with moral themes, such as Yertle the Turtle and Horton Hears a Who. The life story of another Dr. Suess has remained relatively unknown. Walter Suess was an extremely talented dentist and musician in Austria. Brilliant and courageous, he became a victim of a morally depraved authoritarian regime and the absence of biomedical ethics during the reign of the Third Reich. The serendipitous discovery of the true story of Dr. Seuss and European dentists from this era offers lessons in bioethics relevant to today.

Incident Of Sensorineural Hearing Disorder In Toll Road Workers Exposed To Noise And Lead, Fitria Rimadhanty Setyaningtyas, Muhammad Ilyas, Dewi Yunia Fitriani, Suryo Wibowo

Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal of Indonesia

Background Toll road workers are exposed to traffic noise and lead, both of which may increase the risk of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This study aimed to examine the association between noise and lead exposure and the occurrence of SNHL among toll road workers.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data derived from medical check-up records of 1,445 toll road workers in 2022. Study variables included age, sex, length of employment, past medical history, smoking status, job position, blood lead levels and SNHL incidence. Descriptive analyses were performed, followed by bivariate analysis using the chi square test and …

Baseline Lymphopenia Predicts Survival In Ici-Naïve Solid Tumor Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Propensity-Matched Real-World Pan-Cancer Analysis, Ahmed Ismail, Nina Balanchivadze, George R. Simon, Yanis Boumber

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Baseline lymphopenia is common among advanced solid tumors and may influence the efficacy/safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), but large real-world evidence is limited. We evaluated the association between baseline absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and clinical outcomes in adults with solid tumors treated with ICIs in routine practice. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX. Adults with solid tumors who received pembrolizumab, nivolumab, or atezolizumab (ICI-Naïve) between January 2015 and June 2026 were included. Baseline ALC was measured within 30 days before first treatment and was classified as lymphopenic (ALC < 1.5 × 10⁹/L) or non-lymphopenic (ALC ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L). Propensity score matching (1:1) yielded 5249 patients per group. The index date was the first immunotherapy date, and outcomes were assessed at 6, 12, 24, 36 months, and 5 years. The primary outcome was 24-month overall survival (OS); secondary outcomes were OS at 6 and 12 months and 6-month risks of healthcare utilization, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and serious infections; and exploratory outcomes included OS at 36 months and 5 years. All outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier analysis, Cox proportional hazards models, and risk ratios. Subgroup analysis included OS stratified by solid tumor subtypes and prior lines of therapy. Results: After matching, patients with baseline lymphopenia …

Application Of A Hyaluronic Acid-Based Lotions Containing Hydroxyapatite Nano-Particles Approach For Treatment Of Initial Dental Caries, Zahra Gharavi, Zahra Namazi, Fatemehsadat Pishbin, Helia Givian, Maryam Torshabi, Farhood Najafi, Parisa Amdjadi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the remineralization potential of a ceramic–polyelectrolyte system, based on a novel combination of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp NPs) and a hyaluronic acid (HY) matrix, for dental enamel, a tissue that remains challenging to repair in clinical dentistry. Nano-Hydroxyapatite (nanoHAp) powder was synthesized and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis to confirm their crystalline structure, functional groups, morphology, particle size distribution, and colloidal stability. HY-based suspensions (remineralizing lotions) containing 5, 10, and 12 wt% of the synthesized nanoHAp particles were formulated via a …

Will They Be More Honest With An (External) Proctor? Evaluating Ufc Match Performance Before And After The Adoption Of The Usada Doping Program, Moonsup Hyun, Wonsok (Frank) Jee, Sehwon Kang, Yohan Lee

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Over the eight years from 2015 to 2023, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) partnered with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to institute comprehensive external oversight of doping controls. This study investigates the effects of transitioning from internally administered anti-doping protocols to exclusive external governance by comparing UFC performance metrics before and during the USADA partnership. Using a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach with data from 2012 to 2018, we find that match duration significantly increased, while the likelihood of extreme outcomes, knockouts (KO), technical knockouts (TKO), and submissions, decreased during the USADA period. These results suggest that performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) could …

Intra-Coronary Imaging And Transcriptomics Of Calcified Nodules Before And After Intensive Lipid-Lowering Therapy: A Yellow Iii Substudy, Pruthvi C Revaiah, Yuliya Vengrenyuk, Jiajia Liu, Keisuke Yasumura, Vemuri Krishna Santosh, Monika Karki, Ishani Bansal, Amit Hooda, Joseph K Sweeny, Sahil Khera, Vishal Kapur, Prakash Krishnan, Pedro R Moreno, Roxana Mehran, Xiaobo Zhou, Jagat Narula, Samin K Sharma, Annapoorna S Kini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims: Calcified nodules (CNs) contribute to 3-5% of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Identifying peri-calcific lipid-rich areas is challenging with conventional imaging but feasible using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This YELLOW III substudy investigated the impact of maximal lipid-lowering on CN morphology and lipid content over 26 weeks.

Methods and results: Patients with stable CAD and lipid-rich, non-obstructive plaques (lipid arc >90°, FCT < 120 µm on OCT) received Evolocumab (140 mg biweekly) plus maximally tolerated statins. Lesions were evaluated at baseline and 26 weeks using combined NIRS-IVUS and OCT. Exploratory endpoints were the maximum 4 mm lipid core burden index (LCBI) in segments containing CNs (maxLCBI4mm-CN) and morphological changes in CN. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate temporal changes and group interactions. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomics were analysed. Among 110 patients, 43 (39.1%) had CNs. A total of 73 paired CNs were analysed for morphology, of which 65 CNs were ≥4 mm. CNs with lipid signal (CNLS) demonstrated a significant reduction in maxLCBI4mm-CN from 176.8 to 113.3 (β = -63.51 ± 17.63; P < 0.001), whereas no change was observed in dense CNs (P = 0.317). Morphological parameters remained largely unchanged in both groups. A modest increase in the surrounding calcium arc was observed in CNLS (P = 0.018), while depth showed a differential change …

Enhancing Inter-Institutional Ai Research Collaboration Across Multidisciplinary Teams To Increase The National Ai Workforce In Healthcare, Toufeeq Ahmed Syed, Sarah Popal, D'Laney Kernan, Deevakar Rogith, Zulfiia Ditto, Paul Warhurst, Jay Johnson, Jamboor K Vishwanatha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inter-institutional team collaboration is critical for impactful multidisciplinary AI research in healthcare. The goal of our project (AIM-AHEAD Connect) is to increase multidisciplinary collaborations by connecting AI/ML experts and healthcare researchers, trainees and professionals to enhance research and improve health for all Americans. As of February 2026, AIM-AHEAD Connect has over 10,100 AI/ML and healthcare experts from across 2,400 institutions, has made more than 7,800 connections and facilitated 194 collaborative online groups. We conducted a unique study to understand collaboration, and analyzed profile, connection, and platform engagement metrics to determine if AI experts and healthcare researchers with more inter-institutional connections …

Rewiring The Immune Response In Lung Cancer: Current Progress In Bispecific Antibodies, Car-T Therapy, And The Rise Of In Vivo Car-T Platforms, Lei He, Yi Sun, Bowen Ma, Guojun Lang, Jianguo Wen, George R Blumenschein, Hong Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and continues to impose a major clinical burden, particularly in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Although targeted therapies, antiangiogenic agents, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates have improved outcomes in selected patients, durable responses remain limited by primary and acquired resistance. Here, we comprehensively review recent progress in immunologically oriented therapeutic strategies for lung cancer, focusing on bispecific antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and emerging in vivo CAR-engineering modalities. We further elaborate on the clinical rationale, latest translational and early clinical evidence, …

Deep Learning To Predict Future Cognitive Decline: A Multimodal Approach Using Brain Mri And Clinical Data, Tamoghna Chattopadhyay, Pavithra Senthilkumar, Rahul H Ankarath, Christopher Patterson, Emma J Gleave, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Heng Huang, Li Shen, Lei You, Degui Zhi, Paul M Thompson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Predicting the trajectory of clinical decline in aging individuals is a pressing challenge, especially for people with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or vascular dementia. Accurate predictions can guide treatment decisions, identify risk factors, and optimize clinical trials. In this study, we compared two deep learning approaches for forecasting changes, over a 2-year interval, in the Clinical Dementia Rating scale 'sum of boxes' score (sobCDR), as a continuous outcome (regression). This is a key metric in dementia research and clinical trials, and scores range from 0 (no impairment) to 18 (severe impairment). To predict decline, we trained a …

Genetic Variants Associated With Sjögren’S Disease Subtypes Stratified By Clinical Feature, Nitesh Enduru, Chihiro Iwaya, Akiko Suzuki, Zhongming Zhao, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia) due to inflammation in exocrine glands, particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands. The condition presents a wide variety of clinical features, suggesting that it may involve heterogeneous conditions without a clear boundary. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic variants associated with SjD, their roles in SjD pathogenesis remain unclear.

Methods: In this study, we aimed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SjD by categorizing patients based on four diagnostic markers: anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies, IgG levels, and lymphocyte …

Isolated Immune-Mediated Enteritis In Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy, Sharada Wali, Rohan Srinivas Patel, Maria Julia Moura Nascimento Santos, Anirudha Chatterjee, Sophia Chenyu Fan, Sean Ngo, Tanvi Gupta, Kian Abdul Baki, Lucie Heinzerling, Bryan J Schneider, Kathryn Bollin, Jessica Philpott, Anusha Thomas, Yinghong Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) commonly cause colitis, but isolated immune-mediated enteritis (IMEN) is poorly characterized. This study describes the clinical features, diagnostic findings, and outcomes of IMEN.

Method: We retrospectively identified adults with cancer who developed IMEN within one year of ICI initiation, confirmed as duodenitis, ileitis, or both.

Results: Among 20,991 ICI-treated patients, 30 (0.143%) developed isolated IMEN. Median age was 69.5 years; 73.3% were male, and 80% white. The most common malignancies were gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary (26.7%) and melanoma (23.3%). Presenting symptoms included nausea (66.7%), diarrhea (53.3%), and vomiting (46.7%); 62.5% of patients with diarrhea had grade ≥2 severity. …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Sex Differences, Afzal Misrani, Conelius Ngwa, Fudong Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, accounts for 70% of cases and remains a major healthcare challenge due to its rising prevalence and lack of disease-modifying treatments. Clinically, AD is a sexually dimorphic disease. Women exhibit more rapid cognitive decline and accelerated brain atrophy during mild cognitive impairment and early dementia, whereas men more frequently present cardiovascular comorbidities, earlier mitochondrial dysfunction, and greater neuropsychiatric symptoms. AD is marked by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss, with mitochondrial dysfunction emerging as a key early contributor that exhibits sex specific phenotypes. Mitochondria are vital for neuronal …

Retrospective Longitudinal Analysis Of Blood Microrna-7-5p As A Possible Progression Biomarker In People With Parkinson’S Disease, Shayan Abdollah Zadegan, Corrine Hutchinson, Chiamaka Onuigbo, Juan D Martinez-Lemus, Laura Talbot, E Jeffrey Metter, Marie-Francoise Doursout, Emily Tharp, Jessika Suescun, Mohammad Shahnawaz, Timothy M Ellmore, Mya Schiess, Christopher Adams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: MicroRNA-7-5p (miR-7-5p) may play a neuroprotective role in people with Parkinson's disease (PwP), as it has been found to regulate α-synuclein (α-syn) and the NLRP3 inflammasome in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the use of miR-7-5p as a potential biomarker for disease progression in PwP by correlating it with time, clinical measures, and neurofilament light chain (NfL).

Methods: We performed a longitudinal retrospective analysis of blood miR-7-5p levels in 303 de novo PwP and 159 healthy controls (HCs) from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort. In PwP, a linear mixed-effects …

The Effects Of Measurement Errors On Minimum Ablative Margins After Thermal Ablation Of Liver Tumors: A Simulation Study, Iwan Paolucci, Jessica Albuquerque, Noreen S Siddiqi, A Kyle Jones, Kristy K Brock, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To develop a mathematical framework to estimate the in silico A0 threshold based on the technical specifications of a specific ablation confirmation software package for thermal ablation of liver tumors that can then be used to identify the impact of different sources of error.

Methods: To estimate in silico A0 thresholds, we developed a simulation framework incorporating technical parameters and biological effects. Technical parameters were segmentation error, registration error, and slice thickness, and biological effects were tissue shrinkage and microscopic satellite lesions; these parameters and effects were all modeled using statistical distributions. For each permutation of parameters, a logistic …

Metastasis-Directed Radiotherapy For Oligometastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Of The Bladder And Upper Tract, Patrick Carriere, Omar Alhalabi, Jianjun Gao, Amishi Shah, Sangeeta Goswami, Matthew Campbell, Ruitao Lin, Lauren Mayo, Osama Mohamad, Karen Hoffman, Henry Mok, Charmaigne Lozano, Ashish Kamat, Neema Navai, Kelly Bree, Byron Lee, Charles Guo, Michael Rooney, Chad Tang, Seungtaek Choi, Comron Hassanzadeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) for oligometastatic cancer is utilized for genitourinary malignancies including prostate and kidney cancers. Clinical research on MDT for urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains sparse, especially as systemic therapy advances have improved outcomes.

Objective: We investigated the role of MDT, specifically radiotherapy, for patients with oligometastatic bladder or upper-tract UC.

Methods: Data were collated on patients with metastatic UC with 5 or fewer metastatic sites undergoing MDT with ablative radiotherapy with or without preceding systemic therapy during January 2016 to July 2024. Endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazards analysis was conducted to …

Congenital Syphilis: From Near-Elimination To Crisis, Chad J Abresch, Irene A Stafford, Regan M Johnson, Kayode Olabanji, Ashleigh M Sutphen, Helen E Cejtin, Ashley Hoover

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This analytic essay examines the transformation of congenital syphilis (CS) in the United States from near-elimination to crisis. Drawing from the January 2025 Congenital Syphilis Summit in Atlanta, Georgia-convening public health leaders, Tribal health departments, the National Coalition of STD Directors, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts-we contrast prevention systems during near-elimination (1998-2005) with the current crisis (2018-2025). Evidence revealed how dismantling public health infrastructure produced dramatically different outcomes, with CS cases increasing 937% over the past decade and racial/ethnic disparities worsening. American Indian/Alaska Native communities face rates up to 100 times higher than White populations in some …

Glaucoma Risk With Metformin And Sulfonylurea Therapies In Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study., Jared Lim, Jingru Zhou, Hulin Wu, Ziqi Liu, David A Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Research on metformin, sulfonylureas, and open-angle glaucoma risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has yielded inconsistent findings. This study examined associations between hypoglycemic treatments and glaucoma diagnosis rates.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed electronic health records of newly diagnosed T2DM patients from the Merative™ Explorys® Therapeutic Dataset (2010-2022), comparing three groups: metformin monotherapy, sulfonylureas plus metformin combination, and untreated controls. Propensity score matching balanced demographics, glycemic control, body mass index, blood pressure, lipid levels, and comorbidities. Cox proportional hazards models calculated adjusted hazard ratios for incident glaucoma.

Results: After 1:1 propensity score matching, metformin monotherapy (N=100,387) showed …

Biomechanical And Computational Modeling Of Metastatic Acetabular Defects: Influence Of Tumor Location On The Risk Of Fracture, Jacob Doddridge, Hongjia He, Rui Yang, E U Conrad, Nicholas Dunbar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Metastatic bone disease can lead to pathologic fracture of the pelvis which affects quality of life. There are limited validated approaches for biomechanical modeling, classification, or surgical treatment of metastatic acetabular defects.

Methods: An artificial hemipelvis bone was used to calibrate a computed tomography-based computational model of the pelvis with varying locations and sizes of acetabular defects. Metastatic defects affecting the anterior and posterior column, medial wall, and their combinations were created. Mechanical testing was performed on each defect, and images of the lateral surface of the acetabulum were analyzed by digital image correlation to measure peak surface strains. …

Personalized Management Of Chronic Rhinosinusitis In The Context Of Immune Deficiency, Christopher M Bell, Amber U Luong, Chadi A Makary

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary and secondary immunodeficiency as a cause of recalcitrant or difficult to treat chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS) are under-appreciated etiologies. Patients with persistent symptoms, frequent exacerbations despite appropriate medical therapy, or other sinopulmonary conditions known to be related to an immunodeficient state warrant further testing for immunodeficiency, as up to 20% of this cohort of patients may have underlying immunodeficiency. Testing for immunodeficiency includes CBC with differential, immunoglobulin levels, and pneumococcal vaccine titres before and after administration. Regarding secondary immunodeficiency, these patients may present with atypical symptoms, harbor atypical bacteria, or even present with severe complications …

Collision Tumors Involving Metastatic Carcinoma And Plasma Cell Myeloma: Report Of Two Cases, Ahmed A Ahmed, Muhammad Hassaan Khalid, Asad Ur Rehman, Nghia D Nguyen, Xinhai Robert Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Synchronous coexistence of plasma cell neoplasms (PCNs) and metastatic carcinoma is not a common phenomenon and poses a significant diagnostic challenge requiring meticulous histopathological and immunophenotypic analysis for accurate lineage assignment. We report two cases of collision tumors comprising PCN and metastatic lung carcinoma. Case 1 involved a 68-year-old male with metastatic non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma who developed intracranial lesions; resection revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma intermingled with clonal plasma cells. Case 2 was a 73-year-old woman with a lytic iliac crest lesion whose bone marrow and lesion biopsies showed diffuse infiltration by both carcinoma and atypical plasma cells. Comprehensive immunohistochemical profiling, …

Functional, Pharmacogenomic, And Immune Landscapes Of Long Non-Coding Rnas In Cancer, Runhao Wang, Mei Luo, Yuan Liu, Jingwen Yang, Yamei Chen, Chengxuan Chen, Lifei Ma, Stephanie Ding, James Wengler, Yong Zang, Bora Lim, Wenbo Li, Liuqing Yang, Chunru Lin, Lixia Diao, Leng Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators in cancer, with significant potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets. Here, this work systematically analyzes lncRNA associations with targeted therapies and immunotherapies across 33 cancer types using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and real-world datasets. This work identifies 53,173 lncRNA-pathway associations, millions of lncRNA-drug response associations (via CancerRxTissue and VAEN), and extensive correlations with immune checkpoints and infiltration. This work further identifies 69 lncRNAs associated with immunotherapy response and 2,611 differentially expressed lncRNAs between low and high objective response rate (ORR) groups. Additionally, two lncRNAs are correlated with immune-related adverse …

Contemporary Opportunities And Potential Of Auger Electron-Emitting Theranostics, Seok-Yong Lee, H Charles Manning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent breakthroughs in radiopharmaceutical (RP) therapy have emerged interest in employing Auger electron (AE)-emitting radionuclides as potential agents for precise theranostics. AE provides energy with exceptional localization due to their short tissue penetration range (TPR, < 10 nm), rendering them particularly effective for targeting nuclear DNA in tumor cells. In this context, AE-emitting radionuclide therapy (AE-emitting RLT) enables the targeted destruction of tumor cells while reducing harm to adjacent healthy tissue, a significant challenge in this field. Preclinical and early clinical investigations reveal the efficacy of AE-emitting RLTs in the theranostics of diverse malignancies, such as glioblastoma, prostate cancer, and neuroendocrine tumors. Notwithstanding these developments, challenges and limitations persist regarding dosimetry, delivery efficiency, and the treatment of radiotoxicity. A new paradigm is being developed to tackle the obstacles encountered by integrating molecular target markers (e.g., PARP) that function near the nucleus to improve the intranuclear delivery efficiency of AE-emitting radionuclides. Novel radiochemical methods such as these have facilitated the more stable and efficient labeling of biomolecules with AE-emitting radionuclides. Also, recent advances in DNA-molecular targeting, nanoparticles, nucleic acid/protein engineering, click- or bioorthogonal conjugation chemistry, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based structure modeling present concrete opportunities to overcome these limitations. Moreover, the integration of diagnostic imaging companion platforms employing theranostic radioisotope pairings facilitates real-time assessment of therapeutic efficacy and biodistribution, resulting in the formulation of enhanced treatment regimens. This review summarizes the prior development, recent advancements, barriers in clinical implementation, and future perspective of AE-emitting RLTs.

Nsd2 Inhibitors Rewire Chromatin To Treat Lung And Pancreatic Cancers, Jinho Jeong, Simone Hausmann, Hanyang Dong, Kacper Szczepski, Natasha M Flores, Andy Garcia Gonzalez, Liyang Shi, Xiaoyin Lu, Joanna Lempiäinen, Moritz Jakab, Liyong Zeng, Tourkian Chasan, Eric Bareke, Rui Dong, Emma Carlson, Reinnier Padilla, Dylan Husmann, Julia Thompson, Gerry A Shipman, Emily Zahn, Courtney A Barnes, Laiba F Khan, Liz Marie Albertorio-Sáez, Eva Brill, Vishnu Udayakumar Sunita Kumary, Matthew R Marunde, Danielle N Maryanski, Cheryl C Szany, Bryan J Venters, Carolina Lin Windham, Michal Eligiusz Nowakowski, Iwona Czaban, Mariusz Jaremko, Michael-Christopher Keogh, Kang Le, Michael J Soth, Benjamin A Garcia, Łukasz Jaremko, Jacek Majewski, Pawel K Mazur, Or Gozani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

NSD2 catalyses the epigenetic modification H3K36me2 (refs. 1,2) and is a candidate convergent downstream effector of oncogenic signalling in diverse malignancies3–5. However, it remains unclear whether the enzymatic activity of NSD2 is therapeutically targetable. Here we characterize a series of clinical-grade small-molecule catalytic NSD2 inhibitors (NSD2i) and show that the pharmacological targeting of NSD2 constitutes an epigenetic dependency with broad therapeutic efficacy in KRAS-driven preclinical cancer models. NSD2i inhibits NSD2 with single-digit nanomolar half-maximal inhibitory concentration potency and high selectivity over related methyltransferases. Structural analyses reveal that the specificity of NSD2i for NSD2 …

Proliferation And Apoptosis Adaptor Protein 15 (Pea15), A Potential Oncogenic Regulator Of Vhl And Hif1a Identified Through Proteomic Analysis In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Yun Seong Jeong, Ji-Hyun Shin, Soo Mi Kim, Bo Hwa Sohn, Sun Young Yim, Ji Hoon Kim, Jae Jun Shim, Sung Hwan Lee, Yun Shin Chun, Sunyoung S Lee, Hui Dai, Ahmed Kaseb, Koo Jeong Kang, Holger K Eltzschig, A Robert Macleod, Xiaolin Luo, Alexey Revenko, Youngsoo Kim, Ju-Seog Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Hyperglycemia In Combination With Excess Fat Intake Promotes Renal Pyroptosis And Fibrosis Through Gα12-Dependent Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Muhammad Sohaib Khan, Boram Kim, Yerim Jeon, Jihoon Tak, Yun Seok Kim, Sang Gil Lee, Eun Byul Lee, Chang-Hoon Lee, Cheol Bin Eom, Hyun Sook Lee, Hyeon-Ki Jang, Nakyeom Lee, Jeong Hae Kie, Jee Myung Yang, Yoon Mee Yang, Sang Geon Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Chronic exposure to free fatty acids (FFAs) and glucose may disrupt metabolic homeostasis and initiate pathological processes. This study investigated the effects of hyperglycemia and fat overload on renal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, pyroptosis and fibrogenesis in mice and the underlying basis. We hypothesized that the combined insult would more severely induce Gα12-dependent ER stress and renal complications.

Methods: Mice were subjected to either high fat diet (HFD)+streptozotocin (STZ), or STZ treatment, and AZ2 was used as an anti-diabetic agent. Blood sera were used for blood biochemistry, and tissues were employed for RNA sequencing, immunoblottings, TEM, histology and immunohistochemistry. …

Nampt Inhibition Uncovers Therapeutic Vulnerabilities To Venetoclax And Chemotherapy In Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, John R Sanchez, Chaomei Liu, Vishakha Pawar, Yanqing Huang, Daisy Diaz-Rohena, Jyotsana Singh, Priya Koppikar, Tzung-Huei Lai, Lisa St John, Vinay Puduvalli, Jeffrey Molldrem, Palaniraja Thandapani, Nitin Jain, Rosa Lapalombella, Deepa Sampath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells depend on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD

Freeze-Dried, Not Frozen: Lyophilized Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles And Therapeutic Function In Neuroinflammatory Models, Janet R Ashley, Aidan M Collier, Scott D Olson, Charles S Cox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) offer a promising acellular therapy for immune modulation, but clinical translation is hindered by variability and storage constraints. Lyophilization (freeze-drying) could enable shelf-stable EV therapeutics, although its effects on biological activity remain incompletely defined.

Study design: We compared the immunomodulatory effects of frozen and lyophilized EVs from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AD), and umbilical cord (UC) MSCs using lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rodent splenocytes and microglial models and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Variables included batch scale (small vs large), cytokine priming, and MSC source. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion was measured …

Rendering Knowledge Graphs From Aerospace Dentistry Processes For Clinical Decision Support Systems, Muhammad Tuan Amith, Jessica Vu, Serena Hou, Vinu Sista, Yang Gong, Ronak Shah, Ana C Neumann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

NASA and commercial space flight companies expect to make long-term missions into deep space with the Artemis project and Mars mission. Health care in deep space is a priority as the missions require limited crew and equipment to accommodate astronauts' needs. Analyzing the probable clinical procedures and workflows for this setting is needed to ensure quality care and safety. This paper introduces Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN) and OWL2-based modeling to represent aerospace dental workflows for low-earth orbit and potential deep space missions. We developed BPMN process models and created ontology-based knowledge graph representations for individual dental procedures using …

Provgen: A Privacy-Preserving Approach For Outcome Validation In Genomic Research, Yuzhou Jiang, Tianxi Ji, Erman Ayday

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

As genomic research has grown increasingly popular in recent years, dataset sharing has remained limited due to privacy concerns. This limitation hinders the reproducibility and validation of research outcomes, both of which are essential for identifying computational errors during the research process. In this paper, we introduce PROVGEN, a privacy-preserving method for sharing genomic datasets that facilitates reproducibility and outcome validation in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Our approach encodes genomic data into binary space and applies a two-stage process. First, we generate a differentially private version of the dataset using an XOR-based mechanism tailored to biological characteristics. Second, we restore …

Management Of Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Metastases In Thyroid Cancer, Isabelle Fournier, Ashwini Venkata Bandi, Sarah Hamidi, Priyanka Iyer, Naifa L Busaidy, Maria E Cabanillas, Ramona Dadu, Mimi I Hu, Steven G Waguespack, Ugur Nur Basmaci, Michelle D Williams, Mena Mansour, Maria Gule Monroe, Neil D Gross, Ryan P Goepfert, Nancy D Perrier, Victoria Banuchi, Jennifer R Wang, Anastasios Maniakas, Mark E Zafereo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastases in thyroid cancer are rare, with optimal management underreported.

Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive thyroid cancer patients with RPLN metastases treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2000 and 2024.

Results: One hundred and sixty-seven patients (75% differentiated, 21% medullary, 4% poorly differentiated thyroid cancer) were divided into three groups: active surveillance (AS) (13%), surgery (56%), and nonsurgical treatment (31%). In the AS group (median follow-up 2.3 years), RPLN metastases grew a median 3% (range: 0-56) or 0.02 cm (range: 0-0.7) per year. Surgical therapy included transcervical (73%), transoral robotic (14%), transoral (12%), and …