Digital Commons Network^™

A Hitchhiker’S Guide To Long-Read Genomic Analysis, Medhat Mahmoud, Daniel P Agustinho, Fritz J Sedlazeck

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Over the past decade, long-read sequencing has evolved into a pivotal technology for uncovering the hidden and complex regions of the genome. Significant cost efficiency, scalability, and accuracy advancements have driven this evolution. Concurrently, novel analytical methods have emerged to harness the full potential of long reads. These advancements have enabled milestones such as the first fully completed human genome, enhanced identification and understanding of complex genomic variants, and deeper insights into the interplay between epigenetics and genomic variation. This mini-review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in long-read DNA sequencing analysis, encompassing reference-based and de novo assembly …

Germline Pathogenic Drosha Variants Are Linked To Pineoblastoma And Wilms Tumor Predisposition, Peter N Fiorica, Lisa Golmard, Jung Kim, Riyue Bao, Frank Y Lin, Angshumoy Roy, Allison Pribnow, Melissa R Perrino, Julien Masliah-Planchon, Sophie Michalak-Provost, Jennifer Wong, Mathilde Filser, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Franck Bourdeaut, Afane Brahimi, Olivier Ingster, Giselle Saulnier Sholler, Sarah A Jackson, Mark M Sasaki, Trent Fowler, Anita Ng, Ryan J Corbett, Rebecca S Kaufman, Jeremy S Haley, David J Carey, Kuan-Lin Huang, Sharon J Diskin, Jo Lynne Rokita, Hussam Al-Kateb, Rose B Mcgee, Joshua D Schiffman, Kenneth S Chen, Douglas R Stewart, D Williams Parsons, Sharon E Plon, Kris Ann P Schultz, Kenan Onel

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: DROSHA, DGCR8, and DICER1 regulate miRNA biogenesis and are commonly mutated in cancer. Although DGCR8 and DICER1 germline pathogenic variants (GPV) cause autosomal dominant tumor predisposition, no association between DROSHA GPVs and clinical phenotypes has been reported.

Experimental design: After obtaining informed consent, sequencing was performed on germline and tumor samples from all patients. The occurrence of germline DROSHA GPVs was investigated in large pediatric and adult cancer datasets. The population prevalence of DROSHA GPVs was investigated in the UK Biobank and Geisinger DiscovEHR cohorts.

Results: We describe nine children from eight families with heterozygous DROSHA GPVs and a …

The Impact Of Paternal Obesity On Placental Development And Function During Pregnancy, Delaney G. Wolfe, Delaney G. Wiolfe

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Paternal obesity is a rising concern in conception and reproductive health, with increasing evidence suggesting its impact on pregnancy outcomes. While maternal obesity's effects on fetal development and placental function are well-documented, the role of paternal obesity remains less understood. The placenta, crucial for nutrient exchange and fetal development, can be disrupted by inflammation, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modifications, potentially leading to long-term health implications for both maternal and fetal health. Understanding the paternal influence on placental development is essential for improving pregnancy outcomes and offspring
health. This study aims to investigate the relationship between paternal obesity on placental function …

Challenging Race-Based Health Care Discrimination: A New Private Right Of Action, Aaron Pinkett

Northwestern University Law Review

The Hippocratic Oath calls on doctors to “do no harm.” Yet we know from extensive public health research that clinicians repeatedly cause harm to Black patients by dismissing their medical concerns, misdiagnosing them, and undertreating their pain. These practices of differential treatment for Black patients have led to steadily increasing racial disparities in health care outcomes throughout the United States. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits this type of disparate impact, but modern Supreme Court jurisprudence forecloses opportunities for affected parties to seek legal relief—despite the clearly established legislative intent of Title VI. However, another legal …

Region-Specific Roles Of Oviductal Motile Cilia In Oocyte/Embryo Transport And Fertility†, Deirdre M Scully, Tian Xia, Guzel R Musina, Michaela A Mccown, Kohei Umezu, Bonnie K Kircher, Richard R Behringer, Irina V Larina

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The physiological and clinical importance of motile cilia in reproduction is well recognized; however, the specific role they play in transport through the oviduct and how ciliopathies lead to subfertility and infertility are still unclear. The contribution of cilia beating, fluid flow, and smooth muscle contraction to overall progressive transport within the oviduct remains under debate. Therefore, we investigated the role of cilia in the oviduct transport of preimplantation eggs/embryos using a combination of genetic and advanced imaging approaches. We show that the region of the oviduct where cumulus-oocyte complex circling occurs, around the time of fertilization, is correlated with …

Pilot First-In-Human Ccr2 Pet/Ct To Detect Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Wall Instability, Santiago Elizondo-Benedetto, Deborah Sultan, Ryan Wahidi, Mahdjoub Hamdi, Mohamed S Zaghloul, Shahab Hafezi, Batool Arif, Laura K Mcdonald, Kitty Harrison, Dakkota Thies, Gyu Seong Heo, Hannah Luehmann, Lisa Detering, J Westley Ohman, Zachary J Wanken, Luis A Sanchez, Joseph E Ippolito, Jie Zheng, Robert J Gropler, Richard Laforest, Yongjian Liu, Mohamed A Zayed

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation: An Exploratory Study On The Role Of Electrode Montages And Stimulation Intensity On Reflex Pathway Modulation, Shirin Madarshahian, Michael Trakhtorchuck, Tatiana Guerrero, Kristin Gustafson, James Harrop, Caio Matias, M. J. Mulcahey, Alessandro Naopli, Alex Vaccaro, Mijail Serruya

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is a promising non-invasive method to improve motor function in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) by enhancing spinal reflex pathways. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different tSCS electrode placement montages and targeted spinal levels on neurophysiological responses such as spinally evoked motor responses (sEMRs), dorsal root reflex activation, and muscle recruitment in individuals with SCI and healthy controls to optimize stimulation strategies for motor recovery. Five participants (three individuals with SCI and two controls) underwent transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation using various electrode montages, target spinal level stimulation, and single- and paired-pulse …

The Antimicrobial Resistance-Water-Corporate Interface: Exploring The Connections Between Antimicrobials, Water, And Pollution, Jason P Burnham

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Antibiotic resistance is a public health emergency, with ten million deaths estimated annually by the year 2050. Water systems are an important medium for the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance from a variety of sources, explored in this perspective review. Hospital wastewater and wastewater systems more broadly are breeding grounds for antibiotic resistance because of the nature of their waste and how it is processed. Corporations from various sectors contribute to antibiotic resistance in many direct and indirect ways. Pharmaceutical factory runoff, agricultural antibiotic use, agricultural use of nitrogen fertilizers, heavy metal pollution, air pollution (atmospheric deposition, burning of …

Abstract Book (Pdf), School Of Medicine

Medicine Research Day

The collection of abstracts for all three sections of the 2025 Medicine Research Day organized by session (Translational Research, Quality Improvement, Clinical Vignettes) then alphabetical by last name of the primary author.

Social Health Among Adolescents In The Global School-Based Student Health Survey (Gshs), Luke Pontoriero, Sarah Simon, Lauren Anderson

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Background: Social health is a function of the quantity and quality of relationships, including with family members and peers. Adolescents who report being lonely or having no close friends have a low quantity of relationships, and those who feel that their peers are unkind and their parents are not understanding have low quality relationships. We examined whether poor social health is associated with violent behavior.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), which employs a standardized two-stage cluster sampling method and a validated questionnaire to explore health and risk behaviors among nationally representative samples of …

Psilocybin Impairs The Extinction Of Contextual Fear In Adult Female, But Not Male, Rats, Lillianna P. Puppel, Aleece K. Al-Olimat, Kylie M. King, Marisa J. Savini, Claire E. Miller, Colin R. Del Valle, Heather R. Sparkman, Brooke E. Bramlage, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Fear-related disorders are often treated with exposure therapy, a technique based on the concept of extinction. However, this type of therapy is ineffective for many individuals, so finding a pharmacological adjunct that augments the extinction of fear could lead to better treatment outcomes. In recent preclinical work, investigators have shown that psychedelics can accelerate the extinction of fear, potentially through their impact on neurotrophic signaling. We previously found that psilocybin exerted sex-dependent effects on the extinction of conditioned fear to an isolated cue (i.e., a tone). Specifically, psilocybin enhanced the extinction of cue fear in male rats but impaired it …

Cognitive Function And Cardio-Pulmonary Responses Following One Night Sleep Deprivation Among College-Age Students, Jacob S. Kreger, Andrew Schroeder, Michael Ranney

ONU Student Research Colloquium

The relationship between sleep and quality of life has been extensively studied. Previous research suggests that even one night of sleep deprivation negatively impacts cognitive ability and stress levels. In this study, physiological stress markers—heart rate (bpm), blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure), respiratory rate (rpm), and oxygen saturation (%)—were measured while participants rested. Cognitive function was assessed using the Stroop color test. Twenty five healthy college students (ages 18-23, male and female) were grouped based on sleep duration (0-4, 4-6, and 7-9 hours), each group consisting of male and females. It was hypothesized that shorter sleep durations would …

Efficacy And Safety Of Concomitant Surgical Ablation During Mitral Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review, Omar Hamodat, Saif Almuzainy, Rand Yahya, Razan Alzaatreh, Samiullah Haroon, Salam Koniali

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common comorbidity in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (MVS), significantly increasing the risk of thromboembolism, heart failure, and mortality. Surgical ablation has recently been given a Class IA recommendation for concomitant MVS, reinforcing its role in restoring sinus rhythm and improving outcomes in this population. However, concerns about procedural complexity, extended operative time, and postoperative risks have limited its widespread adoption. This systematic review aims to synthesize evidence from recent randomized controlled trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical ablation for AF in patients undergoing MVS, addressing critical gaps in current clinical …

The Effects Of Estradiol And Genistein On Cerebellar Neuroprotection In Zebra Finches, Grace Thompson, Tony Irovic, Lainy B. Day

Neuroscience Research Showcase

Poster presented at Annual Neuroscience Showcase University of Mississippi related to neuroprotection of genistein and estradiol post-brain lesion.

The Impact Of Perfusion Techniques On Inflammatory Response During Cardiopulmonary Bypass; A Scoping Review, Rodolfo Alfaro

Student Works

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is an essential part of cardiac surgery, but it leads to SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) which in turn increases postoperative complications. There are many proposed approaches to reduce inflammation, but there is no clear best practice on the approach to use. This scoping review aims to explore the literature and classify the studies that investigate the effects of various CPB perfusion techniques on inflammatory responses to determine the possible best practices and the gaps that exist in the literature.

Methods: The present scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews …

Investigating The Effects Of Sex And Estrous Cycle On The Incubation Of Cue-Induced Oxycodone Craving, Bhumiben Pradipkumar Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The overprescription and misuse of opioids like oxycodone has played a significant role in the ongoing opioid crisis. While effective painkillers, drugs like oxycodone are also reinforcing and often misused. While sex and ovarian hormones can impact the analgesic effects of these drugs, the impact of these factors on oxycodone reinforcement are not fully understood. This relationship between ovarian hormones and opioid reward is further complicated by the fact that opioid use can disrupt ovarian hormone levels and produce reproductive cycle irregularities. Using a rat model of drug craving and relapse vulnerability, we found that chronic oxycodone exposure produced reproductive …

Large-Scale Multi-Omics Analyses In Hispanic/Latino Populations Identify Genes For Cardiometabolic Traits, Lauren E Petty, Hung-Hsin Chen, Elizabeth G Frankel, Wanying Zhu, Carolina G Downie, Mariaelisa Graff, Phillip Lin, Priya Sharma, Xinruo Zhang, Alyssa C Scartozzi, Rashedeh Roshani, Joshua M Landman, Michael Boehnke, Donald W Bowden, John C Chambers, Anubha Mahajan, Mark I Mccarthy, Maggie C Y Ng, Xueling Sim, Cassandra N Spracklen, Weihua Zhang, Michael Preuss, Erwin P Bottinger, Girish N Nadkarni, Ruth J F Loos, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Jingyi Tan, Eli Ipp, Pauline Genter, Leslie S Emery, Tin Louie, Tamar Sofer, Adrienne M Stilp, Kent D Taylor, Anny H Xiang, Thomas A Buchanan, Kathryn Roll, Chuan Gao, Nicholette D Palmer, Jill M Norris, Lynne E Wagenknecht, Darryl Nousome, Rohit Varma, Roberta Mckean-Cowdin, Xiuqing Guo, Yang Hai, Willa Hsueh, Kevin Sandow, Esteban J Parra, Miguel Cruz, Adan Valladares-Salgado, Niels Wacher-Rodarte, Jerome I Rotter, Mark O Goodarzi, Stephen S Rich, Alain Bertoni, Leslie J Raffel, Jerry L Nadler, Fouad R Kandeel, Ravindranath Duggirala, John Blangero, Donna M Lehman, Ralph A Defronzo, Farook Thameem, Yujie Wang, Sheila Gahagan, Estela Blanco, Raquel Burrows, Alicia Huerta-Chagoya, Jose C Florez, Teresa Tusie-Luna, Clicerio González-Villalpando, Lorena Orozco, Christopher A Haiman, Craig L Hanis, Rebecca Rohde, Eric A Whitsel, Alexander P Reiner, Charles Kooperberg, Yun Li, Qing Duan, Miryoung Lee, Paulina Correa-Burrows, Susan K Fried, Kari E North, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Eric R Gamazon, Andrew P Morris, Josep M Mercader, Heather M Highland, Jennifer E Below

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Here, we present a multi-omics study of type 2 diabetes and quantitative blood lipid and lipoprotein traits conducted to date in Hispanic/Latino populations (nmax = 63,184). We conduct a meta-analysis of 16 type 2 diabetes and 19 lipid trait GWAS, identifying 20 genome-wide significant loci for type 2 diabetes, including one novel locus and novel signals at two known loci, based on fine-mapping. We also identify sixty-one genome-wide significant loci across the lipid/lipoprotein traits, including nine novel loci, and novel signals at 19 known loci through fine-mapping. Next, we analyze genetically regulated expression, perform Mendelian randomization, and analyze association with …

Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis Of Body Mass Index Identifies Novel African Ancestry-Specific Risk Allele, Xinruo Zhang, Jennifer A Brody, Mariaelisa Graff, Heather M Highland, Nathalie Chami, Hanfei Xu, Zhe Wang, Kendra R Ferrier, Geetha Chittoor, Navya Shilpa Josyula, Mariah Meyer, Shreyash Gupta, Xihao Li, Zilin Li, Matthew A Allison, Diane M Becker, Lawrence F Bielak, Joshua C Bis, Meher Preethi Boorgula, Donald W Bowden, Jai G Broome, Erin J Buth, Christopher S Carlson, Kyong-Mi Chang, Sameer Chavan, Yen-Feng Chiu, Lee-Ming Chuang, Matthew P Conomos, Dawn L Demeo, Mengmeng Du, Ravindranath Duggirala, Celeste Eng, Alison E Fohner, Barry I Freedman, Melanie E Garrett, Xiuqing Guo, Chris Haiman, Benjamin D Heavner, Bertha Hidalgo, James E Hixson, Yuk-Lam Ho, Brian D Hobbs, Donglei Hu, Qin Hui, Chii-Min Hwu, Rebecca D Jackson, Deepti Jain, Rita R Kalyani, Sharon L R Kardia, Tanika N Kelly, Ethan M Lange, Michael Lenoir, Changwei Li, Loic Le Marchand, Merry-Lynn N Mcdonald, Caitlin P Mchugh, Alanna C Morrison, Take Naseri, Jeffrey O'Connell, Christopher J O'Donnell, Nicholette D Palmer, James S Pankow, James A Perry, Ulrike Peters, Michael H Preuss, D C Rao, Elizabeth A Regan, Sefuiva M Reupena, Dan M Roden, Jose Rodriguez-Santana, Colleen M Sitlani, Jennifer A Smith, Hemant K Tiwari, Ramachandran S Vasan, Zeyuan Wang, Daniel E Weeks, Jennifer Wessel, Kerri L Wiggins, Lynne R Wilkens, Peter W F Wilson, Lisa R Yanek, Zachary T Yoneda, Wei Zhao, Sebastian Zöllner, Donna K Arnett, Allison E Ashley-Koch, Kathleen C Barnes, John Blangero, Eric Boerwinkle, Esteban G Burchard, April P Carson, Daniel I Chasman, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Joanne E Curran, Myriam Fornage, Victor R Gordeuk, Jiang He, Susan R Heckbert, Lifang Hou, Marguerite R Irvin, Charles Kooperberg, Ryan L Minster, Braxton D Mitchell, Mehdi Nouraie, Bruce M Psaty, Laura M Raffield, Alexander P Reiner, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, M Benjamin Shoemaker, Nicholas L Smith, Kent D Taylor, Marilyn J Telen, Scott T Weiss, Yingze Zhang, Nancy Heard-Costa, Yan V Sun, Xihong Lin, L Adrienne Cupples, Leslie A Lange, Ching-Ti Liu, Ruth J F Loos, Kari E North, Anne E Justice

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity is a major public health crisis associated with high mortality rates. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigating body mass index (BMI) have largely relied on imputed data from European individuals. This study leveraged whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 88,873 participants from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program, of which 51% were of non-European population groups. We discovered 18 BMI-associated signals (P <  5 × 10

Vasoactive Selection For Pediatric Septic Shock-Where To Begin?, Scott L. Weiss

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Inflammatory Biomarkers, And Hospital Length Of Stay Among Covid-19 Patients., Alice Aghamie Osuji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

COVID-19 has put immense pressure on healthcare facilities, especially in managing patients with comorbidity. This study addressed the association between two important coinfections, congestive heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and their effect on hospital length of stay (LOS) among COVID-19 patients. The study also explored the predictive role of the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP) in prolonged hospitalization, also considering the influence of age and race. This study applied the Biopsychosocial Model and Chronic Care Model (CCM) to examine health outcomes and resource use. A retrospective cohort research design was used to examine medical records of …

Natural Killer Cells’ Functional Impairment Drives The Immune Escape Of Pre-Malignant Clones In Early-Stage Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Juan Jose Rodriguez-Sevilla, Irene Ganan-Gomez, Bijender Kumar, Natthakan Thongon, Feiyang Ma, Kelly S Chien, Yi J Kim, Hui Yang, Sanam Loghavi, Roselyn Tan, Vera Adema, Zongrui Li, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Hidetaka Uryu, Rashmi Kanagal-Shamanna, Gheath Al-Atrash, Rafael Bejar, Pinaki Prosad Banerjee, Sophia Lynn Cha, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Max Dougherty, Maria Claudina Fernandez Laurita, Noelle Wheeler, Baosen Jia, Eirini P Papapetrou, Franco Izzo, Daniela E Dueñas, Salome Mcallen, Yiqian Gu, Gabriele Todisco, Francesca Ficara, Matteo Giovanni Della Porta, Abhinav Jain, Koichi Takahashi, Karen Clise-Dwyer, Stephanie Halene, Maria Teresa Sabrina Bertilaccio, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, May Daher, Simona Colla

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dissecting the preneoplastic disease states' biological mechanisms that precede tumorigenesis can lead to interventions that can slow down disease progression and/or mitigate disease-related comorbidities. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) cannot be cured by currently available pharmacological therapies, which fail to eradicate aberrant hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), most of which are mutated by the time of diagnosis. Here, we sought to elucidate how MDS HSCs evade immune surveillance and expand in patients with clonal cytopenias of undetermined significance (CCUS), the pre-malignant stage of MDS. We used multi-omic single-cell approaches and functional in vitro studies to show that immune escape at disease initiation is …

Histone H3 Cysteine 110 Enhances Iron Metabolism And Modulates Replicative Life Span In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Chen Cheng, Brenna S Mccauley, Nedas Matulionis, Maria Vogelauer, Dimitrios Camacho, Heather R Christofk, Weiwei Dang, Nicholas A T Irwin, Siavash K Kurdistani

Center on Aging Staff Publications

The discovery of histone H3 copper reductase activity provides a novel metabolic framework for understanding the functions of core histone residues, which, unlike N-terminal residues, have remained largely unexplored. We previously demonstrated that histone H3 cysteine 110 (H3C110) contributes to cupric (Cu2+) ion binding and its reduction to the cuprous (Cu1+) form. However, this residue is absent in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, raising questions about its evolutionary and functional significance. Here, we report that H3C110 has been lost in many fungal lineages despite near-universal conservation across eukaryotes. Introduction of H3C110 into S. cerevisiae increased intracellular Cu1+ levels and ameliorated the iron …

2025 Silent Bell Recipient: Richard W. Panek, Dds

West Michigan District Dental Society Bulletin

The West Michigan District Dental Society’s highest award is the Distinguished Service Award. This award, also known as the “Silent Bell,” is given to recognize contributions to organized dentistry. These contributions include service to dental professionals, patients, and the community.

Dr. Richard Walter Panek, a devoted oral surgeon and community leader, is honored with the 2025 Silent Bell Award. His life reflects compassion, practicality, and service, shaped by his Polish roots, faith, and deep commitment to family, dentistry, and the broader West Michigan community.

Wmdds Bulletin Winter 2025

West Michigan District Dental Society Bulletin

In the Winter 2025 issue, the reader will find the following articles:

• 2025 Silent Bell Recipient: Richard W. Panek, DDS, as well as Silent Bell Night Celebration Highlights and a list of Past Recipients

• Dentists Beyond the Chair: Caitlynn Haas DDS, Holland, MI

Also included are your monthly tripartite update, news from West Michigan counties, the President's Message and Editor's Letter.

Insights From Ethnobotanical Research In North America, Latin America, And West Africa Into The Phytochemical Quality, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, And Toxicology Of Botanicals, Robin Marles

Oxford ICSB

Insights perhaps worth sharing have been gained over a career spanning 50 years of ethnobotanical and pharmacognostic research on botanicals of Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, and Togo, and the development of standards on the quality, safety, and evidence-based uses of botanicals in health products and foods. Perspectives provided by traditional healers in these countries have informed approaches to a better understanding of, and possible goals for future research on traditionally used plants. This includes their phytochemical quality; absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; possible mechanisms of action; and potential safety concerns. These insights will be illustrated by specific examples from research conducted …

Hierarchical Lineage Tracing To Unravel Mechanisms Of Cancer Treatment Resistance, Rachel Danielle Saxe

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Cancer cells adapt to treatment, leading to the emergence of clones that are more aggressive and resistant to anti-cancer therapies. We have a limited understanding of the development of treatment resistance as we lack technologies to map the evolution of cancer under the selective pressure of treatment. To address this, we developed a hierarchical, dynamic lineage tracing method called FLARE (Following Lineage Adaptation and Resistance Evolution). We use this technique to track the progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines through exposure to Cytarabine (AraC), a front-line treatment in AML, in vitro and in vivo. We map distinct cellular …

Policy And Practice: Analyzing Abortion Laws And Their Relationship To Competent Women’S Health Services In Ohio, Daija Smith

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between abortion policy changes and women’s health services, focusing specifically on the state of Ohio’s evolving abortion laws and their implications. Using a qualitative approach, the research explores competency's role in addressing mental health disparities among diverse populations and marginalized communities. Through analyzing state policies and interviews with healthcare advance practice providers, this study completed a thematic analysis that identified opportunities such as shaping access and quality of care. The findings aim to inform strategies that reduce health disparities and improve competent care in women’s health services.

Phosphotungstic Acid Staining To Visualize The Vagus Nerve Perineurium Using Micro-Ct, Aniruddha R. Upadhye, Jennifer Coleman, Michael W. Jenkins, David Wilson, Andrew J. Shoffstall

Faculty Scholarship

Background and Purpose: Peripheral nerve stimulation is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating various disorders, but it is often limited by side effects, highlighting the need for a clear understanding of fascicular and fiber organization to design selective therapies. Micro-CT imaging of contrast-stained nerves enables the visualization of tissue microstructures, such as the fascicular perineurium and vasculature. In this work, we evaluated phosphotungstic acid (PTA) as a contrast agent and assessed its compatibility with downstream histology. Methods: Human vagus nerve samples were collected from three embalmed cadavers and subjected to three different staining methods, followed by …

Her2-Selective Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Zongertinib (Bi 1810631), In Patients With Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors With Her2 Alterations: A Phase Ia Dose-Escalation Study, John V Heymach, Frans Opdam, Minal Barve, Hai-Yan Tu, Yi-Long Wu, David Berz, Lukas Schröter, Yanick Botilde, Behbood Sadrolhefazi, Josep Serra, Kiyotaka Yoh, Noboru Yamamoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) alterations occur in many solid cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Beamion LUNG-1 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04886804) is assessing the safety/efficacy of zongertinib (BI 1810631), a novel HER2-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor that spares epidermal growth factor receptor, in patients with HER2-altered solid tumors.

Materials and methods: Beamion LUNG-1 is an ongoing multicenter, multicohort phase Ia/Ib trial. Phase Ia assessed zongertinib administered twice a day (15-150 mg) or once daily (60-360 mg) in pretreated patients with various tumors, including NSCLC. Primary end points were maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs); …

Allosteric Targeted Drug Delivery For Enhanced Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration Via Mimicking Transmembrane Domain Interactions, Kaicheng Tang, Zhongjie Tang, Miaomiao Niu, Zuyin Kuang, Weiwei Xue, Xinyu Wang, Xinlong Liu, Yang Yu, Seongdong Jeong, Yifan Ma, Annette Wu, Betty Y S Kim, Wen Jiang, Zhaogang Yang, Chong Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Current strategies for active targeting in the brain are entirely based on the effective interaction of the ligand with the orthosteric sites of specific receptors on the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is highly susceptible to various pathophysiological factors and limits the efficacy of drug delivery. Here, we propose an allosteric targeted drug delivery strategy that targets classical BBB transmembrane receptors by designing peptide ligands that specifically bind to their transmembrane domains. This strategy prevents competitive interference from endogenous ligands and antibodies by using the insulin receptor and integrin α