Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Between Obesity And Risk Of Total And Obesity-Related Cancer In People With Incident Cardiovascular Disease., Sarah Malik, Avirup Guha, Xiaoling Wang, Neal L. Weintraub, Ryan Harris, Biplab Datta, Justin Moore, Priyanshu Nain, Sagar A. Patel, Steven Coughlin, Elizabeth Polter, Anna Prizment, Anne Blaes, Roberta Florido, Shelby Kutty, Alvaro Alonso, Corinne E. Joshu, Elizabeth A. Platz

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer frequently co-occur due to shared risk factors such as obesity, which is linked to CVD and 14 cancer types. This study explores whether CVD pathophysiologies, combined with obesity, increase cancer risk, impacting clinical management.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, spanning 28 years, were analyzed. The cohort included 5127 participants with incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease), of whom 1511 developed a first primary cancer. Follow-up began at CVD diagnosis after Visit 1. Obesity was assessed using body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip …

Microfiltration Membrane Pore Functionalization With Primary And Quaternary Amines For Pfas Remediation: Capture, Regeneration, And Reuse, Sam Thompson, Angela Gutierrez, Jennifer Bukowski, Dibakar Bhattacharyya

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The widespread production and use of multi-fluorinated carbon-based substances for a variety of purposes has contributed to the contamination of the global water supply in recent decades. Conventional wastewater treatment can reduce contaminants to acceptable levels, but the concen- trated retentate stream is still a burden to the environment. A selective anion-exchange membrane capable of capture and controlled release could further concentrate necessary contaminants, mak- ing their eventual degradation or long-term storage easier. To this end, commercial microfiltration membranes were modified using pore functionalization to incorporate an anion-exchange moiety within the membrane matrix. This functionalization was performed with primary and …

Diabetes Screening Among Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Descriptive Study Of Commercial Claims, 2011–2019, Jacklyn Vollmer, W. Jay Christian, Mary E. Lacy

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects 6–12% of United States women of reproductive age. Because women with PCOS are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, clinical practice guidelines from a number of organizations (e.g. American Diabetes Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, US Preventive Services Task Force) recommend that individuals with PCOS are routinely screened for diabetes. Guidelines further indicate that an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) should be used for diabetes screening in women with PCOS as opposed to an A1C or fasting plasma glucose test. The purpose of this …

Axonal Injury, Sleep Disturbances, And Memory Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Emma M. Tinney, Goretti España-Irla, Aaron E. L. Warren, Lauren N. Whitehurst, Alexandra N. Stillman, Charles H. Hillman, Timothy P. Morris, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Neurology Faculty Publications

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with sleep deficits, but it is not clear why some report sleep disturbances and others do not. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between axonal injury, sleep, and memory in chronic and acute TBI. Methods: Data were acquired from two independent datasets which included 156 older adult veterans (69.8 years) from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) with prior moderate- to-severe TBIs and 90 (69.2 years) controls and 374 (39.6 years) from Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) with a recent mild TBI (mTBI) and 87 controls …

Planetary Health Learning Objectives: Foundational Knowledge For Global Health Education In An Era Of Climate Change, Kathryn H. Jacobsen, Caryl E. Waggett, Pamela Berenbaum, Brett R. Bayles, Gail L. Carlson, René English, Carlos A Faerron Guzmán, Meredith L. Gartin, Liz Grant, Thomas L. Henshaw, Lora L. Iannotti, Philip J. Landrigan, Nina Lansbury, Hao Li, Maureen Y. Lichtveld, Ketrell Mcwhorter, Jessica E. Rettig, Cecilia J. Sorensen, Eric J. Wetzel, Dawn Michele Whitehead, Peter J. Winch, Keith Martin

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Planetary health is an emerging field that emphasises that humans depend on a healthy Earth for survival and, conversely, that the sustainability of Earth systems is dependent on human behaviours. In response to member demands for resources to support teaching and learning related to planetary health, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) convened a working group to develop a set of planetary health learning objectives (PHLOs) that would complement the existing ten CUGH global health learning objectives. The eight PHLOs feature Earth system changes, planetary boundaries, and climate change science; ecological systems and One Health; human health outcomes; …

Coal Ash Triggers An Elevated Temperature Landfill Development: Lessons From The Bristol Virginia Solid Waste Landfill Neighboring Community, Reagan Patton Witt, Marcelo I. Guzman

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Landfills for disposing of solid waste are designed, located, managed, and monitored facili- ties expected to comply with government regulations to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment. After the average life expectancy of a typical landfill (30 to 50 years), a large investment in the construction, operation, final closure, and 30-year monitoring of a new site is needed. In this case study, we provide a holistic explanation of the unexpected development of elevated temperature landfills (ETLFs), such as that in the city of Bristol (United States) on the border of the states of Virginia and Tennessee, including the initial role …

Predicting The Association Of Metabolites With Both Pathway Categories And Individual Pathways, Erik D. Huckvale, Hunter Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Metabolism is a network of chemical reactions that sustain cellular life. Parts of this metabolic network are defined as metabolic pathways containing specific biochemical reactions. Products and reactants of these reactions are called metabolites, which are associated with certain human-defined metabolic pathways. Metabolic knowledgebases, such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) contain metabolites, reactions, and pathway annotations; however, such resources are incomplete due to current limits of metabolic knowledge. To fill in missing metabolite pathway annotations, past machine learning models showed some success at predicting the KEGG Level 2 pathway category involvement of metabolites based on their …

Enhancement Of High-Density Lipoprotein-Associated Protease Inhibitor Activity Prevents Atherosclerosis Progression, Maura Mobilia, Alexander A. Karakashian, Khaga R. Neupane, Olivia Hage, Callie Whitus, Abigail Carter, Clairity Voy, Lance A. Johnson, Gregory A. Graf, Scott M. Gordon

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Background and aims: Inflammatory cells within atherosclerotic lesions secrete proteolytic enzymes that contribute to lesion progression and destabilization, increasing the risk for an acute cardiovascular event. Elastase is a serine protease, secreted by macrophages and neutrophils, that may contribute to the development of unstable plaque. We previously reported interaction of endogenous protease-inhibitor proteins with high- density lipoprotein (HDL), including alpha-1-antitrypsin, an inhibitor of elastase. These findings support a potential role for HDL as a modulator of protease activity. In this study, we test the hypothesis that enhancement of HDL-associated elastase inhibitor activity is protective against atherosclerotic lesion progression.

Methods: We …

Perspectives On The Clinical Use Of Anti-Amyloid Therapy For The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease: Insights From The Fields Of Cancer, Rheumatology, And Neurology, Gregory Jicha, Erin Abner, Elif Pinar Coskun, Mark Huffmyer, Thomas Tucker, Peter T. Nelson

Neurology Faculty Publications

Introduction: The advent of disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has raised many questions and debates in the field as to the clinical benefits, risks, and costs of such therapies. The controversies have resulted in the perception that many clinicians are apprehensive about prescribing these medications to their patient populations. There also remains widespread uncertainty as to the economic impact, cost benefit ratio, and safety oversight for use of these medications in standard clinical care settings.

Methods: To contextualize such issues, the present study compared anti-amyloid biologic therapy (lecanemab) to four commonly used biologic agents in other fields, including trastuzumab …

The Seattle Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Als) Patient Project Database: Observational, Longitudinal, Dyadic Characterization Of People With Als And Their Partners, Suzanne C. Segerstrom, Edward J. Kasarskis

Neurology Faculty Publications

Introduction: The median survival time in ALS is approximately 3 years, but survival times range from less than a year to more than 10 years and much variance in disease course remains to be explained. As is true for physical outcomes, there is considerable variance in QOL, which is influenced by psychological health, coping, and social support, among other psychosocial factors. The Seattle ALS Patient Project Database (SALSPPD) provides a unique opportunity for researchers to address established and novel hypotheses about disease progression and QOL in ALS.

Methods: The SALSPPD is a longitudinal dataset of people with ALS (n = …

Therapeutics For Sickle Cell Disease Intravascular Hemolysis, Jianyao Xue, Xiang-An Li

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder predominantly affecting individuals of African descent, with a significant global health burden. SCD is characterized by intravascular hemolysis, driven by the polymerization of mutated hemoglobin within red blood cells (RBCs), leading to vascular inflammation, organ damage, and heme toxicity. Clinical manifestations include acute pain crises, hemolytic anemia, and multi-organ dysfunction, imposing substantial morbidity and mortality challenges. Current therapeutic strategies mitigate these complications by increasing the concentration of RBCs with normal hemoglobin via transfusion, inducing fetal hemoglobin, restoring nitric oxide signaling, inhibiting platelet-endothelium interaction, and stabilizing hemoglobin in its oxygenated state. While hydroxyurea …

Novel Psychoplastogen Dm506 Reduces Cue-Induced Heroin-Seeking And Inhibits Tonic Gaba Currents In The Prelimbic Cortex, Kassandra Looschen, Shailesh N. Khatri, Malabika Maulik, Colin Salisbury, Alaina F. Carman, Katilyn Corriveau, Colton Smith, Dina Manetti, Maria Novella Romanelli, Hugo R. Arias, Cassandra D. Gipson, Swarup Mitra

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Opioid use disorder is a major public health crisis that is manifested by persistent drug-seeking behavior and high relapse frequency. Most of the available treatments rely on targeting opioid receptors using small molecules that do not provide sustained symptom alleviation. Psychoplastogens are a novel class of non-opioid drugs that produce rapid and sustained effects on neuronal plasticity, intended to produce therapeutic benefits. Ibogalogs are synthetic derivatives of iboga alkaloids that lack hallucinogenic or adverse side effects. In the current study, we examine the therapeutic potential of DM506, a novel ibogalog lacking any cardiotoxic or hallucinogenic effects, in cue-induced seeking behavior …

Covid-19 And Rates Of Cancer Diagnosis In The Us, Todd Burus, Feitong Lei, Bin Huang, Jay W. Christian, Pamela C. Hull, Amanda R. Ellis, Svetla Slavova, Thomas Tucker, Krystle A. Lang Kuhs

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE US cancer diagnoses were substantially lower than expected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A national study on the extent to which rates recovered in 2021 has not yet been conducted.

OBJECTIVE To examine observed vs expected cancer rate trends for January 2020 to December 2021.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional, population-based study of cancer incidence trends used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 22 (SEER-22) Registries Database, which covers 47.9% of the US population. Included individuals were those with an invasive cancer diagnosis reported to registries included in SEER-22 between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2021. …

Depressive Symptoms And Sleep Quality Mediate The Relationship Between Race And Quality Of Life Among Patients With Heart Failure: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model, Jia-Rong Wu, Debra K. Moser, Chin-Yen Lin, Ambrose A. Chiang, Barbara Riegel

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Black patients with heart failure (HF) report worse quality of life (QoL) than White patients. Few investigators have examined mediators of the association between race and QoL, but depressive symptoms and sleep quality are associated with QoL.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether depressive symptoms and sleep quality are mediators of the relationship between race and QoL among patients with HF.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. We included 271 outpatients with HF. Self-reported race (White/Black), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and QoL (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire) were collected …

Patient Denial Of Myocardial Infarction In The Prehospital Phase: Prevalence And Correlates, Mona A. Abed, Amani A. Khalil, Debra K. Moser

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Limited knowledge exists regarding patients' denial of myocardial infarction (MI) before hospitalization for an MI. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of denial of MI in the prehospital phase of a confirmed MI. Methods: This secondary analysis included 166 hospitalized patients (mean [SD] age, 54.1 [10.5] years) who developed MI outside a healthcare facility and had high congruence between their experienced and expected symptoms. Measurements included the Denial subscale of the Brief COPE Inventory, the modified Response to Symptoms Questionnaire, and a Likert scale measuring perceived risk for MI. Patients who arrived …

Linkage Facilitation For Opioid Use Disorder In Criminal Legal System Contexts: A Primer For Researchers, Clinicians, And Legal Practitioners, Milan F. Satcher, Steven Belenko, Anthony Coetzer-Liversage, Khirsten J. Wilson, Michael R. Mccart, Tess K. Drazdowski, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Nickolas Zaller, Alysse M. Schultheis, Aaron Hogue, Noel Vest, Ashli J. Sheidow, Brandon Del Pozo, Dennis P. Watson, Patrick F. Hibbard, Randy Stevens, L. A. R. Stein

Nursing Faculty Publications

At the intersection of drug policy, the opioid crisis, and fragmented care systems, persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States are significantly vulnerable to contact with the criminal legal system (CLS). In CLS settings, provision of evidence-based treatment for OUD is variable and often secondary to punitive approaches. Linkage facilitation at every touch point along the CLS Sequential Intercept Model has potential to redirect persons with OUD into recovery-oriented systems of care, increase evidence-based OUD treatment connections, and therefore reduce CLS re-exposure risk. Research in this area is still nascent. Thus, this narrative review explores the state …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Student-Run Clinic On Reducing Cigarette Smoking In A Homeless Population, Briana Taormina, Bryson Jones, Kiah Gledhill Md, Audrey Darville Phd, Aprn, Cpaha-Tt

ePublications of Emerging Medical Research Scholars

Objective

Cigarette smoking remains a major health crisis in the United States, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of tobacco users each year. Access to evidence-based smoking cessation remains a challenge for many people that use tobacco products. Prior research demonstrates that the homeless population is exceedingly vulnerable to cigarette smoking and faces more barriers to quitting than their domiciled counterparts. This study explores the effectiveness of a free Smoking Cessation Clinic (SCC) within a homeless shelter for women and children, run by a nurse practitioner and a clinical nurse specialist trained as Tobacco Treatment Specialists, along with two …

In-Clinic Versus Online Recruitment Of Women With A History Of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Or Cervical Cancer To A Smoking Cessation Trial: A Post Hoc Comparison Of Participant Characteristics, Study Retention, And Cessation Outcomes., Bethany Shorey Fennell, Sarah R. Jones, Steven K. Sutton, Charles E. Hoogland, Cherell Cottrell-Daniels, David W. Wetter, Ya-Chen Tina Shih, Vani N. Simmons, Yesenia P. Stephens, Damon J. Vidrine, Jennifer I. Vidrine

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Recruiting special populations to smoking cessation trials is challenging and approaches beyond in-clinic recruitment may be beneficial. This secondary analysis of data from a smoking cessation RCT for individuals with a history of cervical cancer or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) explored differences associated with in-clinic vs. online recruitment.

AIMS AND METHODS: Participants were recruited from clinics within a university-based NCI-designated cancer center (n = 87) and online nationally via Facebook (n = 115). Baseline measures included sociodemographics, smoking history, and cancer or CIN history. Study retention and smoking abstinence were assessed 12 months post-baseline. Group differences in baseline characteristics …

Writing For The Journal: A Guide For Community-Based Organizations, Randy Wykoff, Rachel E. Dixon

Journal of Appalachian Health

The Journal of Appalachian Health welcomes submissions from a variety of stakeholders interested in and contributing to improvement of health across the Appalachian Region. This editorial provides basic guidelines for those working in community settings who may with to make JAH (or any other journal) their publication home.

Determining The Key Education Priorities Related To Heart Failure Care In Nursing Homes: A Modified Delphi Approach, James Mcmahon, David R. Thompson, Christine Brown Wilson, Loreena Hill, Paul Tierney, Jan Cameron, Doris S. F. Yu, Debra K. Moser, Karen Spilsbury, Nittaya Srisuk, Jos M. G. A. Schols, Mariëlle Van Der Velden-Daamen, Gary Mitchell

UK CARES Faculty Publications

There is currently a limited understanding of what nurses in nursing homes view as the key education priorities to support their ability to provide the appropriate care for residents with heart failure (HF). A modified Delphi technique was utilized to gain a consensus on the key education priorities for nurses working in nursing homes in Northern Ireland. An initial list of items (n = 58), across 19 domains, was generated using the findings of a scoping review and stakeholder interviews, and a review of available clinical guidelines. Two rounds of surveys were undertaken. Items were presented using a 5-point Likert …

Asap: A Pharmacy-Level Intervention To Increase Nonprescription Syringe Sales To Reduce Bloodborne Illnesses., B. E. Meyerson, J. Agley, Richard A. Crosby, K. G. Bentele, N. Vadiei, L. B. Linde-Krieger, D. R. Russell, K. Fine, L. A. Eldridge

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy syringe sales are effective structural interventions to reduce bloodborne illnesses in populations, and are legal in all but two states. Yet evidence indicates reduced syringe sales in recent years. This study was designed as a feasibility test of an intervention to promote syringe sales by pharmacies in Arizona.

METHODS: A four-month pilot among three Arizona pharmacies measured feasibility and acceptability through monthly surveys to 18 enrolled pharmacy staff members.

RESULTS: Pharmacy staff reported increased ease of dispensing syringes across the study. Rankings of syringe dispensing as 'easiest' among 6 measured pharmacy practices increased from 38.9 % at baseline …

Potential Impact Of Curative And Preventive Interventions Toward Hepatitis C Elimination In People Who Inject Drugs-A Network Modeling Study., Lin Zhu, William W. Thompson, Liesl Hagan, Liisa M. Randall, Abby E. Rudolph, April M. Young, Jennifer R. Havens, Joshua A. Salomon, Benjamin P. Linas

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Injection-equipment-sharing networks play an important role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments for HCV infection and interventions to prevent HCV transmission are critical components of an overall hepatitis C elimination strategy, but how they contribute to the elimination outcomes in different PWID network settings are unclear.

METHODS: We developed an agent-based network model of HCV transmission through the sharing of injection equipment among PWID and parameterized and calibrated the model with rural PWID data in the United States. We modeled curative and preventive interventions at annual coverage levels of …

Buprenorphine Prescribing Characteristics Following Relaxation Of X-Waiver Training Requirements., Paul J. Christine, Rouba A. Chahine, Simeon D. Kimmel, Nicole Mack, Christian Douglas, Thomas J. Stopka, Katherine Calver, Laura C. Fanucchi, Svetla Slavova, Michelle R. Lofwall, Daniel J. Feaster, Michael Lyons, Jerel M. Ezell, Marc R. Larochelle

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE: Local-level data are needed to understand whether the relaxation of X-waiver training requirements for prescribing buprenorphine in April 2021 translated to increased buprenorphine treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether relaxation of X-waiver training requirements was associated with changes in the number of clinicians waivered to and who prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder and the number of patients receiving treatment.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This serial cross-sectional study uses an interrupted time series analysis of 2020-2022 data from the HEALing Communities Study (HCS), a cluster-randomized, wait-list-controlled trial. Urban and rural communities in 4 states (Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio) …

Associations Between Il-1Β, Il-6, And Tnfα Polymorphisms And Longitudinal Trajectories Of Cognitive Function In Non-Demented Older Adults, Karen A. Lawrence, Elana M. Gloger, Cristina N. Pinheiro, Frederick A. Schmitt, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Neurology Faculty Publications

Inflammation is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in inflammatory cytokine genes are associated with increased AD risk. Whether the same polymorphisms also predict domain-specific cognitive change in cognitively healthy older adults is unclear. Specific SNPs in three cytokine genes, IL-1β (rs16944), IL-6 (rs1800795), and TNFα (rs1800629) were assessed for association with longitudinal trajectories spanning up to 16 years of global cognitive function, episodic memory, attention and working memory, and executive function in a sample of 324 non-demented older adults. Only rs1800629 (TNFα) was associated with significant change in global cognitive function over time [γ …

Cerebrovascular Reactivity Mri As A Biomarker For Cerebral Small Vessel Disease–Related Cognitive Decline: Multi-Site Validation In The Markvcid Consortium, Peiying Liu, Zixuan Lin, Kaisha Hazel, George Pottanat, Cuimei Xu, Dengrong Jiang, Jay J. Pillai, Emma Lucke, Christopher E. Bauer, Brian T. Gold, Steven M. Greenburg, Karl G. Helmer, Kay Jann, Gregory Jicha, Joel Kramer, Pauline Maillard, Rachel M. Mulavelil, Pavel Rodriguez, Claudia L. Satizabal, Kristin Schwab, Sudha Seshadri, Herpreet Singh, Ángel G. Velarde Dediós, Danny J. J. Wang, Rita R. Kalyani, Abhay Moghekar, Paul B. Rosenberg, Sevil Yasar, Marilyn Albert, Hanzhang Lu

Neurology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) represent a major factor in cognitive decline in older adults. The present study examined the relationship between cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive function in a multi-site study, using a predefined hypothesis.

METHODS: We conducted the study in a total of three analysis sites and 263 subjects. Each site performed an identical CVR MRI procedure using 5% carbon dioxide inhalation. A global cognitive measure of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and an executive function measure of item response theory (IRT) score were used as outcomes.

RESULTS: CVR …

Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals Potential Regulatory Role Of Nsmase2 (Smpd3) In Nervous System Development And Function Of Middle-Aged Mouse Brains, Zhihui Zhu, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Erhard Bieberich

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (nSMase2), gene name sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-3 (Smpd3), is a key regulatory enzyme responsible for generating the sphingolipid cer- amide. The function of nSMase2 in the brain is still controversial. To better under- stand the functional roles of nSMase2 in the aging mouse brain, we applied RNA-seq analysis, which identified a total of 1462 differentially abundant mRNAs between +/fro and fro/fro, of which 891 were increased and 571 were decreased in nSMase2-deficient mouse brains. The most strongly enriched GO and KEGG annota- tion terms among transcripts increased in fro/fro mice included synaptogenesis, syn- apse development, synaptic signaling, axon development, and …

Cigarette Smoke-Induced Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition: Insights Into Cellular Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Mohammed Alqithami, Amrita Machwe, David K. Orren

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

This review delves into the molecular complexities underpinning the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by cigarette smoke (CS) in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). The complex interplay of pathways, including those related to WNT//β-catenin, TGF-β/SMAD, hypoxia, oxidative stress, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB, plays a central role in mediating this transition. While these findings significantly broaden our understanding of CS-induced EMT, the research reviewed herein leans heavily on 2D cell cultures, highlighting a research gap. Furthermore, the review identifies a stark omission of genetic and epigenetic factors in recent studies. Despite these shortcomings, the findings furnish a consolidated foundation not only for the …

Cryo-Em Reconstruction Of Oleate Hydratase Bound To A Phospholipid Membrane Bilayer, Michael L. Oldham, M. Zuhaib Qayyum, Ravi C. Kalathur, Charles O. Rock, Christopher D. Radka

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Oleate hydratase (OhyA) is a bacterial peripheral membrane protein that catalyzes FAD-dependent water addition to membrane bilayer-embedded unsaturated fatty acids. The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus uses OhyA to counteract the innate immune system and support colonization. Many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the microbiome also encode OhyA. OhyA is a dimeric flavoenzyme whose carboxy terminus is identified as the membrane binding domain; however, understanding how OhyA binds to cellular membranes is not complete until the membrane-bound structure has been elucidated. All available OhyA structures depict the solution state of the protein outside its functional environment. Here, we employ liposomes to …

Nsd3::Nutm1 Fusion Sarcoma Mimicking Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor With Prolonged Survival, Jing Di, Ali M. Alhaidary, Chi Wang, Jinge Liu, Sainan Wei, Joseph Valentino, Therese J. Bocklage

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Nuclear Protein in Testis (NUT)-rearranged tumors comprise predominantly NUT car- cinoma but also include certain lymphomas, leukemias, skin appendage tumors, and sarcomas. Although histologically diverse, all are genetically identified by oncogenic rearrangement in the NUTM1 gene. Many fusion partners occur, and NSD3 is NUT carcinoma’s third most common partner. Herein, we present a case of a 26-year-old man with an NSD3::NUTM1 fusion sarcoma. The patient presented at the age of 13 months with a scalp nodule. Over the next 24 years, he experienced five local recurrences and ultimately expired of a rapidly progressive recurrence. His treatment included surgical resections, radiation, …

Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptor Latrophilin 1 (Adgrl1): A Novel Regulator Of Glucose And Energy Homeostasis., Kavaljit H Chhabra

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.