Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Dental Claires: Contrastive Language Image Retrieval Search For Dental Research, Tanjida Kabir, Luyao Chen, Muhammad F Walji, Luca Giancardo, Xiaoqian Jiang, Shayan Shams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Learning about diagnostic features and related clinical information from dental radiographs is important for dental research. However, the lack of expert-annotated data and convenient search tools poses challenges. Our primary objective is to design a search tool that uses a user's query for oral-related research. The proposed framework,

Coevolution Combined With Molecular Dynamics Simulations Provides Structural And Mechanistic Insights Into The Interactions Between The Integrator Complex Subunits, Bernard Fongang, Yannick N Wadop, Yingjie Zhu, Eric J Wagner, Andrzej Kudlicki, Maga Rowicka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Finding the 3D structure of large, multi-subunit complexes is difficult, despite recent advances in cryo-EM technology, due to remaining challenges to expressing and purifying subunits. Computational approaches that predict protein-protein interactions, including Direct Coupling Analysis (DCA), represent an attractive alternative for dissecting interactions within protein complexes. However, they are readily applicable only to small proteins due to high computational complexity and a high number of false positives. To solve this problem, we proposed a modified DCA approach, a powerful tool to predict the most likely interfaces of protein complexes. Since our modified approach cannot provide structural and mechanistic details of …

Tp53-Pten-Nf1 Depletion In Human Brain Organoids Produces A Glioma Phenotype In Vitro, Sanjay K Singh, Yan Wang, Ahmed Habib, Mamindla Priyadarshini, Chowdari V Kodavali, Apeng Chen, Wencai Ma, Jing Wang, N U Farrukh Hameed, Baoli Hu, Gregory N Fuller, Scott M Kulich, Nduka Amankulor, Rivka R Colen, Lincoln A Edwards, Pascal O Zinn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is fatal and the study of therapeutic resistance, disease progression, and drug discovery in GBM or glioma stem cells is often hindered by limited resources. This limitation slows down progress in both drug discovery and patient survival. Here we present a genetically engineered human cerebral organoid model with a cancer-like phenotype that could provide a basis for GBM-like models. Specifically, we engineered a doxycycline-inducible vector encoding shRNAs enabling depletion of the TP53, PTEN, and NF1 tumor suppressors in human cerebral organoids. Designated as inducible short hairpin-TP53-PTEN-NF1 (ish-TPN), doxycycline treatment resulted in human cancer-like cerebral organoids that effaced the …

Association Of Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression With Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Autophagy In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Haechan Lee, Sungwook Jung, Gyungyub Gong, Bora Lim, Hee Jin Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cyclooxygenase-2 plays a role in oncogenesis and its overexpression is associated with triple-negative breast cancer. However, the mechanisms whereby cyclooxygenase-2 contribute to breast cancer are complex and not well understood. Cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression causes hypoxia, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlations among cyclooxygenase-2 expression, endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated molecules, and autophagy-associated molecules in triple-negative breast cancer. Surgical specimens from two cohorts of triple-negative breast cancer patients without neoadjuvant systemic therapy were analyzed: cohorts 1 and 2 consisted of 218 cases from 2004 to 2006 and 221 cases from 2007 to 2009, respectively. …

Improved Outcomes With “7+3” Induction Chemotherapy For Acute Myeloid Leukemia Over The Past Four Decades: Analysis Of Swog Trial Data, Megan Othus, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, John E Godwin, James K Weick, Frederick R Appelbaum, Harry P Erba, Elihu H Estey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We have previously shown that complete response (CR) rates and overall survival of patients with acute myeloid leukemia have improved since the 1980s. However, we have not previously evaluated how the length of first CR (CR1) has changed over this time period. To address this, we analyzed 1,247 patients aged 65 or younger randomized to "7+3" arms from five SWOG studies: S8600 (n=530), S9031 (n=98), S9333 (n=57), S0106 (n=301), and S1203 (n=261). We evaluated length of CR1 and survival after relapse from CR1 over the four decades that these studies represent. Both length of CR1 and survival after relapse from …

Flecainide For Conversion And Maintenance Of Sinus Rhythm After Mitral Valve Replacement In Rheumatic Atrial Fibrillation, Umesh Tripathi, Aditya Kapoor, Surendra Kumar Agarwal, Prabhat Tewari, Shantanu Pande, Bipin Chandra, Ankit Sahu, Roopali Khanna, Sudeep Kumar, Naveen Garg, Satyendra Tewari

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite successful mitral valve replacement (MVR), many patients remain in AF. Flecainide can be useful in these patients but has not been used because of underlying structural heart disease.

METHODS: We assessed oral flecainide for conversion and maintenance of SR in 25 patients of chronic rheumatic AF following MVR (age 34.4 yrs, mean AF duration: 3.6 yrs). Non-converters underwent DC cardioversion at 24 h and 4 weeks. Patients received flecainide and bb/diltiazem at discharge.

RESULTS: Single oral dose of Flecainide achieved SR in 6/25 (24%) while 19/25 achieved SR after DCC; at24 h 21/25 (84%) were in SR. With …

Circadian Rhythms Of Risk Factors And Management In Atherosclerotic And Hypertensive Vascular Disease: Modern Chronobiological Perspectives Of An Ancient Disease, Yong-Jian Geng, Michael H Smolensky, Oliver Sum-Ping, Ramon Hermida, Richard J Castriotta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries that appears to have been as prevalent in ancient as in modern civilizations, is predisposing to life-threatening and life-ending cardiac and vascular complications, such as myocardial and cerebral infarctions. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis involves intima plaque buildup caused by vascular endothelial dysfunction, cholesterol deposition, smooth muscle proliferation, inflammatory cell infiltration and connective tissue accumulation. Hypertension is an independent and controllable risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Conversely, atherosclerosis hardens the arterial wall and raises arterial blood pressure. Many CVD patients experience both atherosclerosis and hypertension and are prescribed medications to concurrently …

Financial Toxicity In Cancer Patients And Subsequent Risk Of Repeat Acute Care Utilization, Julia J Shi, J Alberto Maldonado, Chi-Fang Wu, Susan K Peterson, Ying-Shiuan Chen, Kevin Diao, Robert J Volk, Sharon H Giordano, Ya-Chen T Shih, Kelsey Kaiser, Grace L Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Acute care (AC) visits by cancer patients are costly sources of healthcare resources and can exert a financial burden of oncology care both for individuals with cancer and healthcare systems. We sought to identify whether cancer patients who reported more severe initial financial toxicity (FT) burdens shouldered excess risks for acute care utilization.

METHODS: In 225 adult patients who participated in the Economic Strain and Resilience in Cancer (ENRICh) survey study of individuals receiving ambulatory cancer care between March and September 2019, we measured the baseline FT (a multidimensional score of 0-10 indicating the least to most severe global, …

Fostering A High-Functioning Team In Cancer Care Using The 4r Oncology Model: Assessment In A Large Health System And A Blueprint For Other Institutions, Raymond Liu, Christine B Weldon, Elizabeth Linehan, Nancy Gordon, Thea Abbe, Marti Hennings, Henie James, Jed Katzel, Chun Ng, Megumi Tomita, Jeffrey B Velotta, Stephanie Ossowski, Lori C Sakoda, Sharon Likely Sprague, Anna Dowling, Kimberly Beringer, Arliene Ravelo, Elaine Yu, Julia R Trosman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Delivering cancer care by high-functioning multidisciplinary teams promises to address care fragmentation, which threatens care quality, affects patient outcomes, and strains the oncology workforce. We assessed whether the 4R Oncology model for team-based interdependent care delivery and patient self-management affected team functioning in a large community-based health system.

METHODS: 4R was deployed at four locations in breast and lung cancers and assessed along four characteristics of high-functioning teams: recognition as a team internally and externally; commitment to an explicit shared goal; enablement of interdependent work to achieve the goal; and engagement in regular reflection to adapt objectives and processes. …

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Middle-Aged And Older Adult Vietnamese American Members Of A Northern California Health Plan, Donna B Haysbert, Joan C Lo, Nirmala D Ramalingam, Nancy P Gordon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing recognition that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors vary by Asian subgroups. We examined CVD risk factor prevalence among Vietnamese adults in a northern California health plan.

METHODS: We used electronic health record data to examine smoking, overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥23.0 kg/m

RESULTS: Current smoking prevalence was 20.3% for middle-aged men, 7.0% for older men, and

CONCLUSIONS: Study results suggest that more research on health conditions, lifestyle, and social factors among Vietnamese American adults is needed to develop culturally competent interventions to reduce CVD risk in this growing ethnic group.

Examining Sociodemographic Correlates Of Opioid Use, Misuse, And Use Disorders In The All Of Us Research Program, Hsueh-Han Yeh, Cathryn Peltz-Rauchman, Christine C Johnson, Pamala A Pawloski, David Chesla, Stephen C Waring, Alan B Stevens, Mara Epstein, Christine Joseph, Lisa R Miller-Matero, Hongsheng Gui, Amy Tang, Eric Boerwinkle, Mine Cicek, Cheryl R Clark, Elizabeth Cohn, Kelly Gebo, Roxana Loperena, Kelsey Mayo, Stephen Mockrin, Lucila Ohno-Machado, Sheri Schully, Andrea H Ramirez, Jun Qian, Brian K Ahmedani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The All of Us Research Program enrolls diverse US participants which provide a unique opportunity to better understand the problem of opioid use. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of opioid use and its association with sociodemographic characteristics from survey data and electronic health record (EHR).

Methods: A total of 214,206 participants were included in this study who competed survey modules and shared EHR data. Adjusted logistic regressions were used to explore the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and opioid use.

Results: The lifetime prevalence of street opioids was 4%, and the nonmedical use of prescription opioids was 9%. …

Editorial: Advances In Mathematical And Computational Oncology, Volume Iii, George Bebis, Mamoru Kato, Mohammad Kohandel, Kathleen Wilkie, Dinler A Antunes, Ken Chen, Jinzhuang Dou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Case Report: Responses To The Combination Of Gemcitabine With Sirolimus In Two Patients With Tsc-Mutated Sarcomas, Elise F Nassif, Cissimol P Joseph, Rossana Lazcano, Jocelyn T Joseph, Prapassorn Thirasastr, Alexander J Lazar, Neeta Somaiah

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TSC-mutated sarcomas are rare molecular and histologic types of sarcoma. Due to the presence of their specific oncogenic driver mutation, these sarcomas are particularly sensitive to mTOR inhibitors. Recently, nab-sirolimus, an albumin-bound mTOR inhibitor, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PEComas, which harbor a TSC mutation, and this drug remains the only FDA-approved systemic treatment for these tumors. We report on two cases of patients with TSC-mutated sarcomas who experienced significant responses to the combination of gemcitabine and sirolimus, after progression on prior gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and single agent mTOR inhibition with nab-sirolimus. …

Stellettin B Sensitizes Glioblastoma To Dna-Damaging Treatments By Suppressing Pi3k-Mediated Homologous Recombination Repair, Xin Peng, Shaolu Zhang, Yingying Wang, Zhicheng Zhou, Zixiang Yu, Zhenxing Zhong, Liang Zhang, Zhe-Sheng Chen, Francois X Claret, Moshe Elkabets, Feng Wang, Fan Sun, Ran Wang, Han Liang, Hou-Wen Lin, Dexin Kong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive type of cancer. Its current first-line postsurgery regimens are radiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy, both of which are DNA damage-inducing therapies but show very limited efficacy and a high risk of resistance. There is an urgent need to develop novel agents to sensitize GBM to DNA-damaging treatments. Here it is found that the triterpene compound stellettin B (STELB) greatly enhances the sensitivity of GBM to ionizing radiation and TMZ in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, STELB inhibits the expression of homologous recombination repair (HR) factors BRCA1/2 and RAD51 by promoting the degradation of PI3Kα …

Mass Spectrometry Based Biomarkers For Early Detection Of Hcc Using A Glycoproteomic Approach, Yehia Mechref, Wenjing Peng, Sakshi Gautam, Parisa Ahmadi, Yu Lin, Jianhui Zhu, Jie Zhang, Suyu Liu, Amit G Singal, Neehar D Parikh, David M Lubman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and 80%-90% of HCC develops in patients that have underlying cirrhosis. Better methods of surveillance are needed to increase early detection of HCC and the proportion of patients that can be offered curative therapies. Recent work in novel mass spec-based methods for glycomic and glycopeptide analysis for discovery and confirmation of markers for early detection of HCC versus cirrhosis is reviewed in this chapter. Results from recent work in these fields by several groups and the progress made in developing markers of early HCC which can outperform …

Risk Prediction Of Pancreatic Cancer In Patients With Recent-Onset Hyperglycemia: A Machine-Learning Approach, Wansu Chen, Rebecca K Butler, Eva Lustigova, Suresh T Chari, Anirban Maitra, Jo A Rinaudo, Bechien U Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: New-onset diabetes (NOD) has been suggested as an early indicator of pancreatic cancer. However, the definition of NOD by the American Diabetes Association requires 2 simultaneous or consecutive elevated glycemic measures. We aimed to apply a machine-learning approach using electronic health records to predict the risk in patients with recent-onset hyperglycemia.

Materials and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, health plan enrollees 50 to 84 years of age who had an elevated (6.5%+) glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) tested in January 2010 to September 2018 with recent-onset hyperglycemia were identified. A total of 102 potential predictors were extracted. Ten imputation datasets …

A Comparative Analysis Of Radical Cystectomy With Perioperative Chemotherapy, Chemoradiation Therapy, Or Systemic Therapy In Patients With Clinically Advanced Node-Positive Bladder Cancer (Cn2/N3), Harshit Garg, Mukund Bhandari, Furkan Dursun, Michael A Liss, Dharam Kaushik, Robert S Svatek, Ahmed M Mansour

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The management of non-metastatic clinically advanced lymph nodal (cN2/N3) bladder cancer (Stage IIIB) could involve radical cystectomy, chemoradiation, or systemic therapy alone. However, a definitive comparison between these approaches is lacking. This study aims to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection (RC-PLND), chemoradiation therapy (CRT) or systemic therapy (including immunotherapy) (ST) only in patients with stage IIIB bladder cancer.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database for patients with stage IIIB urothelial bladder cancer was done from 2004-2019. Patients were classified as Group A: Those who received RC-PLND …

Editorial: Women In Molecular And Cellular Oncology, Petranel T Ferrao, Laura Rosanò, Valeria Poli, Shilpa S Dhar, Ana Paula Lepique

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Women In Molecular And Cellular Oncology, Volume Ii: 2022, Shilpa S Dhar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Successful Treatment Of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection By Extended-Spectrum Β-Lactamase Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae Using Oral Lyophilized Fecal Microbiota Transplant, Naomi Bier, Blake Hanson, Zhi-Dong Jiang, Herbert L Dupont, Cesar A Arias, William R Miller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a challenging clinical entity that can be frustrating for patient and physician alike. Repeated rounds of antibiotics can select for multidrug-resistant organisms, further complicating care. We describe the successful use of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for the treatment of recurrent extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae UTIs in a patient with an ileal conduit and urostomy. In the 18 months after FMT, the patient had not experienced new infections with ESBL-producing organisms. The urine and stool microbiomes of the patient were tracked before and post-FMT using 16s RNA sequencing with measurement of α-diversity. Sequencing of …

Editorial: The Interplay Between Microbiota And Allergen In Shaping Respiratory Mucosa Immunity: Role In Development Of Asthma, Zhenwei Xia, Wenwei Zhong, Min Wu, Scott E Evans

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Epigenetic Aging In Psychiatry: Clinical Implications And Therapeutic Opportunities, Camila N C Lima, Gabriel R Fries

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Financial Toxicity In Cancer Patients And Subsequent Risk Of Repeat Acute Care Utilization, Julia J Shi, J Alberto Maldonado, Chi-Fang Wu, Susan K Peterson, Ying-Shiuan Chen, Kevin Diao, Robert J Volk, Sharon H Giordano, Ya-Chen T Shih, Kelsey Kaiser, Grace L Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Acute care (AC) visits by cancer patients are costly sources of healthcare resources and can exert a financial burden of oncology care both for individuals with cancer and healthcare systems. We sought to identify whether cancer patients who reported more severe initial financial toxicity (FT) burdens shouldered excess risks for acute care utilization.

Methods: In 225 adult patients who participated in the Economic Strain and Resilience in Cancer (ENRICh) survey study of individuals receiving ambulatory cancer care between March and September 2019, we measured the baseline FT (a multidimensional score of 0-10 indicating the least to most severe global, …

Global Research Trends And Prospects Related To Tumor Microenvironment Within Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Bibliometric Analysis, Peiting Li, Jun Li, Xiaofei Tong, Zhenyang Xiao, Wuliang Diao, Chi Zhong, Jianda Zhou, Wei Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and aims: The tumor microenvironment (TME) has pivotal parts within multiple tumor models of onset/progression, such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This bibliometric analysis was developed to explore trends and research niches revolving around TME in TNBC.

Methods: Web of Science Core Collection was queried for identifying studies linked with TME in TNBC, after which the VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software programs were used to conduct bibliometric analyses and to generate corresponding visualizations.

Results: In total, this study included 1,604 studies published from 2005-2023. The USA and China exhibited the highest numbers of citations, and the research institutions with …

The Assembled Genome Of The Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat, Theodore S Kalbfleisch, Nahla A Hussien Abouel Ela, Kai Li, Wesley A Brashear, Kelli J Kochan, Andrew E Hillhouse, Yaming Zhu, Isha S Dhande, Eric J Kline, Elizabeth A Hudson, Terence D Murphy, Françoise Thibaud-Nissen, Melissa L Smith, Peter A Doris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We report the creation and evaluation of a de novo assembly of the genome of the spontaneously hypertensive rat, the most widely used model of human cardiovascular disease.

METHODS: The genome is assembled from long read sequencing (PacBio HiFi and continuous long read data [CLR]) and scaffolded with long-range structural information obtained from Bionano optical maps and proximity ligation sequencing proximity analysis of the genome. The genome assembly was polished with Illumina short reads. Completeness of the assembly was investigated using Benchmarking Universal Single Copy Orthologs analysis. The genome assembly was also evaluated with the rat reference gene set, …

Pain Experience And Sensory Changes In Astronauts During And After Short-Lasting Commercial Spaceflight: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Andrea K Sauer, Marie Vigouroux, Patrick M Dougherty, Juan Pablo Cata, Pablo M Ingelmo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Space travel has been associated with musculoskeletal pain, yet little is known about the nociceptive changes and pain experience during spaceflight. This preliminary study aims to investigate the pain experience and sensory alterations in astronauts following a 17-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Axiom Space's AX-1 commercial space flight. Two participants were enrolled, and data were collected pre-flight, in-flight, post-flight, and three-month post-flight. Validated pain questionnaires assessed anxiety, catastrophizing, impact on physical and mental health, disability, and overall pain experience. Qualitative interviews were conducted post-landing and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and quantitative sensory testing (QST) were performed. …

Frontostriatal And Limbic Contributions To Cognitive Decline In Parkinson’S Disease, Gregory Brown, Jonathan Hakun, Mechelle M Lewis, Sol De Jesus, Guangwei Du, Paul J Eslinger, Lan Kong, Xuemei Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The circuitry underlying heterogenous cognitive profiles in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether structural changes in frontostriatal and limbic pathways contribute to different cognitive trajectories in PD.

METHODS: We obtained clinical and multimodal MRI data from 120 control and 122 PD subjects without dementia or severe motor disability. T1/T2-weighted images estimated volume, and diffusion imaging evaluated fractional anisotropy (FA) of frontostriatal (striatum and frontostriatal white matter [FSWM]) and limbic (hippocampus and fornix) structures. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) gauged total and domain-specific (attention/executive and memory) cognitive function. Linear mixed-effects models …

Molecular Predictors Of Immunophenotypic Measurable Residual Disease Clearance In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Maximilian Stahl, Andriy Derkach, Noushin Farnoud, Jan Philipp Bewersdorf, Troy Robinson, Christopher Famulare, Christina Cho, Sean Devlin, Kamal Menghrajani, Minal A Patel, Sheng F Cai, Linde A Miles, Robert L Bowman, Mark B Geyer, Andrew Dunbar, Zachary D Epstein-Peterson, Erin Mcgovern, Jessica Schulman, Jacob L Glass, Justin Taylor, Aaron D Viny, Eytan M Stein, Bartlomiej Getta, Maria E Arcila, Qi Gao, Juliet Barker, Brian C Shaffer, Esperanza B Papadopoulos, Boglarka Gyurkocza, Miguel-Angel Perales, Omar Abdel-Wahab, Ross L Levine, Sergio A Giralt, Yanming Zhang, Wenbin Xiao, Nidhi Pai, Elli Papaemmanuil, Martin S Tallman, Mikhail Roshal, Aaron D Goldberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is a powerful prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, pre-treatment molecular predictors of immunophenotypic MRD clearance remain unclear. We analyzed a dataset of 211 patients with pre-treatment next-generation sequencing who received induction chemotherapy and had MRD assessed by serial immunophenotypic monitoring after induction, subsequent therapy, and allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT). Induction chemotherapy led to MRD- remission, MRD+ remission, and persistent disease in 35%, 27%, and 38% of patients, respectively. With subsequent therapy, 34% of patients with MRD+ and 26% of patients with persistent disease converted to MRD-. Mutations in CEBPA, NRAS, KRAS, and …

Combining Mek And Src Inhibitors For Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer Demonstrate Increased Efficacy In Vitro But Not In Vivo, Fan Fan, Susmita Ghosh, Reid Powell, Jason Roszik, Yongsun Park, Mary Sobieski, Alexey Sorokin, Clifford Stephan, Scott Kopetz, Lee M Ellis, Rajat Bhattacharya

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. More than 50% of patients with mCRC harbor mutations of the oncogenic driver RAS (KRAS or NRAS). Because directly targeting most mutations of RAS is technically challenging, researchers have concentrated on targeting MEK, a downstream mediator of RAS. However, targeting MEK as single-agent therapy is ineffective in patients with mCRC. We hypothesize that combining a MEK inhibitor with other agents can enhance the efficacy of MEK targeting in mCRC. Unbiased high-throughput screening (HTS) was performed to identify drugs that enhance the efficacy of MEK …

Development And Validation Of Early Death Risk Score Model For Emergency Status Prediction In Very Severe Aplastic Anemia, Xu Liu, Wenrui Yang, Li Zhang, Liping Jing, Lei Ye, Kang Zhou, Yuan Li, Jianping Li, Huihui Fan, Yang Yang, Youzhen Xiong, Xin Zhao, Fengkui Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study developed and validated the Early Death Risk Score Model for early identification of emergency patients with very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA). All 377 patients with VSAA receiving first-line immunosuppressive therapy (IST) were categorized into training (n=252) and validation (n=125) cohorts. In the training cohort, age >24 years, absolute neutrophil count ≤0.015×109/L, serum ferritin >900ng/mL and times of fever before IST >1 time were significantly associated with early death. Covariates were assigned scores and categorized as: low (score 0-4), medium (score 5-7) and high (score ≥8) risk. Early death rate was significantly different between risk groups and the validation …