Digital Commons Network^™

Clinical Profile Of Patients With Monocular Elevation Deficiency Undergoing Strabismus Surgery, Mohamad Reza Akbari, Babak Masoomian, Elham Azizi, Mohammed Omer Mahmood, Arash Mirmohammadsadeghi, Ali Majdi, Masoud Khorrami-Nejad

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To provide a comprehensive evaluation of the visual, refractive, and strabismic characteristics of patients with monocular elevation deficiency (MED) undergoing strabismus surgery.

METHODS: The medical records of patients at a single institution who were diagnosed with and underwent surgery for MED were reviewed retrospectively. Visual acuity, refractive error, angle of deviation, abnormal head posture (AHP), presence of ptosis, prevalence of amblyopia and strabismic patterns were analyzed, with MED eyes compared with fellow eyes.

RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were included. Mean cylindrical refractive error was significantly higher in MED eyes compared with fellow eyes (-1.40 ± 1.70 D …

Integrated Metabolomics And Spatial Transcriptomics Of Cystic Pancreatic Cancer Precursors Reveals Dysregulated Polyamine Metabolism As A Biomarker Of Progression, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Yihui Chen, Rongzhang Dou, Ehsan Irajizad, Michele T Yip-Schneider, Ranran Wu, Rahmah Ejaz, Hamid K Rudsari, Yaxi Li, Rachelle Spencer, Riccardo Ballarò, Jody Vykoukal, Mark Hurd, Jennifer B Dennison, Kim-Anh Do, Anirban Maitra, Jianjun Zhang, Samir Hanash, C Max Schmidt, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: We conducted metabolomics and spatial cell transcriptomics of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), recognized pancreatic cancer precursors, to identify oncometabolites that inform upon risk of malignancy of IPMNs.

Experimental design: Untargeted metabolomic analyses were performed on cystic fluid from 125 patients with low-grade (LG) dysplasia or high-grade (HG) dysplasia with/without concurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC; IPMN/PDAC). Predictive performance of individual metabolites for identifying HG or PDAC/IPMN was determined and compared with CA19-9 performance. Data were intersected with metabolic profiles of resected IPMN tissues and murine Kras;Gnas IPMN cell lines as well as spatial and single-cell transcriptomics of IPMNs.

Results: …

Azacitidine, Venetoclax, And Magrolimab In Newly Diagnosed And Relapsed Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Phase Ib/Ii Study And Correlative Analysis, Naval Daver, Jayastu Senapati, Hagop M Kantarjian, Bofei Wang, Patrick K Reville, Sanam Loghavi, Musa Yilmaz, Courtney D Dinardo, Tapan M Kadia, Mhd Yousuf Yassouf, Abhishek Maiti, Sankalp Arora, Guillermo Montalban Bravo, Guilin Tang, Gautam Borthakur, Koji Sasaki, Naveen Pemmaraju, Joie Alvarez, Graciela M Nogueras Gonzalez, Jing Ning, Ghayas C Issa, Marina Konopleva, Michael Andreeff, Farhad Ravandi, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Hussein A Abbas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Magrolimab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the macrophage checkpoint CD47 on myeloid leukemia cells that was preclinically synergistic with azacitidine-venetoclax, warranting further clinical evaluation.

Patients and methods: In this phase Ib/II study, the triplet combination of azacitidine, venetoclax, and magrolimab was evaluated in adult patients with first-line (ineligible for intensive chemotherapy) and relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Azacitidine was dosed at 75 mg/m2 for 7 days, venetoclax at 400 mg/day for 28 days, and magrolimab (recommended phase II dose) as follows: 1 mg/kg dose on days 1 and 4, 15 mg/kg on day 8, and 30 mg/kg on days …

Time Dependency For Human Papillomavirus Circulating Tumor Dna Detection After Chemoradiation As A Prognostic Biomarker For Localized Anal Cancer, Van K Morris, Weihong Xiao, Kangyu Lin, Chi Wut Wong, Michael T Wotman, Emma B Holliday, Ryan W Huey, Sonal S Noticewala, Ethan B Ludmir, Alisha H Bent, Kaysia Ludford, Craig Messick, Eugene J Koay, Grace Smith, Tsuyoshi Konishi, Brian Bednarski, George J Chang, Albert C Koong, Y Nancy You, Prajnan Das, Maura L Gillison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Although detection of ctDNA weeks after surgery is linked to recurrence for other solid tumors, the optimal time point for ctDNA assessment as a prognostic biomarker following chemoradiation for anal cancer is undefined.

Experimental design: Patients with stages I to III anal cancer treated with chemoradiation between December 2020 and March 2024 were evaluated for human papillomavirus (HPV) ctDNA status at baseline, at the end of chemoradiation, and during surveillance using a droplet digital HPV ctDNA PCR assay, targeting HPV E6 and E7 oncogenes for 13 oncogenic HPV types. Median recurrence-free survival (RFS) according to HPV ctDNA status was …

Results From The Phase 2/3 Daffodil Study Of Trofinetide In Girls Aged 2-4 Years With Rett Syndrome, Alan K Percy, Robin Ryther, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Trofinetide is the first available treatment for Rett syndrome (RTT) and is approved in the United States in adults and pediatric patients aged ≥2 years. The DAFFODIL study was conducted in girls aged 2-4 years with RTT to examine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of trofinetide and to validate that the recommended dosage, according to body weight, achieved target exposure.

METHODS: DAFFODIL was a phase 2/3, open-label study of trofinetide consisting of two treatment periods (12 weeks [period A] and ∼21 months [period B]). Pharmacokinetic samples were collected at regular intervals during period A. Assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events …

Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Teenage Pregnancy And Intergenerational Interventions: A Scoping Review Protocol, Zamasomi Luvuno, Wilbroda Hlolosile Chiya, Silingene Joyce Ngcobo, Deshini Naidoo, Serwaa Omowale, Tracy Zhandire, Elizabeth Musili Joseph-Shehu, Busisiwe Purity Ncama, Sinegugu E Duma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Teenage pregnancy remains a critical global health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The intergenerational transmission of teenage pregnancy underscores the need for targeted interventions. Existing research on intergenerational approaches is fragmented, with varying methodologies and outcomes. This scoping review seeks to address this gap by answering the following research questions: What are the available intergenerational interventions for teenage pregnancy, and what are the associated risks and protective factors for early and late teenage pregnancy?

Methods and analysis: This study does not involve primary data collection and therefore does not require ethical approval. The review will be conducted …

Role Of Glucuronoxylomannan And Steryl Glucosides In Protecting Against Cryptococcosis, Gabriel Soares Matos, Tamara L Doering, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The development of vaccines for fungal diseases, including cryptococcosis, is an emergent line of research and development. In previous studies, we showed that a

Olfaction And Plasma Biomarkers Of Alzheimer Disease And Neurodegeneration In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Srishti Shrestha, Xiaoqian Zhu, Michael E Griswold, Priya Palta, Kevin J Sullivan, Honglei Chen, Andrea Lauren Christman Schneider, Abhay Moghekar, Megan L Grove, Bharat Thyagarajan, James Russell Pike, Rebecca F Gottesman, B Gwen Windham, Thomas H Mosley, Jennifer A Deal, Vidyulata Kamath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and objectives: Investigation of olfactory impairment, an early manifestation of Alzheimer disease (AD), in relation to plasma biomarkers of AD and neurodegeneration could provide insights into the disease's pathophysiology. Because few such studies based on large, diverse, community-based populations exist, we investigated associations of odor identification ability with plasma biomarkers of AD and other neurodegenerative pathologies in community-dwelling Black and White older adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional investigation included participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study who attended visit 5 (2011-2013) and who completed olfactory testing and brain MRI examinations and had plasma biomarkers measured (namely, amyloid-beta [Aβ]42/Aβ40 ratio, …

Enhancing Dementia Classification For Diverse Demographic Groups: Using Vision Transformer-Based Continuous Scoring Of Clock Drawing Tests., Mengyao Hu, Yi Lu Murphey, Tian Qin, Edmundo R Melipillán, Laura B Zahodne, Richard Gonzalez, Vicki A Freedman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias significantly affect older adults' quality of life. The clock-drawing test (CDT) is a widely used dementia screening tool due to its ease of administration and effectiveness. However, manual CDT-coding in large-scale studies can be time-intensive and prone to coding errors and is typically limited to ordinal responses. In this study, we developed a continuous CDT score using a deep learning neural network (DLNN) and evaluated its ability to classify participants as having dementia or not.

Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of older adults from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), we …

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes For High-Risk Aml: A Report From The Children's Oncology Group., Benjamin J. Huang, Lauren K. Meyer, Todd A. Alonzo, Yi-Cheng Wang, Adam J. Lamble, Rhonda E. Ries, Weijie Wang, Betsy Hirsch, Gordana Raca, Xiaotu Ma, Alan S. Gamis, Richard Aplenc, E Anders Kolb, Todd M. Cooper, Katherine Tarlock, Michael R. Loken, Soheil Meshinchi, Joseph H. Chewning, William G. Woods, John T. Horan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used as consolidation for pediatric patients with high-risk AML in first complete remission (CR1). The definition of high-risk AML has evolved considerably over the past two decades with the successive identification of new unfavorable risk factors. We conducted a cross-study analysis to determine whether HSCT improves the outcomes of patients with contemporarily defined high-risk AML.

METHODS: We combined data from AAML0531 and AAML1031, the last two phase III clinical trials completed by the Children's Oncology Group (COG). These two trials established the prognostic importance of measurable residual disease (MRD) and several high-risk cryptic …

Application Of Claims-Based Frailty Index To A Structured Electronic Health Record Data, Min Ji Kwak, Caroline Schaefer, Youngran Kim, Sunyang Fu, Chan Mi Park, Abhijeet Dhoble, Nahid Rianon, Holly M Holmes, Dae Hyun Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The Claims-based Frailty Index (CFI) has been developed and validated using Medicare claims data. However, whether CFI can be applied to structured electronic health record data has not been studied.

Methods: We applied the CFI to a structured electronic health record dataset (Explorys dataset) and a Medicare fee-for-service 5% sample data and compared the prevalence of frailty from each dataset, using the cohort of older adults. Then, we assessed the odds ratio and area under the curve of the frailty predicting adverse clinical outcomes, any hospital or emergency room visit, or any adverse drug events related encounter within 1 …

Real-World Outcomes For Young Adult Patients Receiving Cd19 Car T-Cell Therapy., Hannah Lust, Liora M. Schultz, Soyang Kwon, Gregory W. Roloff, Ibrahim Aldoss, Christina Baggott, Samuel John, Jenna E. Rossoff, Kevin O. Mcnerney, Vanessa A. Fabrizio, Julie-An Talano, Amy Moskop, Kevin J. Curran, Christine L. Phillips, Nicole Karras, Susanne H C Baumeister, Stacy L. Cooper, Michelle Hermiston, Prakash Satwani, Muna Qayed, Sunil S. Raikar, Margaret Macmillan, Erin Hall, Khanh Nguyen, Ryan D. Cassaday, Noam E. Kopmar, Vamsi K. Kota, John Mathews, Paul Shaughnessy, Marc S. Schwartz, Abdullah Ladha, George Yaghmour, Muthu V. Kumaran, Veronika Bachanova, Sean Tracy, Tamer Othman, Marlise R. Luskin, Evan C. Chen, Anjani S. Advani, Nikeshan Jeyakumar, Katharine Miller, Amy Zhang, Katherine C. Sutherland, Bijal D. Shah, Lori Muffly, Rawan Faramand

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) and brexucabtagene autoleucel (brexu-cel) are approved CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T) products for young adults (YA) with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A distinct analysis of YAs receiving commercial CD19 CAR T has not been reported. Using retrospective data from the Pediatric Real-World CAR T Consortium and the Real-World Outcomes of CAR T in Adult ALL collaboration, we describe the efficacy and safety of tisa-cel and brexu-cel in 70 YAs (18-26 years; tisa-cel, n = 50; brexu-cel, n = 20). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were observed more frequently …

Exposure-Response Relationship Of Household Air Pollution On Body Mass Index Among Women In Rural Areas Of Guatemala, India, Peru And Rwanda: Household Air Pollution Intervention Network Trial, Adolphe Ndikubwimana, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Victor G Dávila-Román, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Household air pollution from burning biomass materials, the main cooking fuel in low- and middle-income countries, may be linked to metabolic dysfunction. We assessed cross-sectional associations between household air pollution and body mass index (BMI), expecting to see increased BMI with higher pollution concentrations.

METHODS: We analyzed data from 414 women aged 40 to 79 years who resided in the households using biomass fuel and were enrolled in the multi-country Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) Trial. We explored associations of 24-h average personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM

RESULTS: We observed mixed evidence of associations between household …

High Prevalence Of Co-Infections With Latent Tuberculosis, Syphilis And Hepatitis B And C Among People With Hiv In Ghana: A Call For Integrating Screening Into Routine Care, Helena Lamptey, James Odame Aboagye, Christopher Zaab-Yen Abana, Anthony Twumasi Boateng, Ephraim Mawufemor Kofi Kanda, Dzidzor Aku Attoh, Araba Abaidoo-Myles, Charlotte Borteley Bortey, Jonathan Klutse, Peter Puplampu, Gloria Ansa, Vincent Jessey Ganu, Joseph Oliver-Commey, Evelyn Yayra Bonney, George Boateng Kyei

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: People with HIV (PWH) are at risk of co-infections, such as latent tuberculosis (LTBI), hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and syphilis; hence, routine screening is critical. However, evaluation of routine screening is not being fully implemented in Ghana. This study assessed the prevalence of these co-infections among PWH in Accra, Ghana.

METHODS: The HIV Cure Research Infrastructure Study (H-CRIS) followed 390 PWH from three HIV treatment centres in Accra. A cross-sectional study was conducted within this cohort, and participants were screened for LTBI, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis using standardized assays. LTBI was detected using the QuantiFERON-TB …

Structure-Function Coupling In The First Month Of Life: Associations With Age And Attention, Ursula A Tooley, Jeanette K Kenley, M Catalina Camacho, Aidan Latham, Dimitrios Alexopoulos, Ashley N Nielsen, Tara A Smyser, Barbara B Warner, Joshua S Shimony, Jeffrey J Neil, Joan L Luby, Deanna M Barch, Cynthia E Rogers, Christopher D Smyser

2020-Current year OA Pubs

How brain structure relates to function is a critical and open question in neuroscience. Here, we characterize regional variation in structure-function coupling, capturing the degree to which a cortical region's structural connections relate to patterns of coordinated neural activity in healthy, term-born neonates (

Radiotherapy Promotes Cuproptosis And Synergizes With Cuproptosis Inducers To Overcome Tumor Radioresistance, Guang Lei, Mingchuang Sun, Jun Cheng, Rui Ye, Zhengze Lu, Amber Horbath, David Huo, Shengrong Wu, Anagha Alapati, Sadhna Aggarwal, Zhihao Xu, Chao Mao, Yuelong Yan, Jun Yao, Qidong Li, Xiong Chen, Hyemin Lee, Li Zhuang, Dadi Jiang, Apar Pataer, Jack A Roth, Nicholas Navin, Albert C Koong, Mingjian James You, Steven H Lin, Boyi Gan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cuproptosis is a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death. Here, we reveal that radiotherapy (RT) induces cuproptosis in cancer cells, independent of apoptosis and ferroptosis, and depletes lipoylated proteins and iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster proteins-both hallmarks of cuproptosis-in patient tumors. Mechanistically, RT elevates mitochondrial copper levels by upregulating copper transporter 1 (CTR1) and depleting mitochondrial glutathione, a copper chelator, thereby triggering cuproptosis. Integrated analyses of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from radioresistant esophageal cancer cells and single-cell RNA-seq from esophageal tumors of patients unresponsive to RT link radioresistance to the downregulation of BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). This downregulation de-represses the …

Radiotherapy Promotes Cuproptosis And Synergizes With Cuproptosis Inducers To Overcome Tumor Radioresistance, Guang Lei, Mingchuang Sun, Jun Cheng, Rui Ye, Zhengze Lu, Amber Horbath, David Huo, Shengrong Wu, Anagha Alapati, Sadhna Aggarwal, Zhihao Xu, Chao Mao, Yuelong Yan, Jun Yao, Qidong Li, Xiong Chen, Hyemin Lee, Li Zhuang, Dadi Jiang, Apar Pataer, Jack A Roth, Nicholas Navin, Albert C Koong, Mingjian James You, Steven H Lin, Boyi Gan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cuproptosis is a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death. Here, we reveal that radiotherapy (RT) induces cuproptosis in cancer cells, independent of apoptosis and ferroptosis, and depletes lipoylated proteins and iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster proteins-both hallmarks of cuproptosis-in patient tumors. Mechanistically, RT elevates mitochondrial copper levels by upregulating copper transporter 1 (CTR1) and depleting mitochondrial glutathione, a copper chelator, thereby triggering cuproptosis. Integrated analyses of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from radioresistant esophageal cancer cells and single-cell RNA-seq from esophageal tumors of patients unresponsive to RT link radioresistance to the downregulation of BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). This downregulation de-represses the …

Longitudinal Plasma Amino Acids During Pregnancy And Neonatal Anthropometry: Findings From The Nichd Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort, Claire Guivarch, Jing Wu, Ruijin Lu, Jagteshwar Grewal, Guoqi Yu, Ling-Jun Li, Jiaxi Yang, Wei Wei Pang, Dong D Wang, Natalie L Weir, Zhen Chen, Michael Y Tsai, Cuilin Zhang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Amino acids (AAs) during pregnancy are crucial for fetal growth. Prior studies measured AA concentrations at single time points in pregnancy, despite their fluctuations throughout pregnancy. We measured plasma AA profiles in blood samples longitudinally collected from early through late pregnancy and evaluated their associations with neonatal anthropometry.

METHODS: Concentrations of plasma aromatic AAs, branched-chain AAs, and AAs involved in one-carbon metabolism were assessed at 10-14, 15-26, 23-31, and 33-39 gestational weeks (GW) among 321 women from a case-control study from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort. Associations …

What Happens To Conservatively Managed Chronic Subdural Haematoma., J Read, E Edlmann

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical problem, increasingly prevalent due to an ageing population. Conservative management is an option for asymptomatic or mild cases, though data on outcomes is limited. Aim/Objective: This study aims to address critical gaps in understanding around conservatively managedCSDH and whether there are features that can predict progression and the longer-term prognosis of these patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a major trauma centre in the UK. All patients with chronic subdural haematoma referred from March 2019 to March 2021 were included and grouped into surgical or conservative management. Demographic, …

Rewired M6a Of Promoter Antisense Rnas In Alzheimer’S Disease Regulates Neuronal Genes In 3d Nucleome, Benxia Hu, Yuqiang Shi, Feng Xiong, Yi-Ting Chen, Xiaoyu Zhu, Elisa Carrillo, Xingzhao Wen, Nathan Drolet, Chetan Singh Rajpurohit, Xiangmin Xu, Dung-Fang Lee, Claudio Soto, Sheng Zhong, Vasanthi Jayaraman, Hui Zheng, Wenbo Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant internal RNA modification that can impact gene expression at both post-transcriptional and transcriptional levels. However, the landscapes and functions of m6A in human brains and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are under-explored. Here, we examined RNA m6A methylome using total RNA-seq and meRIP-seq in middle frontal cortex of post-mortem brains from individuals with or without AD, which revealed m6A alteration on both mRNAs and various noncoding RNAs. Notably, many promoter-antisense RNAs (paRNAs) displayed cell-type-specific expression and changes in AD, including one produced adjacent to MAPT that encodes the Tau protein. MAPT-paRNA is highly expressed …

Fluorescence-Guided Ureteral Identification In Robotic Surgery For Advanced Endometriosis: A Comparison Of Junior Versus Senior Surgeons, Linda A Alpuing Radilla, Qiannan Yang, Daniel Y Lovell, Tamisa Koythong, Brooke Thigpen, Luis E Delgadillo Chabolla, Qianqing Wang, Xiaoming Guan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Identifying the ureters in patients with advanced endometriosis and severe pelvic adhesive disease can be challenging. Adhesiolysis along the deformed pelvic sidewall may increase the risk of prolonged operative time and incidental ureteral injury. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and surgical outcomes of using Indocyanine Green (ICG) under near-infrared fluorescence for intraoperative ureteral localization and preservation during robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) for advanced endometriosis, comparing procedures performed by two junior surgeons to those performed by one senior surgeon. This was a retrospective observational case series conducted by three minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons (X.G., T.K., B.T.) at a single …

The Effect Of Birthweight And Gestational Age On Cognitive Function In Midlife: The Bogalusa Heart Study, Eunsun Gill, David J Libon, Soo Jung Kang, Ileana De Anda-Duran, Lydia A Bazzano, Wei Chen, Camilo Fernandez-Alonso, Emily W Harville

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Although the relationships between birthweight, gestational age (GA), and cognitive function (CF) before midlife have been demonstrated, the relationships after midlife and potential racial disparities remain inconclusive. This study examined the association between birthweight, GA, and midlife CF stratified by race.

METHOD: 1,032 subjects from the Bogalusa Heart Study (67% Whites, 33% Blacks, mean age 48.1 ± 5.3 years) were studied. Cognition was assessed with tests measuring verbal episodic memory, working memory, attention, graphomotor information processing speed, and global CF. Each test was standardized by sex and age, then averaged. The global CF was computed by averaging all cognitive …

Swi/Snf Atpase Silenced Hlf Potentiates Lung Metastasis In Solid Cancers, Jin Zhou, Austin Hepperla, Jeremy M Simon, Kangsan Kim, Qing Hu, Chuanhai Zhang, Lei Dong, Lianxin Hu, Cheng Zhang, Chengheng Liao, Alice Fang, Yayoi Adachi, Haoyong Fu, Tao Wang, Qian Liang, Fangzhou Zhao, Hongyi Liu, Masashi Takeda, Jun Fang, Hua Zhong, Peter Ly, Lu Wang, Payal Kapur, Lin Xu, Liwei Jia, Srinivas Malladi, James Brugarolas, M Celeste Simon, Bo Li, Qing Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, using clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a tumor type with frequent lung metastases, we conduct an in vivo genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen and identify HLF as a potent suppressor of lung metastasis. HLF depletion enhances ccRCC cell migration and lung metastasis, whereas HLF overexpression abrogates these effects. In ccRCC patients, HLF expression is reduced at metastatic sites and associates with epigenetic silencing mediated by the SWI/SNF ATPase subunit BRG1. HLF levels negatively correlate with migration potential in collagen. Mechanistically, HLF regulates LPXN expression, modulating the …

Senescence Caused By Telomerase Inactivation In Myeloid, Mesenchymal, And Endothelial Cells Has Distinct Effects On Cancer Progression, Joseph Rupert, Zhanguo Gao, Yongmei Yu, Mikhail G Kolonin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The effects of cell senescence in individual cell populations of the tumor microenvironment (TME) on cancer progression remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of cell senescence caused by inactivation of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (Tert) in distinct TME components. We generated genetic Tert knockout (KO) mice driven by the LysM promoter in myeloid cells, by the Pdgfra or Pdgfrb promoter in mesenchymal cells, and by the Tie2e promoter in endothelial cells. We compared the effect of the Tert KOs in syngeneic models of orthotopically grafted E0771 breast adenocarcinoma, RM1 prostate adenocarcinoma, and KPC pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Tumors in LysM-Tert …

Omitting Regional Nodal Irradiation After Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Eleftherios P Mamounas, Hanna Bandos, Julia R White, Thomas B Julian, Atif J Khan, Simona F Shaitelman, Mylin A Torres, Frank A Vicini, Patricia A Ganz, Susan A Mccloskey, Peter C Lucas, Nilendu Gupta, X Allen Li, Beryl Mccormick, Benjamin Smith, Rahul D Tendulkar, Vivek S Kavadi, Koji Matsumoto, Samantha Andrews Seaward, William J Irvin, Jolinta Y Lin, Robert W Mutter, Thierry M Muanza, Jannifer Stromberg, Reshma Jagsi, Anna C Weiss, Walter J Curran, Norman Wolmark

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The benefit of regional nodal irradiation in the treatment of breast cancer is well established for patients with pathologically positive axillary nodes, but whether it is also beneficial for patients whose nodes become pathologically tumor free (ypN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains unclear.

Methods: We evaluated whether regional nodal irradiation improves outcomes in patients with biopsy-proven, node-positive breast cancer who reach ypN0 status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with breast cancer with a clinical stage of T1 to T3 (tumor size, ≤2 cm to >5 cm), N1, and M0 (indicating spread to one to three axillary lymph nodes but no distant …

Variants In Bsn, Encoding The Presynaptic Protein Bassoon, Result In A Distinct Neurodevelopmental Disorder With A Broad Phenotypic Range, Stacy G Guzman, Sarah M Ruggiero, Shiva Ganesan, Colin A Ellis, Alicia G Harrison, Katie R Sullivan, Zornitza Stark, Natasha J Brown, Sajel L Kana, Anabelle Tuttle, Jair Tenorio, Pablo Lapunzina, Julián Nevado, Marie T Mcdonald, Courtney Jensen, Patricia G Wheeler, Lila Stange, Jennifer Morrison, Boris Keren, Solveig Heide, Meg W Keating, Kameryn M Butler, Mike A Lyons, Shailly Jain, Mehdi Yeganeh, Michelle L Thompson, Molly Schroeder, Hoanh Nguyen, Jorge Granadillo, Kari M Johnston, Chaya N Murali, Katie Bosanko, T Andrew Burrow, Chop Birth Defects Biorepository, Penn Medicine Biobank, Syreeta Morgan, Deborah J Watson, Hakon Hakonarson, Ingo Helbig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Disease-causing variants in synaptic function genes are a common cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and epilepsy. Here, we describe 14 individuals with de novo disruptive variants in BSN, which encodes the presynaptic protein Bassoon. To expand the phenotypic spectrum, we identified 15 additional individuals with protein-truncating variants (PTVs) from large biobanks. Clinical features were standardized using the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) across all 29 individuals, which revealed common clinical characteristics including epilepsy (13/29, 45%), febrile seizures (7/29, 25%), generalized tonic-clonic seizures (5/29, 17%), and focal-onset seizures (3/29, 10%). Behavioral phenotypes were present in almost half of all individuals (14/29, 48%), …

Loss Of Function Of The Zinc Finger Homeobox 4 Gene, Zfhx4, Underlies A Neurodevelopmental Disorder, María Del Rocío Pérez Baca, María Palomares-Bralo, Michiel Vanhooydonck, Lisa Hamerlinck, Eva D'Haene, Sebastian Leimbacher, Eva Z Jacobs, Laurenz De Cock, Erika D'Haenens, Annelies Dheedene, Zoë Malfait, Lies Vantomme, Ananilia Silva, Kathleen Rooney, Xiaonan Zhao, Amir Hossein Saeidian, Nichole Marie Owen, Fernando Santos-Simarro, Roser Lleuger-Pujol, Sixto García-Miñaúr, Itsaso Losantos-García, Björn Menten, Gaia Gestri, Nicola Ragge, Bekim Sadikovic, Elke Bogaert, Kris Vleminckx, Thomas Naert, Delfien Syx, Bert Callewaert, Sarah Vergult

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

8q21.11 microdeletions involving ZFHX4 have previously been associated with a syndromic form of intellectual disability, hypotonia, unstable gait, and hearing loss. We report on 63 individuals-57 probands and 6 affected family members-with protein-truncating variants (n = 41), (micro)deletions (n = 21), or an inversion (n = 1) affecting ZFHX4. Probands display variable developmental delay and intellectual disability, distinctive facial characteristics, morphological abnormalities of the central nervous system, behavioral alterations, short stature, hypotonia, and occasionally cleft palate and anterior segment dysgenesis. The phenotypes associated with 8q21.11 microdeletions and ZFHX4 intragenic loss-of-function (LoF) variants largely overlap, although leukocyte-derived DNA shows a mild …

Psilocybin's Acute And Persistent Brain Effects: A Precision Imaging Drug Trial, Subha Subramanian, Travis Rick Reneau, Demetrius Perry, Ravi Chacko, Timothy O Laumann, Karin Flavin, Christine Horan, Julie Schweiger, Nicholas Metcalf, Eric J Lenze, Abraham Z Snyder, Nico U F Dosenbach, Ginger Nicol, Joshua S Siegel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Psilocybin (PSIL) is a psychedelic drug and a promising experimental therapeutic for many psychiatric conditions. Precision functional mapping (PFM) combines densely repeated resting state fMRI sampling and individual-specific network mapping to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and effect size in brain imaging research. We present a randomized cross-over study in which PFM was used to characterize acute and persistent effects of psilocybin or methylphenidate (MTP) on brain networks. Seven healthy volunteers (mean age 34.1 years, SD = 9.8; n = 3 females, n = 6 Caucasians) underwent (1) extensive baseline imaging, (2) imaging beginning 60-90 minutes after drug exposure, and (3) …

Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Wound-Associated Soluble Factors In Early, Established, And Chronic Wounds Of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Patients, Vitali Alexeev, Leonie Huitema, Taylor Phillips, Paras Patel, Mauricio Garza, Franziska Ringpfeil, Julio Salas-Alanis, Olga Igoucheva

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Poorly healing wounds represent the primary health-related burden for hereditary recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) patients. Contribution of wound-associated soluble constituents to wound progression remains not well defined.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct cross-sectional analysis of cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor in exudates from RDEB wounds and define changes associated with wound progression.

METHODS: Concentrations of selected cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were evaluated by multiplex ELISA in eight blister fluids and 66 exudates from early, established, and chronic RDEB and five chronic venous ulcers (VU). A cross-sectional analysis was performed.

RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that proinflammatory CXCL8 and IL-1β tend …

177lu-Labeled Antibody-Drug Conjugate: A Dual-Mechanistic Treatment Modality In Solid Tumors, Aiko Yamaguchi, Chisato M Yamazaki, Yasuaki Anami, Summer Y Y Ha, Wei Xiong, Robert T Ta, Ningyan Zhang, H Charles Manning, Zhiqiang An, Kyoji Tsuchikama

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

To explore the potential of site-selectively radiolabeled antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) against solid tumors, we constructed and evaluated radiolabeled ADCs equipped with lutetium-177 (177Lu) and a membrane-permeable antimitotic agent. Site-selective 177Lu-labeled ADCs [anti-trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2) 177Lu-DTPA ADCs or anti-HER2 177Lu-DO3A ADCs], a 177Lu-labeled homogeneous radioimmunoconjugate (homogeneous RIC), and 177Lu-labeled conventional RIC (heterogeneous RIC) were constructed. We confirmed that 177Lu-labeled ADCs and the homogeneous RIC were obtained with high homogeneity and defined chelator/payload-to-antibody ratios. Next, we performed biodistribution studies and treatment efficacy studies in xenograft mouse models bearing orthotopic breast tumors. Compared with the heterogeneous RIC, the 177Lu-DTPA TROP2 ADC …