Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Lumen Origin And Gap Distance On Target Vessel Outcomes Following Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Aortic Repair Of Postdissection Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Armin Tabiei, Jesse Chait, Andrea Vacirca, Randall R Demartino, Emanuel R Tenorio, Fahad Shuja, Dora Babocs, Guilherme B B Lima, Naveed Saqib, Gustavo S Oderich, Bernardo C Mendes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: This study evaluated the role of target vessel (TV) lumen origin and fenestration gap (FG) distance between the endograft and the aortic wall on TV outcomes following fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR) for postdissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (PD-TAAAs).

Methods: A multicenter review of prospectively and retrospectively collected data of patients undergoing FB-EVAR for PD-TAAAs between 2013 and 2023 was performed. Lumen origin was retrospectively analyzed on preoperative imaging studies and classified as true lumen (TL) only, false lumen (FL) only, or both TL and FL. The FG distance was retrospectively measured on postoperative imaging studies and included as a …

Transgenic Hookworm Secretes Anti-Tetrodotoxin Human Single Chain Antibody, Kumar Sachin Singh, Suman Bharti, Bruce A Rosa, Mahdiyeh Bigham, Samuel C Uzoechi, Young-Jun Choi, John C Martin, Danielle Kemper, Slavica Pavlovic Djuranovic, Darren A Pickering, Rachael Ryan, Bethany K Bracken, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Eric C Carnes, Wannaporn Ittiprasert, Matthew Moyle, Paul J Brindley, Alex Loukas, Sergej Djuranovic, Makedonka Mitreva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Biologics, protein- and peptide-based drugs derived from living organisms or cell lines have emerged as effective therapies across a broad range of indications. However, parenteral administration and the need for frequent dosing increase costs and limit compliance, creating an urgent need for innovative platforms capable of continuously, safely, and efficiently delivering sustained biologics in situ within the host. Here, we describe a bioengineered hookworm platform to manufacture and deliver biologic therapeutics in vivo. As proof of concept, we engineer the Ancylostoma ceylanicum secretome by inserting a human single-chain variable fragment antibody (s16-HuScFv) into its genome. Transgene expression does not perturb …

Cytosine Base Editing Of Lpa In Transgenic Mice Averts Large Deletions, Marcel A Chuecos, So Hyun Park, Madhvi M Bhakta, Usosa Too-Chiobi, Daniel Betancourth, Mingming Cao, Marco De Giorgi, Christopher J Walkey, Anjana Tiwari, Biana Godin, Julia M Assini, Donna J Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael B Boffa, Marlys L Koschinsky, Gang Bao, William R Lagor

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a genetically determined causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with approximately 20% of the population exhibiting elevated levels. While there are promising drugs in development, there are currently no approved therapies specifically designed to lower Lp(a) levels. For high-risk individuals with extreme levels of Lp(a), liver-directed genome editing could be an effective one-time solution. Genome editing approaches such as CRISPR and TALENs can reduce Lp(a) in LPA-transgenic mouse models, but they frequently induce large and potentially harmful genomic deletions. Here, we report the first application of TadA-derived cytosine base editing (CBE), delivered via helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAdV) and …

Impact (Immune Monitoring And Phenotype Assessment Of Clinical Trajectory) For Patients With Inborn Errors Of Immunity From The Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (Pidtc), Danielle E Arnold, Hesham Eissa, Elizabeth Dunn, Geoffrey D E Cuvelier, Nicola A M Wright, Rebecca A Marsh, Suhag Parikh, Blachy Davila Saldana, Mark T Vander Lugt, Rosa Bacchetta, Lisa Forbes Satter, Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan, Erinn Kellner, Eric J Allenspach, Erica G Schmitt, Brent Logan, Lauri Burroughs, Morton J Cowan, Linda M Griffith, Luigi Notarangelo, Sung-Yun Pai, Michael A Pulsipher, Christopher C Dvorak, Elie Haddad, Jennifer M Puck, Troy R Torgerson, Jennifer W Leiding, Jennifer Heimall, Alice Y Chan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Evaluating natural history and outcomes of rare inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) has been challenging due to the diverse disease manifestations and lack of standardized data.

Objective: To develop a set of standardized, quantitative, generalizable data collection modules to measure organ dysfunction in IEIs, modeled on the previously validated Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event system for grading treatment toxicity.

Methods: Disease conditions were organized by organ system. Experts from the Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium identified essential features of severe combined immunodeficiency, chronic granulomatous disease, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and primary immune regulatory disorders and compared these to Common Terminology …

The Omeract Core Domain Sets For Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease, Nicola Dalbeth, Yiling Zhang, Owen Hensey, David Grossberg, Ken Cai, Amy Fuller, Geraldine M Mccarthy, Tristan Pascart, Augustin Latourte, Edoardo Cipolletta, William J Taylor, Cesar Diaz-Torne, Tim L Jansen, Lih En Hong, Silvia Sirotti, Fabio Becce, Georgios Filippou, Beverley Shea, Robin Christensen, Jasvinder A Singh, Abhishek Abhishek, Sara K Tedeschi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: To develop OMERACT core domain sets for chronic and recurrent calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease and acute calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal arthritis.

Methods: Following OMERACT methodology, the CPPD Working Group (comprising of patient research partners, fellows, clinicians, and methodologists) defined the core domain sets. The development of the core sets occurred through a scoping review, qualitative study, Delphi surveys, and ranking exercises to identify the most relevant domains. A virtual e-module was developed to enable members of the OMERACT community to discuss and vote for endorsement of the OMERACT CPPD core domain sets.

Results: The core domains for chronic …

Complement Activation In Maternal And Placental Pathology Of Preeclampsia, Manu T Banadakoppa, Madhulatha S Chauhan, Moises J Tacam, Allyson W Nevins, Antonio H Ruano, Simone H Ruano, Jon A Fuson, Chandra Yallampalli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Preeclampsia is a multifactorial, pregnancy-related disorder characterized by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria, with distinct early- and late-onset forms. Although complement dysregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, its causal role remains unclear. In mice, Crry (complement receptor 1-related protein Y) functions as a critical complement regulator at the fetal-maternal interface. Because complete Crry deficiency is embryonically lethal, direct in vivo investigation of complement activation in pregnancy has been challenging.

Methods: We generated a placenta-specific, doxycycline-inducible short hairpin RNA mouse model in which Crry expression can be downregulated in a dose-dependent manner. This system employs Cyp19-driven Cre recombinase …

The Relationship Between Psychological Stress And Sars-Cov-2 Nucleocapsid-Antibody Response Following Natural Infection: Longitudinal Findings From The Aegis Study, Erika T Beidelman, Ashley Judge, David B Allison, Stephanie Dickinson, Lilian Golzarri Arroyo, Anna L M Macagno, Michael J Ricciardi, Jon Macy, Stanley Perlman, Christina Ludema, Kevin C Maki, Molly Rosenberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Psychological stress can cause diminished immune response to infectious challenges. The extent this holds true during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the modifying effect of vaccination status is untested. We explored these relationships in a non-random sample standardized to the US adult population. Across 2178 participants in the Aegis study (2021-2022), we identified 507 eligible laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. We estimated the natural log of nucleocapsid-binding antibody absorbance (N-antibody) at study visits up to 225 days following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Linear mixed effects models were fit to estimate the association of baseline perceived stress and, separately, …

A Novel Qa Method For Adaptive Aperture Position Verification Of Proton Therapy System, Shuxin Fan, Tiezhi Zhang, Xiandong Zhao, Winter Green, Baozhou Sun, Tianyu Zhao, Yao Hao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Accurate Adaptive Aperture (AA) leaf positioning is essential for some proton therapy systems to ensure precise dose delivery and patient safety. However, conventional quality assurance (QA) methods can be suboptimal or inefficient for routinely assessing the dynamic nature of AA in the Mevion S250i HYPERSCAN system. This study introduces a novel automated QA method to verify AA positions utilizing a scintillation detector. A specialized QA plan consisting of 7 rectangular fields was generated in the RayStation treatment planning system (TPS) and delivered using the Mevion S250i HYPERSCAN proton therapy system. Dose distributions were measured with an IBA Lynx PT scintillation …

A Multi-Country Community Of Practice To Strengthen Quality Improvement In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Quality Improvement Program Description, Samhita Bhargava, Heather A Haq, Brodus A Franklin, Elizabeth Davis, Florence Anabwani-Richter, Thobile Bhembe, Lindokuhle P Dlamini, Makhosazana Dlamini, Andy Chapola, Nomsa Kafumba, Chisomo Mzandu Zinyemba, Menard Bvumbwe, Kyakuwa Richard Jjuuko, Jacqueline Balungi Kanywa, Dithan Kiragga, Andreas Boy Isaac, Esther Makhalanyane, Lwamba Nyembo, Retselisitoe Mahlaha, John T Farirai, Eunice W Ketang'enyi, Andrea E M Imsen, Iuliana Costas, Susan B Torrey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/objectives: Quality improvement (QI) is widely used in global health to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and strengthen service delivery. The Texas Children's Global Health Network (TCGHN) includes nine independent non-governmental organizations supporting healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with pediatric HIV clinical centers of excellence in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), supported technically by Baylor College of Medicine. We describe the development of a virtual QI Community of Practice (QICoP) to connect geographically dispersed teams and strengthen local QI capacity.

Methods: In 2022, QI and global health experts convened to design the QICoP and assess site readiness. …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Vaginal Microenvironment In Rheumatoid Arthritis, Marlyd E Mejia, Savannah Bowman, Jessica Lee, Ali El-Halwagi, Keshia Ferguson, Maryjo Maliekel, Yixuan Zhou, Camille Serchejian, Clare M Robertson, Mallory B Ballard, Lee B Lu, Sobia Khan, Olubunmi O Oladunjoye, Shixia Huang, Sandeep K Agarwal, Kathryn A Patras

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The human microbiota is implicated in the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Given the increased RA burden in women and well-known correlations between the vaginal microbiota and local inflammation, we seek to understand the vaginal microenvironment in the context of RA pathology. Self-collected vaginal swabs and questionnaires on dietary, menstrual, and health information were obtained from 36 RA and 50 demographically-matched control women, 18–63 years of age. Medication regimen, along with disease activity and severity, was captured for the RA cohort. Vaginal swabs were subjected to long-read 16S rRNA gene sequencing, multiplex cytokine analyses, and quantification of rheumatoid …

Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Obesity: An Unexpected But Welcome Fourier Transformation, Layla A Abushamat, Arsalan Hamid, Vijay Nambi, Huaizhu Wu, Christie M Ballantyne

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Systems Genetic Dissection Of Brain Gene Expression Reveals Excitotoxic Mechanisms Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Pinghan Zhao, Omar El Fadel, Anh Le, Carl Grant Mangleburg, Justin Dhindsa, Timothy Wu, Jinghan Zhao, Meichen Huang, Bismark Amoh, Aditi Sai Marella, Yarong Li, Nicholas T Seyfried, Allan I Levey, Zhandong Liu, Ismael Al-Ramahi, Juan Botas, Joshua M Shulman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Gene expression changes likely mediate the impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology on cognition, but there are challenges to resolve the proximal causal pathways from postmortem brain transcriptome profiles which lack temporal resolution and are further confounded by mixed pathologies. Here, we functionally dissect 30 AD-associated human brain gene co-expression modules using fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) models. Integrating longitudinal RNA-sequencing and behavioral phenotyping, we interrogated the consequences of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, tau neurofibrillary tangles, and aging, highlighting hundreds of conserved, differentially expressed genes. To pinpoint causal modules and drivers, we manipulated 344 prioritized targets in vivo, identifying 141 modifiers …

Steroid Receptor Coactivators In Immunity – From Function To Emerging Translational Opportunities, Yosef Gilad, David M Lonard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Steroid Receptor Coactivators (SRCs) comprise a family of three paralogous proteins. As transcriptional coactivators SRCs are essential for enabling the full transcriptional output of nuclear receptors (NRs). They regulate the transcriptional activity of nearly all NRs as well as a wide range of non-NR transcription factors. The central role of SRCs in gene regulation is reflected in their broad impact on major physiological and pathological processes, such as development, reproduction, metabolism, immunity and cancer. Although the major impact of SRCs on human health and disease established them as attractive therapeutic targets, their effective pharmacological targeting remained a challenge for nearly …

Mindful Self-Compassion To Reduce Pain Interference Among Adults With Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Amena Sediqi, Roya Al-Khalili, Saunya Dover, Corien Peeters, Adam Khalif, V Reid Sutton, Frank Rauch, Brendan Lee, Eric A Storch, Marie-Eve Robinson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Between 60 and 80% of adults with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) experience chronic pain and associated interference. Currently available pain therapies often provide marginal efficacy. Mindful self-compassion (MSC) has emerged as a promising intervention for coping with chronic pain. We conducted a single-center 8-week pilot intervention study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a MSC program among adults with OI and co-occurring chronic pain. Individuals attended the validated MSC course consisting of 8 weekly virtual 2-h sessions. Participants completed a battery of validated questionnaires assessing pain, various aspects of well-being, and physical function at baseline and post-intervention. Participants wore the …

Structural Determinants Of Ligand Response Specificity In The Mast Cell Activating Gpcr, Mrgprx2, Abiodun Adefola R Adeosun, Melina A Agosto, Olivier Lichtarge, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The mast cell-specific G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) MRGPRX2 (Mas-Related G Protein-coupled Receptor X2) has roles in itch and pain, and it mediates clinically relevant allergy-like responses to a diverse assortment of drugs. The varied responses of individuals to MRGPRX2 agonists, leading to drug hypersensitivity reactions in some cases, suggests the presence of consequential variants in the population. However, genetic associations with drug responses are poorly understood. We used heterologously-expressed MRGPRX2 to investigate the effect of 18 naturally occurring non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms on activation by representative compounds from several classes, including neuropeptides, opioid agonists, antibiotics, neuromuscular blocking agents, and polycationic aromatic …

Transient Yap Activation Uncovers The Neurogenic Potential Of Proliferative Mammalian Müller Glia, English J Laserna, Irina V Saltykova, Benjamin M Hall, Xuefei Tong, Justin S Dhindsa, Borna Sarker, Ayrea E Hurley, Paul G Swinton, William R Lagor, Nicholas M Tran, James F Martin, Ross A Poché

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Hippo pathway effector YAP promotes spontaneous proliferation of Müller glia (MG), suggesting that bypassing Hippo signaling and activating YAP could enhance retinal regeneration. However, whether proliferative adult MGs retain meaningful neurogenic competence remains unclear. Here, using viral delivery of a Hippo-resistant YAP variant to wild-type adult MGs, we achieved transient YAP activation in adult MGs, inducing proliferation followed by cell-cycle withdrawal and differentiation. Intersectional genetic lineage tracing and EdU labeling, combined with transcriptomic analyses, revealed that YAP-activated MGs predominantly regenerate MGs, whereas only a subset gives rise to bipolar cell-like neurons. These results indicate that proliferative MGs acquire a …

Corrigendum To Diagnosis Of Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome In Children: Time For A Rethink? Transplantation And Cellular Therapy. 2024 Aug; 30(8):760–769, Shivanthan Shanthikumar, William A Gower, Kenneth R Cooke, Anne Bergeron, Kirk R Schultz, Amisha Barochia, Maximiliano Tamae-Kakazu, Edward Charbek, Erin E Reardon, Charlotte Calvo, Alicia Casey, Pi Chun Cheng, Theresa S Cole, Stella M Davies, Shailendra Das, Aliva De, Robin R Deterding, Deborah R Liptzin, Francoise Mechinaud, Jonathan H Rayment, Paul D Robinson, Roopa Siddiah, Anne Stone, Saumini Srinivasin, Christopher T Towe, Gregory A Yanik, Narayan P Iyer, Samuel B Goldfarb

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Outcomes After Elective Total Aortic Arch Replacement: Does Obesity Matter?, Vicente Orozco-Sevilla, Michael Tyler Guinn, Ivan Murrieta-Alvarez, Veronica A Glover, Susan Y Green, Subhasis Chatterjee, Scott A Lemaire, Marc R Moon, Joseph S Coselli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Obesity is a chronic disease linked to high mortality and morbidity after cardiac procedures, but its relationship to outcomes after total aortic arch replacement (TAR) remains unclear. We examined TAR data to determine whether obesity is associated with greater perioperative risk.

Methods: Among 787 TARs performed from 1990 to 2023, we excluded patients who lacked body mass index (BMI) data, had nonelective or nonstandard repairs, or were underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2). The remaining 521 patients did not have obesity (18.5 ≤BMI < 30; n = 389) or did (BMI ≥30; n = 132). Patients with obesity were class 1 (30 ≤ BMI < 35), class 2 (35 ≤ BMI < 40), or class 3 (BMI ≥40). We compared preoperative and perioperative variables for BMI ≥30 (obesity) versus BMI < 30. Adverse events were operative mortality, persistent stroke, spinal cord deficit, and renal failure. We performed multivariable logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Results: Patients with obesity had greater rates of obstructive sleep apnea, transient spinal cord deficit, and acute renal dysfunction than patients with normal weight. During repair, the use of antegrade …

The American Association For Thoracic Surgery Medical Student Opportunity Scholarship In Its Fifth Year: Are We Making Progress?, Marc R Moon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Efficacy And Safety Of Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum In Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jake A Miller, Muhammed A Moukhtar Hammad, Lucas G C R De Amorim, Laura Angulo-Llanos, Helen L Bernie, Jeremiah R Dallmer, Grace M Garrett, Gal S Grunhaus, Beatriz S Hernandez, Tung-Chin Hsieh, Bruce R Kava, Mohit Khera, Thomas A Masterson, Vi Nguyen, Thairo A Pereira, Daniela O Rendon, Max D Sandler, Dan V Tran, Faysal A Yafi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: While prior studies have demonstrated that men who have sex with men (MSM) may disproportionately experience distress due to Peyronie's disease (PD), limited evidence exists regarding the outcomes of these men when treated with collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) injections.

Aim: To investigate the outcomes of MSM undergoing CCH injections for PD.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 790 patients undergoing CCH injections for PD at 5 academic centers within the United States, including data pertaining to demographic information, sexual orientation, penile curvature characteristics, treatment characteristics, and treatment-related outcomes.

Outcomes: The impact of sexual orientation on treatment-related satisfaction, efficacy, …

Diabetic Retinopathy Severity On Ultra-Widefield Fluorescein Angiography Versus Color Photography And Association With Risk Of Disease Worsening, Paolo S Silva, Danni Liu, Lloyd P Aiello, Ruben Grigorian, Sandeep Grover, Lee M Jampol, Daniel F Martin, Michele Melia, Christina Y Weng, Jennifer K Sun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the potential benefits of ultra-widefield (UWF) fluorescein angiography (FA) versus color photography in assessing the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) worsening.

Design: Exploratory analysis of a longitudinal observational study (Protocol AA).

Participants: Participants with ≥1 eye having nonproliferative DR at baseline.

Methods: For each UWF-color and UWF-FA image, the extent and severity of DR lesions within the ETDRS 7-field area ("masked") and the full image area ("unmasked") were determined. Diabetic retinopathy severity levels were graded for each combination of modality and masking condition using the ETDRS Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS). Associations between baseline UWF-color and UWF-FA …

Hematochezia In A Patient With End-Stage Renal Disease, Brennan Gioe, Conrad Fernandes, E Celia Marginean, Stalin Subramanian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Prognostic Value Of Stress Perfusion Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Kawasaki Disease With Coronary Artery Aneurysms: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study, Alexander J Kiener, S Kristen Sexson Tejtel, Aimee Liou, Carolyn A Altman, Tam T Doan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) with coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) places patients at risk for myocardial ischemia and major cardiac events (MCE). While stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (spCMR) is used for surveillance, its prognostic value has not been established.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of KD patients (AHA risk levels 3-5) who underwent clinically indicated vasodilator spCMR at a tertiary pediatric center between October 2014 and December 2024. We evaluated inducible perfusion defects, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), ventricular function, and MCE (myocardial infarction, ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmia, revascularization, transplant, or death). We performed Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses …

Paid Employment And Ability To Work Among People Receiving Dialysis: A Systematic Review Of Qualitative Studies, Ao Zhang, Adam Martin, Karine Manera, Chandana Guha, Martin Howell, Patrizia Natale, Nicole Scholes-Robertson, Dharshana Sabanayagam, Adeera Levin, Wolfgang Winkelmayer, Kevin F Erickson, Germaine Wong, Allison Jaure, Anita Van Zwieten

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale & objective: People receiving dialysis have reduced workforce participation, which can affect mental well-being and exacerbate the financial burden of dialysis. This study describes the experiences and perspectives of people receiving dialysis on employment and their ability to work.

Study design: Systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

Setting & study populations: Adults aged 16 years and over receiving dialysis.

Search strategy & sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched to May 2025 for qualitative and mixed-methods studies that reported the perspectives of people receiving dialysis on employment or ability to work.

Data extraction: Text from results and …

Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Coordinated Endothelial And Epithelial Activator Protein-1 Activation In Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction, Yasufumi Goda, Tatsuhiko Naito, Mudassir M Banday, Andrew S Potter, Igor Odintsov, Kapil Patel, Nicole Davis, Stefi Lee, Amit Gaggar, Ivan Rosas, Gabriel Loor, Don Hayes, Nirmal S Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) limits long-term lung graft survival, yet its specific gene expression profiles remain unclear. We performed comprehensive spatial transcriptomic analyses of human lungs from CLAD patients, non-CLAD transplant recipients, and non-transplanted controls. In CLAD, AP-1 target genes, including JUNB and FOS, were significantly upregulated in both the epithelium and endothelium, whereas anti-fibrotic genes such as A2M and surfactant proteins (SFTPA1,2) were upregulated in non-CLAD. The lymphocyte population in CLAD was predominantly composed of T cells, with elevated JAK3-IL7R signaling. TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways were commonly activated in both the epithelium and endothelium, with JUNB and …

The Soft Cluster Score As A Multifaceted Predictive Model For Postoperative Outcomes, Gwendolyn B Henry, Spoorthi Kamepalli, Carter J Burns, Jeremy Birkmire, George Cholankeril, Avegail Flores, John A Goss, Abbas Rana

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Consideration of both donor and recipient factors at the time of an organ offer is crucial in achieving the most optimal outcome given the shortage of available donor organs and waitlist mortality risk. Our aim was to achieve a comprehensive risk assessment for liver transplant patients by creating a series of independent risk index equations for 6 distinct posttransplant endpoints in the transplant continuum of care.

Methods: The Survival Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation (SOFT) Cluster score includes risk indices for patient mortality at 90 d, 1 y, 3 y, and 5 y posttransplant, graft failure at 1 y after …

Kidney Disease And Heart Failure: Recent Advances And Current Challenges: Conclusions From A Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (Kdigo) Controversies Conference, Carolyn S P Lam, Biykem Bozkurt, David Z I Cherney, Justin A Ezekowitz, Meg J Jardine, Sadiya S Khan, Magdalena Madero, Mark J Sarnak, Jozine M Ter Maaten, Michael Cheung, Jennifer M King, Morgan E Grams, Michel Jadoul, Nisha Bansal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently coexist, which elevates the risks of hospitalization, disease progression, and death. Despite advances in treating each condition independently, many challenges remain in diagnosing and managing them in combination. In March 2024, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) held the Controversies Conference on Kidney Disease and Heart Failure: Recent Advances and Current Challenges. Discussions highlighted the complex, bidirectional relationship between HF and CKD, including shared risk factors and overlapping pathophysiology as well as nuances in interpreting biomarkers such as natriuretic peptides and serum creatinine. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, and emerging …

Corneal Innervation Research At A Crossroads: A Tool-Driven Roadmap For The Future, Anna Matynia, Ian D Meng, Brian M Davis, Stephen C Pflugfelder, Anat Galor, Victor L Perez, Elizabeth R Felix, Pedram Hamrah, Pantelimon Rompolas, Raul E Ruiz-Lozano, Shamsuddin A Bhuiyan, Kaveh Moghbeli, Evangelia Semizoglou, William Renthal, Harinder Singh, Jishnu Das, Marcin Golczak, Mary Ann Stepp, Catherine W Morgans, Cintia S De Paiva, Carl Y Saab, Igor Spigelman, Rony R Sayegh, Tally M Largent-Milnes, Hao Wu, Wenqin Luo, Sreya Mitra, Heesuk Yoo, Sina Farsiu, Sejiro Littleton, Eden Jacob, Matthew T Mcpheeters, Maryse Lapierre-Landry, Jordan J Smith, Xi Wang, Roxana Florea, Made Airanthi K Widjaja-Adhi, Scott Holmes, Zane Zemborain, Kate E T Laise, Nicholas J Pondelis, Ki-Soo Jeong, Rui Chen, Michael W Jenkins, Vivian Lee, Eric A Moulton, Deborah S Jacobs, Sue A Aicher, Anthony J St Leger, Daniel R Saban

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Corneal innervation research has faced long-standing clinical challenges that only recent technological breakthroughs now make tractable. Advances in single-cell analysis, viral vectors, clinical imaging, and artificial intelligence provide integrated approaches for uncovering molecular mechanisms underlying functional outcomes and facilitating clinical applications. The National Eye Institute's U01-funded consortium on ocular surface innervation addresses major knowledge gaps in characterizing corneal-projecting neurons, understanding neuroimmune and epithelial interactions in the cornea, and translating animal model findings to human pathology. The unique properties of the cornea (transparent, avascular, and densely innervated) make it ideal for neurobiology research on peripheral and central sensory processing. Through a …

Systematic Identification Of Cell-Cell Interactions Associated With The Severity Of Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Zijian Zhang, Naail Chowdhury, Jing Dong, Lang Wu, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex, multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder involving dysfunction across multiple brain regions. While accumulating evidence has implicated the roles of diverse cell types, including neurons, glia, and vascular cells in AD pathogenesis, it is still poorly understood how cell type interactions drive or respond to the disease progression and severity.

Objective

This study aimed to systematically characterize cell-type–specific alterations and intercellular communication changes associated with AD progression.

Methods

We leveraged the transcriptome profiling and a previously established statistical framework to present a comprehensive mapping of the cellular interaction landscape in the human brain of AD.

Results …

Curriculum Innovation: Neurocritical Care Eeg Rounds: A Model To Improve Neurology Resident Eeg Interpretation., Ellen Sylvie Sanchez Mas, Mitchell Lloyd Powell, Marco Malaga, Corey Elam Goldsmith, Rahul Damani, Lu Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and purpose: Rural-urban disparities in neurological care have been well documented, but limited data exist regarding Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). This study examines differences in patient demographics, hospital characteristics, and outcomes among GBS admissions to rural versus urban hospitals in the United States.

Methods: Using the 2021 National Inpatient Sample, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of GBS. Hospitals were classified as rural or urban based on U.S. census designations. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to assess associations between hospital location and outcomes, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and hospital-level factors. …