Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Markers For Passive Remote Monitoring Of Bipolar Disorder: Systematic Review, Thomas P Kutcher, Isha Chakraborty, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Akane Sano, Nidal Moukaddam, Jeffrey A Herron, Wayne K Goodman, Sameer A Sheth, Ashutosh Sabharwal, Nicole R Provenza

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) features episodic shifts among mania, hypomania, depression, mixed states, and euthymia. Timely detection of mood transitions is difficult due to infrequent clinical touchpoints. Digital health technologies, including wearables and smartphones, offer a unique opportunity to passively and continuously monitor behavior and physiology that could reflect underlying mood dynamics in real-world settings.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review passively collected digital markers for BD mood states, characterize devices/modalities and analytic approaches, appraise risk of bias, and identify design gaps and priorities for clinical translation.

Methods: Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) …

Formative Work To Guide Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Breast And Cervical Cancer Prevention And Early Detection Behavioral Health Program In Clinics: Qualitative Study Guided By The Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research, Roshanda S Chenier, Maria E Fernandez, Lara S Savas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Salud en Mis Manos (SEMM) is a community health worker-delivered evidence-based intervention shown to increase breast and cervical cancer screening in medically underserved Latinas. Despite SEMM's success in community-based settings, clinic-based implementation is limited.

Objective: This study aimed to identify factors influencing the implementation of SEMM in clinic settings using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to inform and refine implementation strategy development.

Methods: We developed theory-informed (eg, CFIR, Social Cognitive Theory, and Readiness) interview guides to elicit barriers and facilitators of SEMM clinic implementation. We conducted 12 semistructured interviews with clinic leaders, outreach coordinators, and community health …

Peritoneal Ovarian Cancer Growth In The Omentum Proceeds Independently Of Mature Adipocytes, Rachel L Mintz, Jichang Han, Emily G Butka, Alexandre Gallerand, Shuai Gao, Ayoung Kim, Sarah Ning, Nicole K H Yiew, Mary Wohltmann, Galina Fedotova, Wei Zou, Nan Zhang, Samantha A Morris, Bernd H Zinselmeyer, Gwendalyn J Randolph

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The omentum, a specialized adipose tissue within the peritoneum, is a primary niche of ovarian cancer dissemination. Omental adipocytes are widely thought to promote tumor growth by supplying lipids, supported in part by studies using global FABP4 deficiency. Here, we directly test whether mature adipocytes are required for peritoneal ovarian cancer growth using mice congenitally lacking mature adipocytes within the peritoneal cavity, including the omentum. Across several ovarian cancer models (ID8p53

Race And Ethnicity And Overall Survival In Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Daniel J. Zheng, Long Khuong, Catherine Aftandilian, Kira Bona, Emi H. Caywood, Caitlin W. Elgarten, Brian T. Fisher, Cody-Aaron L. Gathers, Taumoha Ghosh, M. Monica Gramatges, Gary Hettinger, Meret R. Henry, Yuan-Shung V Huang, Yimei Li, Kelly Maloney, Amir Mian, Tamara P Miller, Arunkumar Modi, Rajen Mody, Regina M. Myers, Haley Newman, Jose Ortiz, Alix E. Seif, Caroline Smith, Jamie Stokke, Naomi Winick, Jennifer J. Wilkes, Victor Wong, Richard Aplenc, Kelly D. Getz

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black (hereafter, Black) children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have historically experienced worse survival outcomes compared with non-Hispanic White (hereafter, White) children. Understanding specific intermediate pathways underlying these outcome disparities is a critical step to directing interventional efforts and resources.

OBJECTIVE: To compare survival outcomes by race and ethnicity in a large contemporary cohort of pediatric patients with AML and to examine presentation acuity, frontline organ toxic effects, and relapse as potential mediators of any observed outcome disparities.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study was analyzed from April 2025 to January 2026 and included …

Ultrasound-Guided Renal Artery Administration Of Angiopoietin-1 Rna Therapy Slows The Progression Of Preclinical Wt1 Glomerular Disease, Maria Kolatsi-Joannou, William J Mason, Lauren G Russell, Shunping Han, Yanis Harfouche, Daniyal J Jafree, Emily A E Moore, Hanna Gautier, Christina Katsiva, Reem Al-Saadi, Kathy Pritchard-Jones, Daniel J Stuckey, Andrew V Benest, David O Bates, Paul J Winyard, Aoife M Waters, Luigi Gnudi, Stephen L Hart, Tammy L Kalber, David A Long

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mutations in the transcription factor gene Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) are one of the leading causes of congenital glomerular disease, characterized by severe urinary protein loss and glomerular scarring. No disease-modifying therapies exist for WT1 glomerulopathies, and affected children rely on dialysis or kidney transplantation. We evaluated a previously uncharacterized treatment in a mouse model with an orthologous human mutation in Wt1 (Wt1+/R394W) that replicates the pathology of WT1 glomerulopathy. Lipid nanocomplexes were engineered to target integrin αvβ3 for efficient delivery of mRNA to primary podocytes and glomerular endothelial cells in vitro. A minimally …

Large-Scale Admixture Mapping In The All Of Us Research Program Improves The Characterization Of Cross-Population Phenotypic Differences, Ying Wang, Georgia Mies, Alan J Aw, Sinead Cullina, Penn Medicine Biobank, Eimear Kenny, Iain Mathieson, Elizabeth G Atkinson, Alicia R Martin, Bogdan Pasaniuc

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Admixed individuals have been understudied in medical research largely due to their complex genetic ancestries. However, the consideration of admixture can identify ancestry-enriched genetic associations, delineating genetic underpinnings of cross-population phenotypic variation. Here, we performed admixture mapping in individuals with inferred admixture from African and European populations (N = 48,921). Across 22 traits, we identified 71 ancestry-trait associations, including loci where ancestral haplotypes explained phenotypic variation yet were missed by single-variant association testing due to their stricter multiple testing burden. One such locus where inferred local AFR ancestries are associated with increased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 12q14.3, highlighting its potential …

A Clinical Accuracy Study Protocol For A Saliva-Based Point-Of-Care Lateral Flow Test To Assess Protective Immunity To Tetanus (Tetanus Study), H F Kwok, R Agarwal, Y Takwoingi, Semukunzi H, C Umuhoza, A Richter, J Nyombayire, C M Muvunyi, J Heaney, C A Green

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, 2000-3000 neonates die of tetanus yearly, predominantly in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Inaccurate coverage estimates and vaccination records, together with variability in vaccine response, make identifying individuals who lack protective immunity and may benefit from vaccination difficult. A more direct measure of protective immunity is widely accepted as anti-tetanus IgG concentration at or above 0.1 IU/mL. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a novel saliva-based point-of-care lateral flow test (CIS-IMMUNE Tet) for the binary classification of tetanus protective immune status (protected/unprotected) against WHO threshold-based classification of IgG …

Th17 Effector Cytokines Induce Shared And Distinct Microglial And Endothelial Cell Responses In A Mouse Model For Post-Streptococcal Encephalitis, Charlotte Wayne, Uğur Akcan, Travis Faust, Violeta Durán-Laforet, Danny Jamoul, Luca Bremner, Nicole Ampatey, Büşra Akcan, Sarah Ho, Bogoljub Ciric, Shannon Delaney, Wendy Vargas, Susan Swedo, Vilas Menon, Dorothy Schafer, Tyler Cutforth, Dritan Agalliu

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections cause neuropsychiatric complications in children, but the mechanisms linking peripheral infection to brain dysfunction remain unclear. Using mouse genetics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics, we show that GAS infections induce inflammatory transcriptional programs in microglia and brain endothelial cells (BECs), accompanied by loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) gene expression in female mice. Spatial transcriptomic analyses reveal that GAS-responsive microglia localize near infiltrating CD4+ T cells. Several microglial chemokines induced in mice are elevated in sera from affected patients. Deletion of GM-CSF in CD4⁺ T cells partially reduces microglial chemokine gene expression, without restoring BBB …

Functional Characterization Of Fam120a As A Novel Effector In The Progranulin/Epha2 Oncogenic Axis In Bladder Cancer., Vrunda Satasiya, Canio Martinelli, Gabriel J. Pascal, Giacomo Ducci, Elisa Ventura, Stephen J. Williams, Sharon Raffaella Burk, Manuela Nana Tchamou, Shendi Shani, Michele Klain, Elena Sacco, Marco Vanoni, Antonino Belfiore, Renato V. Iozzo, Antonio Giordano, Andrea Morrione

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most deadly diseases in the USA, with 84,530 new cases and 17,870 estimated deaths in 2026. The growth factor progranulin is involved in several human pathologies, including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), immune response, and cancer. We showed that in BC, progranulin and its signaling receptor, EphA2, drive tumor cell motility, invasion, and in vivo tumor formation, making it a critical pathway in tumor establishment. However, the molecular mechanisms of progranulin/EphA2 action are still poorly defined.

METHODS: Progranulin-dependent EphA2 interactome was explored by proteomic approaches. FAM120A or EphA2 protein levels in BC tissue microarrays …

Translational Reading Frame Predicts The Pathogenicity Of C-Terminal Frameshift Deletions In Mecp2, Jacky Guy, Elena Hein, Beatrice Alexander-Howden, Timur Von Bock Und Polach, Tricia Mathieson, Benjamin P Kleinstiver, Huda Y Zoghbi, Adrian Bird

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Mutations in the MECP2 gene cause the severe neurological disorder Rett syndrome. A cluster of frameshift-causing C-terminal deletions (CTDs) removes ~100 amino acids and accounts for approximately 10% of RTT-causing mutations. Their pathogenicity is unexpected because this C-terminal domain is dispensable in mice. Analysis of pathogenic and benign human MECP2 variants reveals that some individuals with apparently typical CTDs do not develop Rett syndrome, confirming that C-terminal truncations are not intrinsically pathogenic. Using human sequence data and mouse models we show that pathogenicity results from a marked reduction in MeCP2 levels and depends on the presence of a proline proline …

Malt1 Protease Inhibition Restrains Glioblastoma Progression By Reversing Tumor-Associated Macrophage-Dependent Immunosuppression In Mice, Juliana Hofstätter Azambuja, Saigopalakrishna Yerneni, Lisa Maurer, Hannah Crentsil, Gabriela Debom, Linda Klei, Mei Smyers, Chaim Sneiderman, Kristina Schwab, Rajesh Acharya, Aivi Nguyen, Josie Emery, John Little, Jeffrey Meridew, Yijen Lin Wu, Prasanna Ekambaram, Dong Hu, Pete Gough, John Bertin, Ari Melnick, Gary Kohanbash, Riyue Bao, Peter Lucas, Linda Mcallister-Lucas

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

MALT1 protease is an intracellular signaling molecule that promotes tumor progression via cancer cell-intrinsic and cancer cell-extrinsic mechanisms. MALT1 has been mostly studied in lymphocytes, and little is known about its role in tumor-associated macrophages. We show that MALT1 is expressed in glioblastoma (GBM)-associated macrophages. Mechanistically, GBM tumor cells induce a MALT1-NF-κB signaling axis in macrophages, leading to enhanced macrophage migration and polarization toward an immunosuppressive ('M2-like') phenotype. Inactivation of MALT1 protease promotes transcriptional reprogramming that reduces migration and restores a macrophage anti-tumor 'M1-like' phenotype. Preclinical in vivo analysis shows that MALT1 inhibitor treatment results in immuno-reactivity of GBM-associated macrophages …

Nuclear Activities And Interactome Of The Ns5 Protein Of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus, Maxime Chazal, Aïssatou Aïcha Sow, Elodie Le Seac'h, Dana Hawasheen, Margarida Bonifacio, Mikael Feracci, Ségolène Gracias, Adrià Sogues, Melissa Molho, Heng Pan, Boris Bonaventure, Jean-Pierre Quivy, Geneviève Almouzni, Etienne Decroly, Holly Ramage, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Vincent Caval, Nolwenn Jouvenet

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Orthoflaviviruses are RNA viruses responsible for significant diseases in humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife. Their NS5 protein is central in viral replication, functioning both as an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a methyltransferase, while also modulating cellular processes, including the interferon response. Although viral replication is cytoplasmic, the NS5 protein of several mosquito-borne orthoflaviviruses cycles between the cytoplasm and the nucleus of infected human cells. However, the nuclear localization and function of NS5 of tick-borne orthoflaviviruses, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), remain poorly understood. Microscopy analysis and cell fractionation revealed that the NS5 protein of TBEV localized to both the …

A Distinct Form Of Fat Fibrosis Is Linked To Insulin Resistance In People With Hiv, Diana L Alba, Alaa Abdellatif, Moon Kyung Choi, Stephen M Brown Mayfield, Thuy An T Pham, David I Berrios, Antonio E Rodriguez, Marin Ewing, Tony R Figueroa, Judy Gonzalez-Vargas, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Dawei Bu, Steven G Deeks, Philipp E Scherer, Peter W Hunt, Suneil K Koliwad

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

BACKGROUND

Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), people with HIV (PWH) are at heightened risk for insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) fibrosis contributes to metabolic disease, but its role in IR among PWH is unknown. We investigated the relationship between SAT fibrosis and IR in PWH, along with transcriptional signatures to distinguish it from SAT fibrosis due to obesity.

METHODS

We analyzed body composition and SAT fibrosis (hydroxyproline) in 46 PWH and 74 people without HIV (PWoH), excluding individuals with T2D. We examined fibrosis-related gene transcription in the SAT using a targeted panel and measured …

Cigarette Smoke Induces Fasn-Dependent Fatty Acid Metabolic Rewiring To Drive Bladder Cancer Progression, Yuen San Chan, Karthik Reddy Kami Reddy, Chandra Shekar R Ambati, Mohammed Khurshidul Hassan, Pratik Shriwas, Tanmay Gandhi, Antrix Jain, Tanja Gangnus, Pooja Popli, Roshan Borkar, Sung Wook Kang, Silvia L Summers, Vasanta Putluri, Sandra L Grimm, Sharan Venkatesh, Ningxin Song, Erin H Seeley, Jenna Hedlich-Dwyer, Shu-Hsia Chen, Nupam P Mahajan, Abhinav K Jain, Lacey Elizabeth Dobrolecki, Gabrielle A Wells, Hugo Villanueva, Jenny Li, Xuefeng Liu, Roni J Bollag, Anna Malovannaya, Sung Yun Jung, Hyun-Sung Lee, Irfan A Asangani, Martha K Terris, Chad J Creighton, Leomar Y Ballester, Balasubramanyam Karanam, Suyu Liu, Minjae Lee, Rajeeva R Raju, M Minhaj Siddiqui, Livia S Eberlin, Ramakrishna Kommagani, Arun Sreekumar, Jianjun Gao, Nicolas L Young, H Courtney Hodges, Cristian Coarfa, Natalie R Gassman, Seth P Lerner, Yair Lotan, Nagireddy Putluri

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cigarette smoke promotes bladder tumor growth by enhancing cancer cell survival and proliferation through smoke mediated carcinogens. FASN, a key enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, is dysregulated in many cancers and correlates with aggressive phenotypes. In this study, we demonstrate elevated fatty acid levels and FASN specifically in smokers with bladder cancer. Elevated FASN under smoke exposure imparted epigenetic alterations, particularly histone acetylation, impacts DNA repair and DNA-binding transcription factors which regulate metabolic pathways. Under cigarette smoke, bladder cancer cells undergo a metabolic shift, utilizing glutamine as a major carbon source through reductive carboxylation to fuel fatty acid biosynthesis via …

A Case Report Of Myocardial Infarction Complicated With Blood Pressure Fluctuations Caused By Pheochromocytoma, Huiping Li, Wei Yang, Yu Feng, You Zhang, Gan-Xin Yan, Chuanyu Gao

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Pheochromocytoma typically presents with sustained or paroxysmal hypertension, but initial manifestation as acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is rare. Peri-procedural hemodynamic fluctuations are often dramatic, making diagnosis and management challenging. We report a 51-year-old male admitted with chest tightness for 17 days. Elevated troponin and coronary angiography showing multivessel disease with total occlusion of the mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD) led to a preliminary diagnosis of NSTEMI. During percutaneous coronary intervention, blood pressure surged to 240/130 mmHg; intravenous nitroprusside caused an instantaneous drop to 95/55 mmHg, with rapid rebound to >200 mmHg upon withdrawal, showing no clear temporal relationship …

Surgical Outcomes Of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Excision: Factors Impacting Wound Healing Time, Christina Huang, Scott H. Koeneman, Sherry Yang, Sami Tannour

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can be treated surgically to excise recurrent and recalcitrant regions of disease activity. However, surgical outcomes are highly variable depending on closure method, concomitant medical management and area of excision. In this study, we aim to characterise the healing courses from HS excision in a case series. To reduce operator variability, we opted to conduct a case series from a single surgeon. Surgeries conducted from June 2024-December 2025 by surgeon S.T. were included, and the postoperative course was followed until February 2026. Surgical details and postoperative course for 34 sites of HS across 20 patients were analysed. …

Long-Term Poverty, Rurality, And Geographic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer: A Spatial Analysis In Texas, Jooyeon Lee, Lorna Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in the United States and shows substantial geographic variation. Socioeconomically disadvantaged communities experience elevated CRC incidence, yet few studies have analyzed multi-decade poverty measures for long-term structural disadvantage.

Methods: We analyzed CRC incidence from 2017 to 2021 across Texas using Texas Cancer Registry data. Age-sex-race/ethnicity standardized cases were incorporated as offsets in Bayesian spatial models to generate tract-level posterior mean relative risks. We evaluated four tract-level poverty measures (high poverty in 2021; persistent poverty since 1990; enduring poverty since 1980 and 1970), Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) classifications, …

Development Of A Structurally Distinct Topbp1 Inhibitor That Enhances Parp Blockade And Reverses Osimertinib Resistance, Yang Xiao, Lidija A Wilhelms Garan, Helena Folly-Kossi, Weei-Chin Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Therapeutic resistance remains a major challenge in cancer treatment, driven by compensatory signaling and stress response pathways that sustain tumor survival. Topoisomerase IIβ-binding protein 1 (TopBP1), a multifunctional scaffold protein with nine BRCT domains, integrates replication stress signaling with oncogenic networks and is frequently overexpressed in aggressive cancers. Its BRCT7/8 domains mediate critical interactions with E2F1, mutant p53, MIZ1, PLK1, and CIP2A, making TopBP1-BRCT7/8 an attractive therapeutic target. Using docking-guided screening and structure-activity relationship–driven optimization, we developed CS18 as a potent and selective BRCT7/8 inhibitor that disrupts oncogenic TopBP1 complexes without interfering with DNA replication. CS18 suppresses MYC transcriptional programs, …

Premarket Clinical Evidence Strength And Recalls Of High-Risk Therapeutic Medical Devices, Maryam Mooghali, Faaizah Arshad, Vinay K Rathi, Kushal T Kadakia, Alexander O Everhart, Joseph S Ross, Sanket S Dhruva

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: High-risk medical devices approved through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) premarket approval (PMA) pathway may be supported by limited premarket clinical evidence, leaving uncertainties about safety. Whether device, premarket clinical evidence, or regulatory characteristics are associated with subsequent device recalls is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between device, premarket clinical evidence, and regulatory characteristics and serious recalls among high-risk therapeutic devices.

DESIGN AND SETTING: This cross-sectional study reviewed 193 high-risk therapeutic medical devices approved through the FDA's PMA pathway between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2023. Data were analyzed between August 2025 and December 2025. …

Young-Onset Stroke In The Uae: A Single-Centre Retrospective Analysis Of Risk Factors And Outcomes, Sobia Siddiq, Saryia Adra, Kamel A. Samara, Batool Aldaher, Mohamad Emad Aldeen Mahfouz, Nour Sakan, Fathima Musfira, Roomiyah Riyaz Assadi, Ahlam Mohamed Almarzooqi, Hiba Jawdat Barqawi, Eman Abu-Gharbieh

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Young-onset stroke represents a growing public health concern, yet data from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remain limited. This study aimed to examine the risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with young-onset stroke in the UAE.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 419 patients aged below 50 years who were admitted at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, UAE, with a diagnosis of stroke between 2016 and 2022. Data on demographics, comorbidities, stroke subtype, management, and outcomes were collected and analyzed using Python-based statistical libraries.

RESULTS: The study population comprised predominantly of male individuals (78.28%), with most patients originating …

Shared Neural Geometries For Bilingual Semantic Representations In Human Hippocampal Neurons, Xinyuan Yan, Ana G Chavez, Melissa Franch, Kalman A Katlowitz, Ivy Gautam, Brian Kim, Aaditya Krishna, Aadit Shrivastava, Katie Van Arsdel, James Belanger, Assia Chericoni, Taha Ismail, Elizabeth A Mickiewicz, Danika Paulo, Hanlin Zhu, Alica M Goldman, Vaishnav Krishnan, Atul Maheshwari, Eleonora Bartoli, Nicole R Provenza, Seng Bum Michael Yoo, Benjamin Y Hayden, Sameer A Sheth

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The human brain has the remarkable ability to comprehend and express similar concepts in multiple languages. To understand how it does so, we examined responses of hippocampal neurons during passive listening, directed speaking, and spontaneous conversation in both English and Spanish in a small group of balanced bilinguals. We found a small number of putative "cross-language neurons," whose responses to equivalent words (e.g., "tierra" and "earth") are correlated. However, neurons' semantic tunings differed substantially by language, suggesting language-specific neural implementations. Instead, the crucial driver of translation was a preserved geometric organization of neural responses between the two languages, one that …

Dose-Expansion Study Of Obi-999, A Globo H-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, In Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors, Apostolia Maria Tsimberidou, Darren Sigal, Anna Varghese, Daniel Vaena, Li-Yuan Bai, Ming-Huang Chen, Chun-Nan Yeh, Chia-Jui Yen, Mehmet A Baysal, Abhijit Chakraborty, Ingly Lee, Chi-Sheng Shia, Konul Ristoski, Dong Xu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: OBI-999 is an antibody-drug conjugate consisting of the Globo H-targeting antibody OBI-888 linked to the cytotoxic payload monomethyl auristatin E. In a dose-escalation study, the OBI-999 recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was 1.2 mg/kg every 3 weeks. This dose-expansion study evaluated the efficacy and safety of OBI-999 in patients with pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), or other tumor types ("basket cohort") and tumoral Globo H H-scores ≥100 (NCT04084366).

Patients and methods: Patients were treated at RP2D of OBI-999. We assessed response, progression-free survival (PFS), treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and pharmacokinetics of OBI-999.

Results: Of 29 patients treated, …

Interpreting Continuous Glucose Monitoring Through Metabolic Physiology: A Framework For Precision Nutrition In Type 2 Diabetes, Jitendra D. Belani

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Background: Type 2 diabetes is characterized by substantial interindividual variability in postprandial glucose responses, yet continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-derived glucose patterns are commonly described using quantitative metrics without sufficient consideration of the physiological mechanisms that generate them. Objective: To develop a physiology-based framework for interpreting CGM-derived glycemic phenotypes in relation to dietary exposures and individual metabolic characteristics, thereby supporting precision nutrition in adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A structured narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed to identify studies examining CGM, postprandial glucose regulation, dietary exposures, metabolic physiology, and precision nutrition. Evidence was synthesized within a predefined …

Endometrial Cells With High Aldh Activity Contribute To Uterine Development And Regeneration, Sydney E Parks, Genesis J Herrera, Ting Geng, Linda Alpuing Radilla, Brooke A Thigpen, Xiaoming Guan, Diana Monsivais

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adult stem cells are thought to drive the regenerative potential of the endometrium and contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis; however, their identity and defining features remain to be characterized. Here, we used in vivo and in vitro approaches to demonstrate that cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 activity (ALDHHI cells) were long-lived progenitors in the endometrium with a higher organoid formation capacity, long-term passaging potential, and stemness gene signatures. Using lineage tracing with an Aldh1a1creERT2/+; Rosa26LSL-tdTomato reporter mouse, Aldh1a1+ epithelial cells expanded during postnatal development, Aldh1a1+ stromal cells expanded during estrous cycling, and both populations of Aldh1a1 …

Intravenous Thrombolysis Beyond The Conventional Time Window For Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Shaan Patel, Shiva A. Nischal, Kush M. Kale, Michael R. Gooch, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Pascal Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is an established therapy for acute ischemic stroke when administered within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. However, many patients present beyond this window or with unknown onset, and recent randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have evaluated whether imaging-selected patients may benefit from thrombolysis in the extended window.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the functional and safety outcomes associated with IVT administered 4.5 hours or more after stroke onset.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched from database inception through March 3, 2026.

STUDY SELECTION: RCTs enrolling adults with acute ischemic stroke treated …

Endoscopic Versus Catheter-Based Minimally Invasive Evacuation Of Spontaneous Supratentorial Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Shaan Patel, Shiva A Nischal, Kush M Kale, Angelette Mendonca, Keenan Piper, Pious D. Patel, Michael R. Gooch, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Pascal M. Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) includes endoscopic evacuation and catheter-based evacuation (aspiration or drainage ± thrombolysis), but comparative performance remains uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing MIS approaches. PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched (December 2025) for studies in adults undergoing endoscopic or catheter-based MIS for supratentorial sICH. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. Prespecified subgroup analyses stratified catheter-based techniques by thrombolysis use. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence was assessed. Twenty-nine studies (8221 patients; 5041 endoscopic; 3180 catheter-based) were included. Endoscopic evacuation was associated with lower mortality (RR 0.64; 95% CI: 0.47–0.87; …

An Online Epilepsy Self-Management Tool For Patients With Epilepsy: A Formative Usability Study, Youngran Kim, Kimberly Martin, David M Labiner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Epilepsy is a serious chronic neurological condition with no permanent cure. Continual self-management is important to mitigate seizure frequency and optimize quality of life in people with epilepsy who have greater disparities in accessing epilepsy care. The Management Information & Decision Support Epilepsy Tool (MINDSET [UTHealth, University of Arizona, and Radiant Digital]) was developed to enhance accessibility to epilepsy self-management (ESM) assessment and treatment. The purpose of this formative usability pilot study was to assess the user experience and functionality of MINDSET 2.0, an enhanced cross-platform online version of MINDSET, among a sample of patients with epilepsy prior to …

Childhood Cancer Predisposition Study: A Prospective Registry And Biorepository Protocol, Jennie Vagher, Junne Kamihara, Surya Rednam, Philip J Lupo, Garrett M Brodeur, Joshua Schiffman, Lisa Diller, Lauren Desrosiers-Battu, Sharon E Plon, Kim E Nichols, Samuel L Volchenboum, David Malkin, Anita Villani, Christopher C Porter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Cancer is the most common cause of disease-related mortality in children, highlighting the urgent need for improved care in this population. It is estimated that >15% of children diagnosed with cancer harbour a germline pathogenic variant in a cancer predisposition gene which confers an increased risk to develop cancer. There are over 100 genes associated with cancer predisposition syndromes (CPSs) and greater availability and acceptability of genetic testing in the last decade has facilitated their recognition in childhood. However, individually, each of these CPSs is rare, impeding robust research and advancement of clinical care. Once a specific CPS is …

Staphylococcus Aureus Urease Is Controlled By A Complex Regulatory Network To Promote Dissemination During Cauti, Jennifer N Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are one of the most common hospital-associated infections in the United States, accounting for >1 million cases annually. One CAUTI pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, is commonly found persisting asymptomatically in the bladder of catheterized individuals, increasing these individuals' risk of developing infection. Importantly, S. aureus is not only associated with severe symptoms during CAUTI, including bacteremia and septic shock, but it also produces a common uropathogen-associated virulence factor, urease. Despite its importance, urease has only been well-studied in another uropathogen, Proteus mirabilis. While previous studies identified three S. aureus urease regulators, including CodY, …

Larotrectinib In Trk Fusion Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Updated Trial Data, Steven Waguespack, Marcia Brose, Jessica J Lin, Ray Mcdermott, Mohammed Almubarak, Jessica Bauman, Michela Casanova, Shivaani Kummar, Se-Hoon Lee, Damian Rieke, Do-Youn Oh, Changsong Qi, Natascha Neu, Domnita-Ileana Burcoveanu, Chiara Mussi, Alexander Drilon, David Hong, Maria Cabanillas

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Larotrectinib is a first-in-class, highly selective, central nervous system-active tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor approved for tumour-agnostic use in TRK fusion cancer. It has previously demonstrated rapid and durable disease control and favourable safety in patients with advanced TRK fusion thyroid carcinoma (TC). After an additional 4 years of follow-up with the inclusion of two additional patients, and utilising an independent review committee (IRC) to assess overall response rate (ORR), we report updated pooled analyses from three phase 1-2 larotrectinib clinical trials, focusing only on patients with TRK fusion differentiated TC (DTC). The primary endpoint was the IRC-determined ORR per …