Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Neighborhood Deprivation Negatively Affects Survival Odds Of Pediatric Oncology Patients Residing In Louisiana, Tayla D. Hunter, Gabrielle Sheets, Christian Nieves-Rivera, Sloane Clay, Jordan Doss, Michael Norman, James W. Kinchen, Zhide Fang, Pinki Prasad, Fern Tsien

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Background: Childhood cancer patients have experienced an increase in survivorship in the last twenty years due to improvements in treatment and supportive care. Increasing evidence shows that neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) significantly affects healthcare outcomes. However, limited information demonstrates the relationship between neighborhood and pediatric cancer survivorship. Methods: Participants include 308 survivors and deceased patients from Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) scores were obtained based on participant’s home address. Univariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations between neighborhood socioeconomic status and survival odds. Results: Living in parishes that are both rural and non-Acadian was …

Trends In The Use Of Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Recently Diagnosed Colorectal, Lung, Or Prostate Cancer, Maria E Suarez-Almazor, Juan I Ruiz, Xiudong Lei, Chi-Fang Wu, Hui Zhao, Suja S Rajan, Sharon H Giordano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) are often discontinued when a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is diagnosed with cancer. Our aim was to determine trends in bDMARD utilization in patients with RA and recently diagnosed cancer.

METHOD: We examined two national claims databases to identify adults with RA and recently diagnosed colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer (Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database 2008-2022, and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) Medicare-linked 2008-2017). We determined time trends in bDMARD and tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) prescriptions during the first 3 years after cancer with Cochram-Armitage tests and multivariable logistic …

Molecular Profiling Of Braf-V600e-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer In The Phase 3 Beacon Crc Trial, Scott Kopetz, Danielle A Murphy, Jie Pu, Fortunato Ciardiello, Jayesh Desai, Eric Van Cutsem, Harpreet Singh Wasan, Takayuki Yoshino, Hedieh Saffari, Xiaosong Zhang, Phineas Hamilton, Tao Xie, Rona Yaeger, Josep Tabernero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The BEACON CRC study demonstrated that encorafenib (Enco)+cetuximab (Cetux)±binimetinib (Bini) significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus Cetux + chemotherapy in previously treated patients with BRAF-V600E-mutant mCRC, providing the basis for the approval of the Enco+Cetux regimen in the United States and the European Union. A greater understanding of biomarkers predictive of response to Enco+Cetux±Bini treatment is of clinical relevance. In this prespecified, exploratory biomarker analysis of the BEACON CRC study, we characterize genomic and transcriptomic correlates of clinical outcomes and acquired resistance mechanisms through integrated clinical and molecular analysis, including whole-exome and -transcriptome tissue sequencing and circulating tumor DNA genomic …

Advanced Statistical Analysis Of The Development Tendency Of Mortality From Malignant Neoplasms And The Lifestyle Of Patients Sick From Malignant Neoplasms In R. N. Macedonia, Ismail Ferati, Vlatko Tanevski, Jezair Idrizi, Durim Alia, Reyhana Luma

UBT International Conference

The primary goals of this research are: to determine the development tendency of mortality from malignant neoplasms in R. N. Macedonia and to determine the impact of diet and lifestyle on the appearance and development of malignant neoplasms. The analysis of the dynamics of mortality from malignant neoplasms in R.N. Macedonia used data obtained from the Institute for Public Health of R.N. Macedonia on the mortality rate from malignant neoplasms in 20102021. To determine the impact of diet and lifestyle on the appearance and development of malignant neoplasms, an online survey was conducted on 217 respondents diagnosed with cancer (201 …

Interpreting The Biological Effects Of Protons As A Function Of Physical Quantity: Linear Energy Transfer Or Microdosimetric Lineal Energy Spectrum?, Fada Guan, Lawrence Bronk, Matthew Kerr, Yuting Li, Leslie A Braby, Mary Sobieski, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Clifford Stephan, David R Grosshans, Radhe Mohan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The choice of appropriate physical quantities to characterize the biological effects of ionizing radiation has evolved over time coupled with advances in scientific understanding. The basic hypothesis in radiation dosimetry is that the energy deposited by ionizing radiation initiates all the consequences of exposure in a biological sample (e.g., DNA damage, reproductive cell death). Physical quantities defined to characterize energy deposition have included dose, a measure of the mean energy imparted per unit mass of the target, and linear energy transfer (LET), a measure of the mean energy deposition per unit distance that charged particles traverse in a medium. The …

Interpreting The Biological Effects Of Protons As A Function Of Physical Quantity: Linear Energy Transfer Or Microdosimetric Lineal Energy Spectrum?, Fada Guan, Lawrence Bronk, Matthew Kerr, Yuting Li, Leslie A Braby, Mary Sobieski, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Clifford Stephan, David R Grosshans, Radhe Mohan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The choice of appropriate physical quantities to characterize the biological effects of ionizing radiation has evolved over time coupled with advances in scientific understanding. The basic hypothesis in radiation dosimetry is that the energy deposited by ionizing radiation initiates all the consequences of exposure in a biological sample (e.g., DNA damage, reproductive cell death). Physical quantities defined to characterize energy deposition have included dose, a measure of the mean energy imparted per unit mass of the target, and linear energy transfer (LET), a measure of the mean energy deposition per unit distance that charged particles traverse in a medium. The …

Interpreting The Biological Effects Of Protons As A Function Of Physical Quantity: Linear Energy Transfer Or Microdosimetric Lineal Energy Spectrum?, Fada Guan, Lawrence Bronk, Matthew Kerr, Yuting Li, Leslie A Braby, Mary Sobieski, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Clifford Stephan, David R Grosshans, Radhe Mohan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The choice of appropriate physical quantities to characterize the biological effects of ionizing radiation has evolved over time coupled with advances in scientific understanding. The basic hypothesis in radiation dosimetry is that the energy deposited by ionizing radiation initiates all the consequences of exposure in a biological sample (e.g., DNA damage, reproductive cell death). Physical quantities defined to characterize energy deposition have included dose, a measure of the mean energy imparted per unit mass of the target, and linear energy transfer (LET), a measure of the mean energy deposition per unit distance that charged particles traverse in a medium. The …

Interpreting The Biological Effects Of Protons As A Function Of Physical Quantity: Linear Energy Transfer Or Microdosimetric Lineal Energy Spectrum?, Fada Guan, Lawrence Bronk, Matthew Kerr, Yuting Li, Leslie A Braby, Mary Sobieski, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Clifford Stephan, David R Grosshans, Radhe Mohan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The choice of appropriate physical quantities to characterize the biological effects of ionizing radiation has evolved over time coupled with advances in scientific understanding. The basic hypothesis in radiation dosimetry is that the energy deposited by ionizing radiation initiates all the consequences of exposure in a biological sample (e.g., DNA damage, reproductive cell death). Physical quantities defined to characterize energy deposition have included dose, a measure of the mean energy imparted per unit mass of the target, and linear energy transfer (LET), a measure of the mean energy deposition per unit distance that charged particles traverse in a medium. The …

Interpreting The Biological Effects Of Protons As A Function Of Physical Quantity: Linear Energy Transfer Or Microdosimetric Lineal Energy Spectrum?, Fada Guan, Lawrence Bronk, Matthew Kerr, Yuting Li, Leslie A Braby, Mary Sobieski, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Clifford Stephan, David R Grosshans, Radhe Mohan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The choice of appropriate physical quantities to characterize the biological effects of ionizing radiation has evolved over time coupled with advances in scientific understanding. The basic hypothesis in radiation dosimetry is that the energy deposited by ionizing radiation initiates all the consequences of exposure in a biological sample (e.g., DNA damage, reproductive cell death). Physical quantities defined to characterize energy deposition have included dose, a measure of the mean energy imparted per unit mass of the target, and linear energy transfer (LET), a measure of the mean energy deposition per unit distance that charged particles traverse in a medium. The …

Micrornas Are Enriched At Covid-19 Genomic Risk Regions, And Their Blood Levels Correlate With The Covid-19 Prognosis Of Cancer Patients Infected By Sars-Cov-2, Simone Anfossi, Faezeh Darbaniyan, Joseph Quinlan, Steliana Calin, Masayoshi Shimizu, Meng Chen, Paola Rausseo, Michael Winters, Elena Bogatenkova, Kim-Anh Do, Ivan Martinez, Ziyi Li, Loredana Antal, Tudor Rares Olariu, Ignacio Wistuba, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cancer patients are more susceptible to an aggressive course of COVID-19. Developing biomarkers identifying cancer patients at high risk of COVID-19-related death could help determine who needs early clinical intervention. The miRNAs hosted in the genomic regions associated with the risk of aggressive COVID-19 could represent potential biomarkers for clinical outcomes.

Patients and methods: Plasma samples were collected at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from cancer patients (N = 128) affected by COVID-19. Serum samples were collected from vaccinated healthy individuals (n = 23) at the Municipal Clinical Emergency Teaching Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. An in …

Gynecological Cancers And Quality Of Life, Shaina E. Ettinger

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

ABSTRACT

Background: Every five minutes a woman in the United States receives a gynecological cancer diagnosis. On average, 88,128 women in the United States are diagnosed with gynecological cancer yearly and 12,158 of those women, or 7% require hospital readmission. Although patient readmission rate is relatively low for this population, a better understanding of how patients frame quality of life (QoL) may decrease readmission stemming from QoL complications. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the QoL issues that contributed to hospital readmission following surgical intervention in women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Method: The study used a …

Prazosin As An Adjuvant To Increase Effectiveness Of Duloxetine In A Rat Model Of Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Monica A. Wagner, Naji Ayyash

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: Duloxetine, the only American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) treatment recommended for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in cancer survivors, is not effective for 40% of survivors. This study examined the ability of a duloxetine-prazosin combination to prevent the development of allodynia and hyperalgesia in a rat model of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OPIN). Methods: Female (n = 24) and male (n = 41) rats were started on duloxetine (15 mg), prazosin (2 mg), or a duloxetine-prazosin combination one week prior to administration of the chemotherapy drug, oxaliplatin, and continued the duloxetine-prazosin combination for 32 days. Behavioral testing for mechanical allodynia …

Detection Of Mosaic And Population-Level Structural Variants With Sniffles2, Moritz Smolka, Luis F Paulin, Christopher M Grochowski, Dominic W Horner, Medhat Mahmoud, Sairam Behera, Ester Kalef-Ezra, Mira Gandhi, Karl Hong, Davut Pehlivan, Sonja W Scholz, Claudia M B Carvalho, Christos Proukakis, Fritz J Sedlazeck

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Calling structural variations (SVs) is technically challenging, but using long reads remains the most accurate way to identify complex genomic alterations. Here we present Sniffles2, which improves over current methods by implementing a repeat aware clustering coupled with a fast consensus sequence and coverage-adaptive filtering. Sniffles2 is 11.8 times faster and 29% more accurate than state-of-the-art SV callers across different coverages (5-50×), sequencing technologies (ONT and HiFi) and SV types. Furthermore, Sniffles2 solves the problem of family-level to population-level SV calling to produce fully genotyped VCF files. Across 11 probands, we accurately identified causative SVs around MECP2, including highly complex …

Multicohort Epigenome-Wide Association Study Of All-Cause Cardiovascular Disease And Cancer Incidence: A Cardio-Oncology Approach, Arce Domingo-Relloso, Angela L Riffo-Campos, Naisi Zhao, Guillermo Ayala, Karin Haack, Carlos Manterola, Dorothy A Rhoades, Jason G Umans, M Daniele Fallin, Miguel Herreros-Martinez, Marina Pollan, Eric Boerwinkle, Elizabeth A Platz, Miranda R Jones, Jan Bressler, Roby Joehanes, Calen P Ryan, Juan R Gonzalez, Daniel Levy, Daniel W Belsky, Shelley A Cole, Dominique S Michaud, Ana Navas-Acien, Maria Tellez-Plaza

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence reveals a complex relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, which share common risk factors and biological pathways.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate common epigenetic signatures for CVD and cancer incidence in 3 ethnically diverse cohorts: Native Americans from the SHS (Strong Heart Study), European Americans from the FHS (Framingham Heart Study), and European Americans and African Americans from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) study.

METHODS: A 2-stage strategy was used that included first conducting untargeted epigenome-wide association studies for each cohort and then running targeted models in the union set of …

Discovering Therapeutic Strategies In Colorectal Cancer Via Synthetic Lethal Genetic Screens On Patient-Derived Organoid Models, Sana Khalili

Theses and Dissertations

Precision medicine is a revolutionary approach of targeting genetic alterations that are present only in tumor cells to find vulnerabilities that can be targeted with therapy. Identifying genetic dependencies in human colon cancer could help identify effective treatment strategies. Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screens can reveal all genetic dependencies, some of which could be exploited as therapeutic targets using existing drugs.

In this dissertation, I comprehensively characterized genetic dependencies present in a colon cancer organoid avatar, and validated tumor-specific selectivity of select pharmacologic agents. I identified all somatic mutations, all expressed genes, and conducted a genome-wide CRISPR dropout screen to elucidate …

Dna Vaccines Against Gprc5d Synergize With Pd-1 Blockade To Treat Multiple Myeloma, Praveen Neeli, Perry Ayn Mayson A Maza, Dafei Chai, Dan Zhao, Xen Ping Hoi, Keith Syson Chan, Ken H Young, Yong Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM), a hematological malignancy of the bone marrow, remains largely incurable. The orphan G protein-coupled receptor, GPRC5D, which is uniquely expressed in plasma cells and highly expressed in MM, is a compelling candidate for immunotherapy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a combination of DNA vaccine encoding mouse GPRC5D and PD-1 blockade in preventing and treating MM using the 5TGM1 murine model of MM. The mouse vaccine alone was effective in preventing myeloma growth but required PD-1 antibodies to inhibit established MM tumors. We next evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of a nanoplasmid vector encoding …

Cumulative Radiation Exposure And Lifetime Cancer Risk In Patients With Tetralogy Of Fallot Requiring Early Intervention, Jeannette R Wong-Siegel, Andrew C Glatz, Courtney Mccracken, Choonsik Lee, Cari M Kitahara, Lene H S Veiga, Yun Zhang, Bryan H Goldstein, Christopher J Petit, Athar M Qureshi, George T Nicholson, Mark A Law, Jeffery Meadows, Shabana Shahanavaz, Michael L O'Byrne, Sarosh P Batlivala, Joelle Pettus, Asaad Beshish, Christopher E Mascio, Jennifer C Romano, Kathyrn O Stack, Ivor Asztalos, Tacy E Downing, Jeffrey D Zampi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Neonates with tetralogy of Fallot and symptomatic cyanosis (sTOF) require early intervention, utilizing either a staged repair (SR) or primary repair (PR) approach. They are exposed to several sources of low-dose ionizing radiation, which may contribute to increased cancer risk.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare cumulative radiation exposure and associated lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer between treatment strategies in sTOF.

Methods: Neonates with sTOF who underwent SR or PR from 2012 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed from the Congenital Cardiac Research Collaborative. Radiation exposure from all radiologic studies prior to 18 months of age …

Exploring Racial Disparities In Awareness And Perceptions Of Oncology Clinical Trials: Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Baseline Data From The Mychoice Study, Ariel Hoadley, Linda Fleisher, Cassidy Kenny, Patrick Ja Kelly, Xinrui Ma, Jingwei Wu, Carmen Guerra, Amy E. Leader, Mohammed Alhajji, Paul D'Avanzo, Zoe Landau, Sarah Bauerle Bass

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Black/African American adults are underrepresented in oncology clinical trials in the United States, despite efforts at narrowing this disparity.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore differences in how Black/African American oncology patients perceive clinical trials to improve support for the clinical trial participation decision-making process.

METHODS: As part of a larger randomized controlled trial, a total of 244 adult oncology patients receiving active treatment or follow-up care completed a cross-sectional baseline survey on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical trial knowledge, health literacy, perceptions of cancer clinical trials, patient activation, patient advocacy, health care self-efficacy, decisional conflict, and clinical trial intentions. Self-reported …

Reconstructing Oral Cavity Tumor Evolution Through Brush Biopsy, Evit John, Tom Lesluyes, Toby M Baker, Maxime Tarabichi, Ann Gillenwater, Jennifer R Wang, Peter Van Loo, Xiao Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) with genomic alterations have a heightened risk of evolving into oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Currently, genomic data are typically obtained through invasive tissue biopsy. However, brush biopsy is a non-invasive method that has been utilized for identifying dysplastic cells in OPMD but its effectiveness in reflecting the genomic landscape of OPMDs remains uncertain. This pilot study investigates the potential of brush biopsy samples in accurately reconstructing the genomic profile and tumor evolution in a patient with both OPMD and OSCC. We analyzed single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number aberrations (CNAs), and subclonal architectures in …

The Kent-Collins Protocol For Symptom Management In Post-Radiotherapy Eustachian Tube Dysfunction: A Case Report, Matthew E. Kent, Patrick J. Collins, Ayal A. Aizer

Transformative Medicine

Introduction: Eustachian tube dysfunction is a common side effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancers or brain tumors, although few effective treatments exist. The Kent-Collins Protocol represents a novel therapeutic option for post-radiotherapy Eustachian tube dysfunction.

Case Description: The Kent-Collins Protocol was employed in one patient with Eustachian tube dysfunction following fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for cerebral metastases from HER-2 positive breast cancer. The Kent-Collins Protocol provided relief of symptoms (conductive hearing loss, aural fullness, and otalgia) for a range of 5 to 45 minutes. The protocol could be repeated when symptoms returned to provide additional relief. The patient also …

Protocol For The Derivation Of Primary Cancer Stem Cell Lines From Human Ependymal Tumors, Cory M Richman, Peter B Dirks, Michael D Taylor, Kulandaimanuvel Antony Michealraj

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) established from surgical biopsies closely mimic the human context and can be used to investigate disease mechanisms, genetic fitness, and therapeutic evaluation. Here, we present a protocol for the derivation of primary patient-derived CSC lines from ependymal tumors. We describe the necessary steps, from surgical intervention and biopsy to the dissociation of ependymomas to derive cultures. We then detail procedures for cell line propagation and define the characteristics of these primary cancer cell lines. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Michealraj et al.

Protocol For Establishing And Evaluating A Cancer Cachexia Mouse Model, Zhijun Zhou, Jingxuan Yang, Mingyang Liu, Yu Ren, Xiuhui Shi, Yang Cai, Alex X Arreola, Yi-Ping Li, Yuqing Zhang, Min Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer cachexia mouse models are needed to recapitulate the clinical features of patients with cachexia. Here, we present a protocol for the establishment and evaluation of cancer cachexia mouse models. We delineate the steps in preparing tumor cells for inoculation and surgical procedures. After the establishment of these mouse models, we describe essential techniques to assess cancer cachexia, including grip strength evaluation, tissue collection, and the calculation of cross-sectional areas of muscle tissue. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Liu et al.,

Small Molecule Mcl-1 Inhibitor For Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapy, Shengli Dong, Suresh K. Alahari

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved cell death pathway that plays a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis, orchestrating organismal development, and eliminating damaged cells. Dysregulation of apoptosis can contribute to the pathogenesis of malignant tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. Anticancer drugs typically possess the capacity to induce apoptosis in tumor cells. The Bcl-2 protein family, consisting of 27 members in humans, serves as the key regulator of mitochondrial function. This family can be divided into two functional groups: anti-apoptotic proteins (e.g., Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Mcl-1) and pro-apoptotic proteins (e.g., Bad, Bax). Mcl-1 exerts its function by binding pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins thereby preventing …

Frequent Chd1 Deletions In Prostate Cancers Of African American Men Is Associated With Rapid Disease Progression, Miklos Diossy, Viktoria Tisza, Hua Li, Pranshu Sahgal, Jia Zhou, Zsofia Sztupinszki, Denise Young, Darryl Nousome, Claire Kuo, Jiji Jiang, Yongmei Chen, Reinhard Ebner, Isabell A Sesterhenn, Joel T Moncur, Gregory T Chesnut, Gyorgy Petrovics, Gregory T Klus, Gabor Valcz, Pier Vitale Nuzzo, Dezso Ribli, Judit Börcsök, Aurel Prosz, Marcin Krzystanek, Thomas Ried, David Szuts, Kinza Rizwan, Salma Kaochar, Shailja Pathania, Alan D D'Andrea, Istvan Csabai, Shiv Srivastava, Matthew L Freedman, Albert Dobi, Sandor Spisak, Zoltan Szallasi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We analyzed genomic data from the prostate cancer of African- and European American men to identify differences contributing to racial disparity of outcome. We also performed FISH-based studies of Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 1 (CHD1) loss on prostate cancer tissue microarrays. We created CHD1-deficient prostate cancer cell lines for genomic, drug sensitivity and functional homologous recombination (HR) activity analysis. Subclonal deletion of CHD1 was nearly three times as frequent in prostate tumors of African American than in European American men and it associates with rapid disease progression. CHD1 deletion was not associated with HR deficiency associated mutational signatures or HR …

A Qualitative Study Of The Knowledge Of Metabolic Syndrome, Attitudes About Lifestyle Modifications, And Preferences For Lifestyle Interventions Among Patients With Cancer And Metabolic Syndrome, Isabel Martinez Leal, Ashwathy B Pillai, Jessica T Foreman, Kimberly W Siu, Natalia I Heredia, Carmen P Escalante, Ellen F Manzullo, Aimee J Christie, Tamara E Lacourt, Zayd Adnan Razouki, Jessica P Hwang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metabolic syndrome is a group of disorders-hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and insulin resistance-that together increase the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Although ~60% of cancer patients have metabolic syndrome, which increases their risk of mortality, oncology providers lack clear guidance about its management. The development of metabolic syndrome lifestyle interventions requires a better understanding of these patients' knowledge, attitudes, and intervention preferences in order to inform management. During 2022-2023, 19 adult cancer patients with metabolic syndrome engaged in semistructured interviews focused on metabolic syndrome and lifestyle interventions. Interviews were analyzed using hybrid thematic analysis involving deductive and inductive …

Ormeloxifene Suppresses Emt In Hepatocellular Carcinoma By Targeting Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, Daniel Zubieta, Anyssa Rodriguez, Murali Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Colloquium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate. While Sorafenib (SRB) is the standard therapy, it is only effective in prolonging survival for some patients, emphasizing the urgent need for alternative treatment options. Resistance to apoptosis is a defining characteristic of cancer cells and a crucial factor in cancer recurrence and relapse. Although, anticancer potential of the FDA-approved compound Ormeloxifene (ORM), which has well-defined pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, has been explored in a variety of cancers, its efficacy in HCC has remained unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the …

Tc-Ptp Overexpression In Mouse Skin Is Linked To Enhanced Epidermal Differentiation In Response To Tumor Promoter Tpa Exposure, Jared Hensley, Smaran Marupudi, Lindsey Shim, Bilal Hafeez, Dae Joon Kim

Research Colloquium

Background: Maintaining a balance between keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation is essential for epidermal homeostasis. Disruption of this balance can lead to hyperplasia and cancer. Epidermal homeostasis is regulated by various signaling pathways, including those mediated by reciprocal regulation between protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases. T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP), encoded by the PTPN2 gene, is one such phosphatase known to inhibit epidermal cell proliferation through the direct dephosphorylation of STAT3, a key transcription factor involved in cell survival and proliferation following exposure to chemical toxicants. Our previous studies have demonstrated the crucial role of TC-PTP in the prevention …

Honey: A Natural Recipe For The Management Of Pancreatic Cancer, Aun A. Bangash, Muhammad A. Bangash, Georgina Villanueva, Haider Ahsan, Shiza Khan, Rida Shareef, Mudassier Ahmad, Dae J. Kim, Sahir S. Alvi, Bilal B. Hafeez

Research Colloquium

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is the fourth deadliest cancer worldwide and expected to become the second deadliest cancer by 2030. In the USA, the National Cancer Institute put forth a grim prediction stating that there will be 64,050 new cases in 2023 alone and about 50,000 of these patients will die. The first line treatment for pancreatic cancer is Folfrinox, a three-drug regimen consisting of 5-Fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin. The second line treatment is gemcitabine combined with paclitaxel. Only 19% of patients who are prescribed the former regimen survive past 18 months of treatment while just 6% of patients survive …

Head And Neck Metastasis Of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report And Literature Review, Taha Al Hassan, Jessica Flores, Adam Bender-Heine, Rachel A. Giese

Research Colloquium

Introduction/Background: Colorectal Adenocarcinoma (CRC) metastasis is found in approximately 1 in 5 patients diagnosed with CRC and frequently spreads to the liver, lungs, peritoneum, bone, and nervous system. There are several subtypes of adenocarcinoma but the single most associated with distant metastasis, multiple sites of metastasis, and poorer survival is the signet-ring cell carcinoma variant. We present an unusual case of a head and neck mass demonstrating immunohistochemical staining specific for colorectal origin in a patient with a history of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon.

Case Presentation: A 53-year-old female was referred for a left cervical neck mass associated with …

Barriers And Opportunities In Pancreatic Cancer Immunotherapy, Yixin Ju, Dongzhi Xu, Miao-Miao Liao, Yutong Sun, Wen-Dai Bao, Fan Yao, Li Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a fatal clinical challenge characterized by a dismal 5-year overall survival rate, primarily due to the lack of early diagnosis and limited therapeutic efficacy. Immunotherapy, a proven success in multiple cancers, has yet to demonstrate significant benefits in PDAC. Recent studies have revealed the immunosuppressive characteristics of the PDAC tumor microenvironment (TME), including immune cells with suppressive properties, desmoplastic stroma, microbiome influences, and PDAC-specific signaling pathways. In this article, we review recent advances in understanding the immunosuppressive TME of PDAC, TME differences among various mouse models of pancreatic cancer, and the mechanisms underlying resistance to …