Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Induction Of Moderate Dna Damage Enhances Megakaryopoiesis And Platelet Production, Virginia Camacho, Luis Francisco Zirnberger Batista, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Megakaryocytes (MKs) are large, hematopoietic cells with a polyploid, multilobulated nucleus. Although DNA replication in MKs (endomitosis) is well studied, limited investigations have examined the impact of DNA instability on megakaryopoiesis. Poly-adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are chemotherapeutics that result in accumulation of DNA damage and are commonly associated with thrombocytopenia, presumably mediated through platelet progenitors, MKs. To explore PARP inhibitor-induced thrombocytopenia, we treated mice with the PARP inhibitor niraparib. Although high-dose niraparib treatment led to thrombocytopenia, consistent with clinical observations, lower-dose treatment led to a significant increase in bone marrow MKs, MK progenitors (MkPs), and circulating platelets. …

Differential Virulence And Immune Recognition Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae O-Antigen Subtypes O2Α And O2Β, Paeton L Wantuch, Lloyd S Robinson, Cory J Knoot, Christian M Harding, David A Rosen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

New Comorbidity Index Associated With Survival After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy For Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Uri Greenbaum, Amanda Cashen, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

A Chemogenetic Approach For Temporal And Cell-Specific Activation Of Endogenous Gpcrs In Vivo, Gwendolyn Shingles, Qianqian Pang, Jian Weng, Ryan Singer, Waleed Babar, Jiaqi Shen, Luis Vazquez-Rivera, Yao Chen, Peng Li, Wenjing Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cell-specific regulation of endogenous G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is crucial for understanding their roles in physiological processes. We present chemogenetic tools using shield-1-dependent irreversible protein switches to regulate peptide agonist activity. To demonstrate this platform, we engineered chemogenetically regulated pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (cPACAP), which exhibited >15-fold chemical-dependent regulation of endogenous receptor activity. In vivo application of cPACAP allowed neuronal activation via the endogenous receptor for PACAP, engaging neural circuits that control respiratory and feeding behaviors. By integrating cPACAP with transgenic mice, we selectively activated endogenous PACAP receptor signaling in hypocretin-expressing neurons of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), revealing …

Molecular Survival Strategies Against Kidney Filtration: Implications For Therapeutic Protein Engineering, William Heaps, Anna Elise Packard, Kristina M. Mccammon, Tyler P. Green, Joseph P. Talley, Bradley C. Bundy, Dennis Della Corte

Faculty Publications

The glomerular filtration barrier poses a significant challenge for circulating proteins, with molecules below ~60–70 kDa facing rapid renal clearance. Endogenous proteins have evolved sophisticated evasion mechanisms including oligomerization, carrier binding, electrostatic repulsion, and FcRn-mediated recycling. Understanding these natural strategies provides blueprints for engineering therapeutic proteins with improved pharmacokinetics. This review examines how endogenous proteins resist filtration, evaluates their application in protein engineering, and discusses clinical translation including established technologies (PEGylation, Fc-fusion) and emerging strategies (albumin-binding domains, glycoengineering). We address critical challenges of balancing half-life extension with tissue penetration, biological activity, and immunogenicity—essential considerations for the rational design of next-generation …

Preferences Of Health Professions Learners: A Scoping Review Of The Use And Role Of Dces In Health Professions Education, Sarah O'Neal, Natalie Smith, Jan Ostermann Ph.D., Binbin Zheng, Laiton Steele, Chris Gillette

Faculty Publications

While discrete choice experiments (DCE), have increasingly been used in the medical literature, little is known about the use of these methods for eliciting preferences from and about students and trainees in health professions. The objectives of this scoping review are to (1) describe the extent to which DCEs have been used in health professions’ education, (2) identify which health professionals have been studied, and (3) identify thematic areas of research in which these methods have been used thematic areas. Between June and September 2024, we conducted a scoping review of the PubMed/Medline, EconLit, Web of Science, and Global Index …

Genomics Reveal Staphylococcus Aureus Persists During Long-Term Urinary Catheterization Despite Antimicrobial Therapy And Catheter Exchanges, Jesus M Duran Ramirez, Chelsie E Armbruster, Blake M Hanson, Jennifer N Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Urinary catheters, the most frequently placed medical devices in the US, increase the risk of developing symptomatic catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) - the presence of bacteria in the urine - with those requiring long-term urinary catheters (LTUCs) at highest risk. While ASB and CAUTI are caused by a broad range of uropathogens, most remain understudied. We use whole-genome sequencing to investigate the understudied uropathogen, Staphylococcus aureus. Analysis of 153 longitudinal S. aureus isolates previously collected from urinary catheter or urine samples from 20 individuals with LTUCs (average of 8 longitudinal isolates/person) demonstrates that most strains …

Structural Brain Differences Associated With Panic Disorder: An Enigma-Anxiety Working Group Mega-Analysis Of 4924 Individuals Worldwide, Laura K. M. Han, Willem B. Bruin, Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam, Nynke A. Groenewold, Kevin Hilbert, Anderson M. Winkler, André Zugman, Takeshi Asami, Jacques P. Barber, Francesco Benedetti

Human Genetics Publications

Neuroanatomical findings on panic disorder (PD) are typically difficult to replicate, with inconsistent effects. These concerns prompted a paradigm shift towards large-scale collaborations, focused on harmonized data extraction and processing for robust examination of PD brain correlates. Hence, leveraging the largest-ever multi-site neuroimaging database on PD (Age: 10–66 years; global sites: 28), compiled by the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group, we report on cortical and subcortical differences in individuals with PD (N = 1146) versus healthy controls (HC: N = 3778). The analyses revealed lower thickness and smaller cortical surface area within fronto-temporo-parietal regions in PD (Cohen’s ds: −0.08–0.13), along with lower …

Safety And Effectiveness Of Bolt-Mounted Versus Tunnelled External Ventricular Drains: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis And Trial-Sequential Analysis, Shaan Patel, Shiva A. Nischal, Ayush Sinha, Kush Kale, Pious D. Patel, Jack Jallo, Srinivas K. Prasad

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: External ventricular drains (EVDs) are fundamental to neurocritical care, yet substantial procedural heterogeneity persists, particularly regarding bolt-mounted versus tunnelled catheter fixation. The relative safety and effectiveness of these approaches remain unclear, with conflicting data from observational studies and a lack of trial-level evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To compare bolt-mounted and tunnelled EVDs across accuracy, reoperation, and key safety outcomes using systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial-sequential analysis.

METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched (November 2025) for randomised or observational studies comparing bolt-mounted with tunnelled EVDs in adults. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk …

A Novel Vision Transformer Model Produces Clock Drawing Test Scores As Accurate As Expert Human Coders, Mengyao Hu, Tian Qin, Richard Gonzalez, Vicki A Freedman, Laura B Zahodne, Edmundo R Melipillán, Yi Lu Murphey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is a growing public health concern. The clock-drawing test, where subjects draw a clock, typically with hands showing 11:10, has been widely used for dementia screening. A limitation of including the clock-drawing test in large-scale studies is that it requires manual coding, which could result in biases if coders interpret and implement coding rules differently. This study created and evaluated an intelligent Clock Scoring system built with deep learning neural networks to automatically code clock-drawing images. We used a large, publicly available repository of clock-drawing images from the 2011-2019 National Health and Aging Trends Study …

Social Equity And Cannabis Explained: History, Regulatory Implementation And The Drug War Reform Efforts 01-13-2026, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Genome-Wide Gene By Sleepiness Interaction Analysis For Sleep Apnea, Pavithra Nagarajan, Nuzulul Kurniansyah, Jiwon Lee, Sina A Gharib, Yushan Xu, Yiyan Zhang, Brian Spitzer, Tariq Faquih, Hufeng Zhou, Eric Boerwinkle, Han Chen, Daniel J Gottlieb, Xiuqing Guo, Nancy L Heard-Costa, Bertha A Hidalgo, Daniel Levy, Peter Y Liu, Hao Mei, Rebecca Montalvan, Sutapa Mukherjee, Kari E North, George T O'Connor, Lyle J Palmer, Sanjay R Patel, Bruce M Psaty, Shaun M Purcell, Laura M Raffield, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Richa Saxena, Albert V Smith, Katie L Stone, Xiaofeng Zhu, Topmed Sleep Trait Working Group, Brian E Cade, Tamar Sofer, Susan Redline, Heming Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Study objectives: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), influenced by environmental and social-behavioral factors, is reported by a subset of patients with sleep apnea-a group that may be at elevated cardiovascular risk. However, it is unclear whether sleep apnea with and without EDS have distinct genetic underpinnings. In this study, we perform gene-by-EDS interaction analyses for apnea hypopnea index, a diagnostic marker of sleep apnea severity, to understand EDS's influence on its underlying genetic risk.

Methods: Discovery interaction analyses for common variants and gene-based rare variants were conducted respectively using multi-ethnic Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (N = 11 619) data, followed by …

Workflow Improvements From Automated Large Vessel Occlusion Detection Algorithms Are Dependent On Care Team Engagement, Emmanuel C Ebirim, Ngoc Mai Le, Joseph N Samaha, Hussain Azeem, Ananya Iyyangar, Anjan N Ballekere, Saagar Dhanjani, Luca Giancardo, Eunyoung Lee, Sunil A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Automated machine learning (ML)-based large vessel occlusion (LVO) detection algorithms have been shown to improve in-hospital workflow metrics including door-to-groin time (DTG). The degree to which care team engagement and interaction are required for these benefits remains incompletely characterized.

Methods: This analysis was conducted as a pre-planned post-hoc analysis of a randomized prospective clinical trial. ML-based LVO detection software was implemented at four comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) from January 1, 2021, to February 27, 2022. Patients were included if they underwent endovascular thrombectomy for LVO acute ischemic stroke. ML software utilization was quantified as the total number of active …

Mini-Hyper-Cvd Plus Venetoclax And Navitoclax For Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Nicholas J Short, Hagop Kantarjian, Nitin Jain, Tapan M Kadia, Jayastu Senapati, Fadi G Haddad, Manuel M Maroun, Koji Sasaki, Lianchun Xiao, Xuelin Huang, Omer Karrar, Regina Abramova, Min Zhao, Rebecca Garris, Marina Konopleva, Farhad Ravandi, Elias Jabbour

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Perioperative Fluid Management In Pancreaticoduodenectomy In The Era Of Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy: A Review Of The Literature, Meghan D Grim, Richard Zheng, Nader Hanna, Harish Lavu, Charles J. Yeo, Avinoam Nevler

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the only curative option for localized pancreatic head and periampullary malignancies. However, PD is associated with significant perioperative morbidity. Perioperative fluid management has emerged as an important modifiable factor influencing surgical outcomes in PD.

METHODS: In this qualitative review, PubMed/Medline searches were performed between March and August 2025 to review the terms "pancreaticoduodenectomy," "fluid management," "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery," "complications," and related terms.

RESULTS: Historically, liberal fluid administration was favored to compensate for third-space losses, but contemporary evidence has linked excessive fluid volumes to complications, such as postoperative pancreatic fistula, anastomotic edema, and increased inflammatory responses. …

Therapeutic Responses In Patients With Advanced Nsclc Enrolled In Early-Phase Clinical Trials At Md Anderson, Jeong Uk Lim, Heather Y Lin, Lei Kang, Hung Le, Tin-Yun Tang, Stephane Champiat, Ecaterina Elena Dumbrava, Xiuning Le, Aung Naing, Sarina A Piha-Paul, Jordi Rodon Ahnert, Apostolia Maria Tsimberidou, Timothy A Yap, Siqing Fu, Funda Meric-Bernstam, David S Hong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We evaluated clinical outcomes and safety profiles in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated in early-phase trials. A retrospective review of 546 NSCLC cases treated from January 2016 to December 2024 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was performed using the MD Anderson CHIMERA database. Patients were categorized into seven groups based on treatment regimen. The overall objective response rate (ORR) was 19.9%, and the highest ORRs were in the targeted combination (30.8%) and targeted monotherapy (29.7%) groups. Gene alteration–matched therapy, serum albumin level, metastatic burden, treatment group, and liver metastasis were independently associated with …

A Model For Enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging In A Speech Pathology And Audiology Program, Elizabeth Oommen, Peggy Goetz, Brian M. Kreisman, Megan Nickelson, Morgan Bykerk

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Purpose: The SPAUD department at Calvin University recognized the need for initiatives that focused on intentionally enfolding and supporting Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), international, and third culture students in a competitive major like communication sciences and disorders (CSD). These initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practices, specifically: (1) to support retention and empowerment of students through peer mentoring and small group meetings; and (2) to equip the department to empower faculty and students to thrive together in the program and in their vocation through capacitybuilding.

Study design/methodology/approach: This is a case study paper outlining …

The Biomedical Landscape Of Genomic Structural Variation In The Qatari Population, Elbay Aliyev, Najeeb Syed, Alessia Visconti, Taghi Aliyev, Aziz Belkadi, Mohammadmersad Ghorbani, Niccolò Rossi, Haroon Naeem, Geethanjali Devadoss Gandhi, Gaurav Thareja, Aljazi Al-Maraghi, Waleed Aamer, Amal Abdulsalam Ibrahim, Rulan Shaath, Farooq Omar Al-Ajli, Rozaimi Mohamad Razali, Fritz J Sedlazeck, Sonia Davila, Ammira Akil, Karsten Suhre, Younes Mokrab, Mario Falchi, Khalid A Fakhro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We present a large-scale study of structural variation (SV) in the Qatari population, based on short-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 6,141 individuals, identifying 153,946 variants across 5 classes reflecting the region's diversity and evolutionary history. Leveraging consanguinity and biobank phenotypes, we identify >180 putative gene knockouts, and use proteomics to show functional consequences in homozygotes. Conversely, 52 genes show significant depletion of homozygous deletions, eight of which cause severe pediatric disease or murine embryonic lethality. Examining phenotypic extremes uncovers several non-exonic homozygous deletions with large effect, including in SPIRE2 (creatinine), MAGI2 (leanness) and a chr19 microRNA cluster (extreme obesity). Further, …

Identifying Priority Research Questions For Decentralized Wastewater, Bryan W Brooks, Timothy Callahan, Jacob K Stanley, Jamie Holodak, Kevin M Stroski, Alissa H Cox, Thomas W Groves, Anish Jantrania, Jeff C Moeller, Kris Neset, Christopher Walker, Harry Zhang, Amal Bakchan, Kelly D Alley, Jim Bell, Allison Blodig, Eric Casey, Donna Cosper, Victor D'Amato, Mark A Elliott, Greg Graves, Roxanne Groover, Robert Himschoot, Mary G Lusk, Jillian Maxcy-Brown, David Meints, Rojelio Mejia, Matt Pace, Benjamin J Ryan, Brian Scheffe, Tom Schimelfenig, June E Wolfe, Sara F Heger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse represent critical infrastructure across the rural-periurban-urban continuum around the world. Effective, efficient, resilient, and equitable implementation of on-premise technologies and management systems is part of a One Water approach and necessary to protect public health and the environment, yet inconsistent delivery of essential public health services persists in many regions, including across states, tribes, and territories of the United States. We initiated a groundbreaking effort to understand challenges and to identify research opportunities related to the science and practice of decentralized wastewater. A horizon scanning exercise using a bottom up and transparent key questions approach …

Efficacy And Safety Of Oral Pcsk9 Inhibitor Enlicitide In Adults With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Christie M Ballantyne, Laura Gellis, Jean-Claude Tardif, Puja Banka, Ann Marie Navar, Emil Andreas Asprusten, Russell Scott, Erik S G Stroes, Samar Froman, Geraldine Mendizabal, Fan Wang, Alberico L Catapano

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Persons with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) are at increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to lifelong elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Many patients with HeFH do not achieve guideline-recommended LDL-C goals with the currently available lipid-lowering therapies.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of enlicitide decanoate (an oral proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor) vs placebo in adults with HeFH requiring further lowering of LDL-C levels despite use of statin therapy.

Design, setting, and participants: This phase 3, randomized clinical trial included persons aged 18 years or older with HeFH currently using lipid-lowering therapy (taking at least …

Liberalizing Hospital Proximity Requirements For Children/Young Adults With Low-Burden B-All Receiving Tisagenlecleucel., Lauren E. Appell, Christina Baggott, Khanh Nguyen, Snehit Prabhu, Holly Pacenta, Samuel John, Vanessa A. Fabrizio, Christine L. Phillips, Jenna Rossoff, Julie-An Talano, Amy Moskop, Rachel Phelan, Susanne H C Baumeister, Michael R. Verneris, Erin Hall, Gary Douglas Myers, Nicole A. Karras, Stacy L. Cooper, Muna Qayed, Sunil S. Raikar, Lena Winestone, Michelle Hermiston, Prakash Satwani, Christa Krupski, Amy K Keating, Danielle N. Friedman, Kevin J. Curran, Alex Hoover, Margaret L. Macmillan, Christen L. Ebens, Archana Ramgopal, April L. Rahrig, Crystal L. Mackall, Theodore W. Laetsch, Kevin Mcnerney, Liora M. Schultz

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Direct Effects Of Capsaicin On Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels Of Mammalian Skeletal Muscle, Dmytro Isaev, Tatiana Prytkova, Badarunnisa Mohamed, Mohamed Omar Mahgoub, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Murat Oz

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Capsaicin, a naturally occurring polyphenol, is known to affect energy expenditure and muscle fatigue and modulate contractions in skeletal muscle. The L-type Ca²⁺ channels are known to be an important ion channel involved in the various muscle functions and the effect of capsaicin on the skeletal L-type Ca²⁺ channels is currently unknown. In this study, the effects of capsaicin and capsaicin analogs on depolarization-induced Ca²⁺ effluxes through L-type Ca²⁺ channels in transverse tubule membranes from rabbit skeletal muscle and L-type Ca²⁺ currents recorded using the whole-cell patch clamp technique in rat myotubes were examined. Capsaicin, …

Neighborhood-Level Deprivation Measures In The United States: A Scoping Review And Reference Guide For Investigators, Jaesung Choi, Madeline R Horan, Mary G Nusloch, Yikyung Park, Gregory T Armstrong, Melissa M Hudson, Kirsten K Ness, I-Chan Huang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: The extent to which existing measures cover the spectrum of neighborhood-level social determinants of health (SDOH) has not yet been assessed. This review compared the content of U.S.-based neighborhood-level SDOH measures and summarized the use of these measures in empirical research. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed and Google Scholar, identifying review articles published from 1990–2023, and complemented this search by manually examining the original articles on measure development. We identified 85 measures and categorized them into two groups (42 with a specific name and 43 with no name) and used a framework including 14 domains of …

High-Dose Oral Pyrophosphate Inhibits Connective Tissue Calcification In Abcc6 Null Mice But May Affect Bone Structure, Ibtesam Rajpar, Nicholas Yancy, Jacob Beiriger, Christina Shao, Syed Naqvi, Deana Mancuso, Fatemeh Niaziorimi, Ryan E Tomlinson, Koen Van De Wetering

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a rare inherited disorder marked by abnormal calcium phosphate deposition in soft connective tissues, particularly the skin, arteries, and eyes. It is caused by inactivating mutations in the ABCC6 gene, which encodes a hepatic efflux transporter. Loss of ABCC6 function leads to reduced plasma levels of pyrophosphate (PPi), a key inhibitor of calcification, thereby promoting ectopic mineralization. Oral PPi therapy has emerged as a potential treatment, but its effectiveness is uncertain. Most ingested PPi is hydrolyzed in the gut to inorganic phosphate, which may worsen calcification. Moreover, its impact on mineralized tissues remains largely unexplored. Abcc6−/− …

Employing Ai Tools To Predict Features For Dental Care Use In The United States During The Global Respiratory Illness Outbreak, Preeti Pushpalata Zanwar, Hamid-Reza Kodan-Ghadr, Vijayakumar Thirumalai, Suad Ghaddar, Shuo Jim Huang, Beth Harkness, Eben Rey, Romanch Shah, Sairaja Reddy Kurelli, Jay S. Patel

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Alcohol And The Endocrine System: A Critical Review Of Disruptions, Potential Mechanisms, And Health Implications, Patricia E. Molina, Liz Simon

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

The endocrine system coordinates and integrates cellular activity throughout the body by regulating cellular and organ function and maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis, the dynamic maintenance of internal balance despite changing external or internal conditions, is essential for proper cellular function. The endocrine system achieves this through a complex regulatory network of hormone-mediated signaling among multiple endocrine organs, relying on precisely regulated synthesis and release of hormones and specific hormone-receptor interactions. Endocrine-mediated actions coordinate critical physiological processes, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, stress adaptation, and circadian rhythms throughout the lifespan. Endocrine glands—such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid glands, pancreas, adrenal glands, and …

High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I And Frailty: Associations With The Frailty Index And Fried Phenotype In Older Women, Jedd Pratt, Abadi K. Gebre, Carlos J. Toro-Huamanchumo, Elsa Dent, Trent Bozanich, Wai E. Lim, Elizabeth Byrnes, Julee Mcdonagh, Caleb Ferguson, Craig Sale, Kun Zhu, Carl Schultz, Richard L. Prince, Joshua R. Lewis, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite the nexus between cardiovascular health and frailty, the relevance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), a biomarker of myocardial injury, to frailty is poorly understood. We examined whether hs-cTnI concentrations were associated with frailty in a well-characterized cohort of older women. A total of 1151 community-dwelling women from the Perth Longitudinal Study of Aging Women (mean age ± SD = 75.2 ± 2.7 years) were included. Frailty was operationalized using a validated frailty index (FI) of cumulative deficits and a modified Fried phenotype. Plasma hs-cTnI were categorized into quartiles. Cross-sectional associations between hs-cTnI quartiles and frailty were assessed using …

Self-Efficacy Change Among Diverse Family Caregivers In Dementia Care, Deborah M Oyeyemi, Erich J Greene, Yunshan Xu, David R Lee, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Maya L Lichtenstein, Alan Stevens, Jeff D Williamson, Arun S Karlamangla, Debra Saliba, David B Reuben

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To determine whether changes in caregiver self-efficacy (beliefs about one's ability to manage dementia-related problems and access help) differed by caregiver race and ethnicity across all participants enrolled in a large pragmatic trial of comprehensive dementia care.

Methods: In the Dementia Care Study (D-CARE), community-dwelling older adults with dementia and their unpaid family caregivers were randomized to receive usual care, community-based, or health system-based comprehensive dementia care. Caregiver self-efficacy was assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months using a 4-item scale (range 4-20, higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy). Among all caregivers, we compared least squares means for overall …

Tumor-Infiltrating Bacteria Disrupt Cancer Epithelial Cell Interactions And Induce Cell-Cycle Arrest, Jorge Luis Galeano Niño, Falk Ponath, Victor A Ajisafe, Clara R Becker, Andrew G Kempchinsky, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Javier A Gomez, Hanrui Wu, Jessica G Terrazas, Heather Bouzek, Elizabeth Cromwell, Pritha Chanana, Matthew Wong, Ashish Damania, Michael G White, Y Nancy You, Scott Kopetz, Nadim J Ajami, Jennifer A Wargo, Christopher D Johnston, Susan Bullman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor-infiltrating bacteria are increasingly recognized as modulators of cancer progression and therapy resistance. We describe a mechanism by which extracellular intratumoral bacteria, including Fusobacterium, modulate cancer epithelial cell behavior. Spatial imaging and single-cell spatial transcriptomics show that these bacteria predominantly localize extracellularly within tumor microniches of colorectal and oral cancers, characterized by reduced cell density, transcriptional activity, and proliferation. In vitro, Fusobacterium nucleatum disrupts epithelial contacts, inducing G0-G1 arrest and transcriptional quiescence. This state confers 5-fluorouracil resistance and remodels the tumor microenvironment. Findings were validated by live-cell imaging, spatial profiling, mouse models, and a 52-patient colorectal cancer cohort. Transcriptomics reveals …

Spatial Omics At The Forefront: Emerging Technologies, Analytical Innovations, And Clinical Applications, Yunhe Liu, Yibo Dai, Linghua Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spatial omics transforms our understanding of cancer by revealing how tumor cells and the microenvironment are organized, interact, and evolve within tissues. Here, we synthesize advances in spatial technologies that map tumor ecosystems with unprecedented fidelity. We highlighted analytical breakthroughs-including multimodal integration and emerging spatial foundation models-that resolve functional niches and spatial communities, converting spatial patterns into mechanistic insights. We summarize how spatially organized features, from immune hubs to microbiota and neural interfaces, shape tumor evolution and clinical outcomes. We then outline how spatial approaches illuminate precancer biology, metastatic adaptation, and therapy response. Bridging discovery and translation, we provide a …