Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Coordinated Transfer Of Dna Between Pol Θ And Pol Δ Resets Microhomology Choice During Double-Strand Break Repair, Yuzhen Li, Mark Returan, Adele T Guerin, April M Averill, Dorcas Oladapo, Sylvie Doublié, Richard D Wood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

DNA polymerase theta (Pol θ)-mediated end joining (TMEJ) initiates DNA double-strand break repair by using short homologies (microhomologies) between single-stranded DNA tails. This repair process is particularly important in cancer cells defective in homologous recombination. The exonuclease function of DNA polymerase delta (Pol δ) has been identified as an essential component for TMEJ, functioning to remove unpaired bases flanking a microhomology (MH). It is not known if the exonuclease removes all unpaired bases at once and how this removal might affect subsequent MH selection. Here, we reconstituted a functional TMEJ repair process using purified human Pol θ and Pol δ. …

Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab Induce Hyper-Progression In Renal Medullary Carcinoma: Results Of A Phase Ii Trial And Preclinical Evidence, Melinda Soeung, Xinmiao Yan, Ciro Zanca, Jing Qian, Menuka Karki, Fei Duan, Hania Khan, Li Zhang, David H Peng, Mariah Williams, Rong He, Ziheng Chen, Luigi Perelli, Jianfeng Chen, Rebecca S Tidwell, Pankaj K Chauhan, Courtney N Le, Truong N A Lam, Nirjar Bhattacharya, Rutvi Shah, I-Lin Ho, Jason P Gay, Caroline C Carrillo, Ningping Feng, Kang Le, Guang Gao, Teresa L Perry, Faika Mseeh, Yongying Jiang, Quanyun A Xu, Niki Marie Zacharias, Rahul A Sheth, Tharakeswara K Bathala, Priya Rao, Najat C Daw, Durga N Tripathi, Cheryl L Walker, Mohammad M Mohammad, Jianhua Zhang, Guangchun Han, Yanshuo Chu, Ruiping Wang, Minghao Dang, Enyu Dai, Fuduan Peng, Yunhe Liu, Akshaya Jadhav, Wenhua Lang, Claudio A Arrechedera, Leticia Campos Clemente, Edwin R Parra, Hsinyi Lu, Cara L Haymaker, Ignacio I Wistuba, Andrew Futreal, Andrea Viale, Michael J Soth, Philip Jones, Joseph R Marszalek, Timothy Heffernan, Giulio F Draetta, Nizar M Tannir, Jianjun Gao, Linghua Wang, Giannicola Genovese, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Therapeutic options for patients with renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) are limited. Here we report the results of a phase II clinical trial (NCT03274258) of anti-PD1 nivolumab plus anti-CTLA4 ipilimumab in patients with RMC, with objective response rate as primary outcome. Enrollment was halted for futility at a prespecified interim analysis as all 10 treated patients experienced rapid disease progression. 5/10 met radiological criteria for hyperprogression and median progression-free survival (secondary outcome) was 1.38 months (95% confidence interval: 1.28, 1.60). In a post-hoc single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, data from patients with RMC before and after nivolumab plus ipilimumab treatment indicated that …

Live-Cell Quantitative Monitoring Reveals Distinct, High-Affinity Gβγ Regulations Of Girk2 And Girk1/2 Channels, Reem Handklo-Jamal, Tal Keren Raifman, Boris Shalomov, Patrick Hofer, Uri Kahanovitch, Theres Friesacher, Galit Tabak, Vladimir Tsemakhovich, Haritha P Reddy, Orna Chomsky-Hecht, Debi Ranjan Tripathy, Kerstin Zuhlke, Carmen W Dessauer, Enno Klussmann, Yoni Haitin, Joel A Hirsch, Anna Stary-Weinzinger, Daniel Yakubovich, Nathan Dascal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gi/o protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) inhibit cardiac and neuronal excitability via G protein-activated K+ channels (GIRK), assembled by combinations of GIRK1 - GIRK4 subunits. GIRKs are activated by direct binding of the Gβγ dimer of inhibitory Gi/o proteins. However, key aspects of this textbook signaling pathway remain debated. Recent studies suggested no Gi/o-GIRK pre-coupling and low (>250 µM) Gβγ-GIRK interaction affinity, contradicting earlier sub-µM estimates and implying low signaling efficiency. We show that Gγ prenylation, which mediates Gβγ membrane attachment required for GIRK activation, also contributes to the Gβγ-GIRK interaction, explaining the poor affinity obtained with non-prenylated Gβγ. Using quantitative …

Stiefel Md Anderson Oropharynx Cancer (Mda-Opc) Cohort: A Single-Institution, Prospective Longitudinal Outcomes Study, Amy Moreno, Ariana J Sahli, Faye Johnson, Xiaowen Sun, Carly Barbon, Waree Rinsurongkawong, Wenye Song, Flavie M Luciani, Han Liang, Jun Li, Wei Liu, J Jack Lee, S J Frank, Stephen Lai, Clifton Fuller, Katherine Hutcheson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The MD Anderson Oropharynx Cancer (MDA-OPC) cohort is a unique single-institution, prospective longitudinal cancer cohort. The cohort aims to enhance the therapeutic index of OPC management by supporting data needs for independent investigators to conduct rigorous observational studies examining exposures and factors associated with acute and late toxicities, cancer progression, recurrence, new malignancies and quality of life in OPC survivors.

Participants: A total of 1811 patients with OPC with a minimum follow-up of 6 months have been consented to our prospective registry between 18 March 2015 and 29 December 2023. Clinical and treatment (Tx) data are available on all …

Mycobacterium Chelonae Outbreak Investigation At A Quaternary Pediatric Hospital Following The Opening Of A Leed-Certified Critical Care Tower: Where Does Water Sustainability Intersect With Infection Control?, Andrea L Ankrum, Silvia M Caceres, Michael Torsell, Elaine Epperson, Vinicius Calado Nogueira De Moura, Jennifer J Gilick, Michael Strong, Qingyun Liu, Matthew J Strand, Rachel N Wilsey, Jennifer R Honda, Jane E Gross, Felicia A Scaggs-Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Investigate the increased incidence of Mycobacterium chelonae positive respiratory cultures in hospitalized patients.

Design: Apply the Healthcare-Associated Links in Transmission of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (HALT NTM) toolkit to an outbreak investigation of M. chelonae.

Setting: Quaternary-care pediatric hospital and medical center in the United States with a recently opened LEED-certified critical care tower.

Patients: Adult and pediatric patients with M. chelonae positive respiratory cultures between June 2022 and January 2024.

Methods: An epidemiological investigation involving clinical and laboratory practices, water management, building construction and renovation projects. Environmental sampling of air vents, water sources and endoscope reprocessing equipment was performed. M. …

Analysis Of A Deeply-Phenotyped Familial Hypercholesterolemia Cohort From Mexico Shows A Role For Both Rare And Common Alleles Across Known Dyslipidemia Genes And Reveals Structural Variation In A Novel Locus, Nicholas Katsanis, Niki Mourtzi, Consuelo D Quinto-Cortés, Alexandro J Martagon, Alexander G Ioannidis, Francisco M De La Vega, Jeff Gulcher, Ming Ta Michael Lee, Mohammad A Faghihi, Arturo Lopez-Pineda, Sonia Moreno-Grau, Daniel Mas Montserrat, Míriam Barrabés, David Bonet, Pavel Salazar Fernandez, Jeff Wall, Babak Moatamed, Roopa Mehta, Gabriela A Galan-Ramirez, Rafael Zubirán, Daniel Elias-Lopez, Teresa Tusié-Luna, Carlos A Aguilar-Salinas, Carlos D Bustamante

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder driven in part by mutations in three genes that encode components of the cholesterol pathway: LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9. However, the majority of FH genetics has been performed in individuals of European descent. Here, we leveraged a cohort of 300 patients from the Mexican FH registry to understand how rare, high liability alleles and common variants might contribute to shaping individual risk. Using a combination of whole exome and of short- and long-read whole genome sequencing, we report three key findings. First, we observed that rare pathogenic point mutations and structural variants in …

Naphthalimide-Based Type-I Nano-Photosensitizers For Enhanced Antitumor Photodynamic Therapy: H2s Synergistically Regulates Pet And Self-Assembly, Huiyu Niu, Songnan Wang, Yang Liu, Nana Ma, Shuaiwei Cheng, Beidou Feng, Hyunsun Jeong, Yonggang Yang, Ge Wang, Tony D James, Juyoung Yoon, Jonathan L Sessler, Hua Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) relies on a combination of light and photosensitizers (PSs) to achieve local control over cancerous lesions. However, it is subject to limitations, including tumor hypoxia, low tumor targeting, off‐target phototoxicity, and always‐on fluorescence. Here, we propose a design strategy for activated nano‐PSs (N‐PSs) to simultaneously overcome the limitations of PDT, wherein photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) is coupled with an endogenous H2S‐regulated self‐association process to promote Type‐I photochemical reactions. Using theoretical calculations, spectral analysis, and microscopic imaging, we verified the generation of self‐assembly and occurrence of PeT. And it was also shown that H2S could synergistically inhibit the …

2025 - The Sixth Annual Fall Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fall 2025 Symposium of Student Scholars, held in November 2025. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

The Differential Effects Of Camp Mobilizing Agents On Tgf-Β-Induced Extracellular Matrix In Human Lung-Derived Fibroblasts: Insights Into Therapeutic Targets For Lung Fibrosis, Sarah Orfanos, Brian T. Deeney, Gaoyuan Cao, Nikhil Karmacharya, Anjani Ravi, Cynthia J. Koziol-White, Qi Yang, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Reynold A. Panettieri Jr.

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Injury-repair responses typically induce tissue or organ scarring. Generally, cAMP-mobilizing agents inhibit the activation of fibroblasts and deposition of extracellular matrix. Some but not all cAMP-mobilizing agents inhibit fibrosis. Evidence suggests that inhaled treprostinil, a prostacyclin (IP) analog, increases intracellular cAMP levels [cAMP]I, and slows the decline in pulmonary function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, the molecular mechanisms by which cAMP-mobilizing agents, including treprostinil, alter the expression of matrix proteins in human lung fibroblasts (HLF) remain unclear. Unlike other Gαs -coupled receptors, we posit that the antifibrotic properties of treprostinil are driven by cAMP-mobilizing-dependent and -independent …

Divergent Prefrontal Cortex Circuits Regulate Cued Food Seeking Under Distinct Metabolic Or Emotional States, Xu O Zhang, Guillermo Aquino-Miranda, Claire E Cho, Yongzhe Wang, Duy Hoang Ha, Nikita Elinson-Watson, Allen Dong, Caleb Kemere, Fabricio H Do-Monte

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Flexibly adjusting food-seeking behaviour in response to food-associated cues and internal states is crucial for animals' survival. However, the neural mechanisms that modulate cued food-seeking behaviour during varying metabolic (i.e., hungry vs. satiated) and emotional (i.e., safe vs. threatened) states remain elusive. Here, we show that the encoding of metabolic or threat states in projection-defined neurons in the prelimbic cortex (PL) mediates cued food-seeking responses in rats. Using microendoscopic imaging, we demonstrate that neural population dynamics in PL consistently represent food cues, task-relevant behaviours, and internal state changes by recruiting distinct subsets of cue-responsive neurons at each state. Single-unit recording …

A Conversation With Dr. Shannon Jones Faculty Highlight, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

Dr. Shannon Jones, Senior Teaching Faculty in the Department of Biology, is a toxicology expert, teacher, and long-time mentor from Roper, North Carolina. With a PhD in Toxicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Jones came to the University of Richmond with a purpose: to transform the lives of her students.

Computer Problems? Must Have Been The Sun How Solar Particles And Cosmic Rays Affect The Future Of Computing, Ned Markham

Osmosis Magazine

Imagine playing your favorite video game, when suddenly, your character teleports to the top of the level. One may be quick to blame the software for faulty code, clueless that this error may have originated from an unlikely source: the sun. That’s right, during a speed run of Nintendo’s Super Mario 64, one stray cosmic ray flipped a single bit (a bit is the most basic unit of information inside a computer, storing one of only two possible values of 0 and 1), causing a streamer’s character to glitch in front of him and a live audience. This phenomenon, however, …

A Journey Into The Mysterious Quantum Realm, Kien Bui

Osmosis Magazine

Toward the end of the 18th century, many scientists believed that all the fundamental laws of physics had already been discovered. Falling apples obeyed Newton’s laws of motion, spinning compasses were explained by Maxwell’s unification of electricity and magnetism, and steam engines drove the first industrial revolution through the rise of thermodynamics. Lord Kelvin stated, “[t]here is nothing new to be discovered in physics now, all that remains is more and more precise measurement.” Only “two small clouds,” he warned, were the two remaining mysteries: black-body radiation and the theory of light. These small clouds, however, turned out to be …

From Sci-Fi To Reality: Could There Be Life On Mars?, Matea Šarkinović

Osmosis Magazine

Have you ever wondered: Are we alone in the universe? Well, scientists hope to answer the age-old question and they believe that Mars could hold the answer. The red planet has been identified as a potential home to life beyond Earth, and this article aims to explore what makes Mars such a strong candidate. Understanding the conditions on extraterrestrial objects is key to determining if our existence is a unique phenomenon or if we are the product of a recurring event that happens throughout the universe.

My Roman Empire: The Mystery Of Roman Concrete, Lilly Cashen

Osmosis Magazine

After the fall of an empire and millennia of conflict and decay, most structures crumble. Yet the monumental dome of the Pantheon, the towering ruins of the Colosseum, and the sprawling miles of aqueducts still stand today, two thousand years later, as testaments to Roman engineering brilliance. The survival of these ancient structures was made possible by one of Rome’s greatest innovations: Roman concrete, or opus caementicium.

True Silver: A Story Of Skin Coining With Silver In Traditional Asian Medical Practice, Trang Nguyen

Osmosis Magazine

Silver, one of the most precious metals on Earth, has captivated humans since prehistoric times for its natural shimmer, which has found its way into coins, jewelry, and ornaments (The Natural Sapphire Company, 2025). In traditional Asian medicine, silver’s significance extends beyond jewelry or currency; it is a key component in a practice called “cạo gió”, which involves releasing energy blockages and restoring balance to the body using a smooth metal tool to scrape the skin. Although it has been passed down through generations as a remedy for various ailments, a question remains: what makes silver the material of choice?

A Tragic Love Story Neanderthal-Human Interbreeding, Parth Patel

Osmosis Magazine

Humans moved northward when it became too hot and arid. Before that, we spent a few hundred thousand years evolving to the conditions of Africa (Hajdinjak et al., 2018). Our bones, genes, and skills were all honed to ensure survival in a particular climate, so when that climate began to change, the evolutionary traits that developed through years of mutations suddenly became deficient. It forced us to move in droves to Western Eurasia, where we found some comfort in the cooler weather (Slimak et al., 2024). We also found another species of human: the Neanderthal.

Spicomellus The Jurassic Enigma, Bryan Nam

Osmosis Magazine

Imagine stepping into a time machine and messing with the controls until you find someplace interesting to go. Your destination? Morocco, 165 million years ago. You arrive and look around at vast floodplains stretching far across the horizon; flat land cut through by mighty rivers. In the distance, you see something, a creature unlike any you’ve ever seen before. It looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. It seems almost like a reptilian tank, with huge spikes on its neck and hips. The dinosaur looks towards you, then turns away to look for food. You have just come face to …

Let’S Talk About Birds Baby: How Did Birds Evolve To Have Such Elaborate Courtship Rituals?, Lautaro Lo Prete

Osmosis Magazine

If you’ve ever watched a nature documentary featuring David Attenborough, you’ve definitely marveled at the eccentric and complex rituals of some bird’s courtship display. This behavior is a phenomenon among birds where males will often complete a ritualistic dance as a way to attract a female. But why go through all the hassle? What is the purpose of expending so much energy— all the while putting yourself at such a heightened risk of predation?

Does Free Food Lead To Less Food? Dependency Theory & The Ambiguous Effects Of Food Aid, Stevi Dugas

Osmosis Magazine

Dependency Theory, in the context of food aid, holds that food aid and subsequent increases in food supply disincentivize local agricultural production, resulting in local dependence on food aid for survival. But, is this actually the case? This article first explains the economic theory behind Dependency Theory, then examines why this theory may not connect to reality and some strategies for remedying the flaws of modern non-emergency food aid to ensure effective humanitarian aid.

From Convenience To Consequence The Health Risks Of Eating Ultraprocessed Food, Eve Snyder

Osmosis Magazine

Understanding Ultraprocessed Foods and Their Effects on the Body What happens to the body when it's deprived of vital nutrients from fiber and protein, and pumped full of excessive sugar, fats, and salt? This situation can happen by eating ultraprocessed foods. Ultraprocessed foods are made with processes you wouldn't normally perform in a home kitchen, with ingredients that have little, if any, nutritional value. Pumped with additives to enhance color and taste, ultraprocessed foods may look appealing, but they can have harmful, longterm health risks (Monteiro et al., 2019).

Mushrooms And Mind Control, Connor Beasley

Osmosis Magazine

In a humid forest climbs a lone carpenter ant. At midday, it sinks its mandibles into a leaf’s vein and is locked in place. A few days later, a thin stalk of mycelium erupts from its head, dusting the forest floor in spores to infect a new victim. The ant has been infected by an unseen puppeteer known as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, more commonly called cordyceps or the “zombie‑ant fungus” (de Bekker et al., 2021). When we think of mind control, visions of mad scientists and maniacal villains tend to dance through our heads; the true culprits, however, are …

Chew On This How Gum Can Prevent Cavities, Garrett Mayover

Osmosis Magazine

Gum has become a staple in my daily routine. What started as something I chewed casually after school has evolved into a small yet essential part of how I relax, focus, and stay alert throughout the day. Beyond its familiar chewy texture and refreshing flavors, gum has a surprising hidden benefit - it can actually help prevent cavities. This article will explore what gum really is, the science behind its cavity-fighting abilities, and which types of gum are best for maintaining a healthy smile.

Red Flags Are My Favorite Color: The Psychology Of Falling For The 'Bad Boys', Erlinda Sali

Osmosis Magazine

The “bad boy” has been a recurring figure in popular culture for years. He’s the leather-jacketed brooding rebel, the dangerous lover, the tortured antihero that we have learned to romanticize. This archetype blends “juvenile masculinities (aggression, rebellion, hypersexuality)” with appealing qualities like “charisma, ruggedness, and sensitivity,” creating a moral ambiguity that captivates audiences (Gopaldas and Molander, 2019). This contradictory mix keeps him popular across movies, songs, and advertisements. But with this archetype being ‘a walking red flag,’ why are we still so bewitched by the bad boy, and should we be?

Trouble-Making Teens: Can They Control Their Impulses?, Natasha Troike

Osmosis Magazine

Teenagers can be moody, irritable, and defiant; they may snap at their parents and make risky decisions that they regret. Decisions such as having unprotected sex or taking harmful, illegal substances can be drastically life-changing. Are these risky decisions acts of purposeful defiance, or is there more to it? Are teens truly in charge of their impulses, or are they victims of their developmental biology?

To Q-Tip Or Not To Q-Tip, Ainsley Coleman

Osmosis Magazine

If you are one of the many people on this earth lucky enough to have wet earwax and use earbuds, you have likely experienced some sort of discomfort at some point in your ears. Maybe it’s a slight itch, or a feeling of build-up, and so you reach for a q-tip. And, maybe as you reach for that cotton swab, you feel nagged by a reminder that q-tips are not to be put in your ears! But still, you use one to relieve that discomfort.

Synthetic Biology: Could You Donate Yourself A New Kidney?, Charlie Lanning

Osmosis Magazine

Currently in the United States, there are over 100,000 Americans stuck on the national transplant waiting list for lifesaving surgery. Eighty-six percent of them need kidney transplants (Organ Donation Statistics, 2025). However, only 27,000 kidney transplants take place every year. This shortage, along with other factors such as lack of public awareness, donor health complications, and financial disincentives, results in around 4,000 deaths every year (Soltani-Nia, 2024). While organizations such as the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and the National Kidney Registry have helped increase the number of transplants through public advocacy and the voucher program, emerging technologies such as …

Stem Cells: Potent Potential For Disease Treatment, Natalie Small

Osmosis Magazine

Different cells in the body serve a variety of functions. Cardiac muscle cells contract to pump blood through the heart. Nerve cells transmit electrical and chemical signals throughout the body. Lymphocytes play a role in the immune system to fight infections (Mostafa, 2022). But how do these different cell types arise? The answer is a special type of cell: stem cells.

The Math That Keeps Your Money Safe: Why A Few Extra Characters Could Save You, Joanna Petridi

Osmosis Magazine

Imagine a cracker (yes—that is what malicious hackers are named) sitting behind a screen. Their computer is trying millions of password combinations every minute. Your bank account password, just eight characters long, is the only thing standing between them and your savings. The difference between a password that takes a week to crack and one that would take longer than the universe has existed isn’t magic or luck. It’s simply math.

Letter From The Editor, Sam Chanenson

Osmosis Magazine

Letter from Sam Chanenson, Editor in Chief, Osmosis Science Magazine.