Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Cns Relapse In T-Cell Lymphoma Index Predicts Cns Relapse In Patients With T- And Nk-Cell Lymphomas, Rahul S Bhansali, Neha Mehta-Shah, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Little is known about risk factors for central nervous system (CNS) relapse in mature T-cell and natural killer cell neoplasms (MTNKNs). We aimed to describe the clinical epidemiology of CNS relapse in patients with MTNKN and developed the CNS relapse In T-cell lymphoma Index (CITI) to predict patients at the highest risk of CNS relapse. We reviewed data from 135 patients with MTNKN and CNS relapse from 19 North American institutions. After exclusion of leukemic and most cutaneous forms of MTNKNs, patients were pooled with non-CNS relapse control patients from a single institution to create a CNS relapse-enriched training set. …

Where Are We Now With Oncolytic Viruses In Melanoma And Nonmelanoma Skin Malignancies?, George Nassief, Angela Anaeme, Karen Moussa, David Chen, George Ansstas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Skin cancer prognosis has greatly improved recently due to the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, many patients with advanced skin cancer still experience immunotherapy resistance and disease progression during ICI treatment, thus calling for novel therapeutics which address this treatment gap. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) has gained popularity in recent years as a viable treatment option for patients with skin cancer. In preclinical studies, T-VEC demonstrated both a direct anti-tumor effect in injected lesions as well as a systemic immune-mediated effect in non-injected lesions, which could pose additional benefits when combined with ICI therapy. Following promising results from the …

Multi-Scale Signaling And Tumor Evolution In High-Grade Gliomas, Jingxian Liu, Song Cao, Yize Li, Ilya Strunilin, Andrew Shinkle, Nataly Naser Al Deen, Wagma Caravan, Andrew Houston, Faria Anjum Simin, Matthew A Wyczalkowski, Liang-Bo Wang, Erik Storrs, Siqi Chen, Ritvik Illindala, Yuping D Li, Reyka G Jayasinghe, Austin N Southard-Smith, Yang E Li, Rita Jui-Hsien Lu, Feng Chen, Milan G Chheda, Li Ding, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Although genomic anomalies in glioblastoma (GBM) have been well studied for over a decade, its 5-year survival rate remains lower than 5%. We seek to expand the molecular landscape of high-grade glioma, composed of IDH-wildtype GBM and IDH-mutant grade 4 astrocytoma, by integrating proteomic, metabolomic, lipidomic, and post-translational modifications (PTMs) with genomic and transcriptomic measurements to uncover multi-scale regulatory interactions governing tumor development and evolution. Applying 14 proteogenomic and metabolomic platforms to 228 tumors (212 GBM and 16 grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytoma), including 28 at recurrence, plus 18 normal brain samples and 14 brain metastases as comparators, reveals heterogeneous upstream …

Rate Of Abnormalities In Quantitative Mr Neuroimaging Of Persons With Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury, Farzaneh Rahmani, Richard D Batson, Alexandra Zimmerman, Samir Reddigari, Erin D Bigler, Shawn C Lanning, Eveline Ilasa, Jordan H Grafman, Hanzhang Lu, Alexander P Lin, Cyrus A Raji

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can result in lasting brain damage that is often too subtle to detect by qualitative visual inspection on conventional MR imaging. Although a number of FDA-cleared MR neuroimaging tools have demonstrated changes associated with mTBI, they are still under-utilized in clinical practice.

METHODS: We investigated a group of 65 individuals with predominantly mTBI (60 mTBI, 48 due to motor-vehicle collision, mean age 47 ± 13 years, 27 men and 38 women) with MR neuroimaging performed in a median of 37 months post-injury. We evaluated abnormalities in brain volumetry including analysis of left-right asymmetry by …

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Ascending Dose Study To Evaluate The Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics (Pk) And Pharmacodynamic (Pd) Effects Of Posiphen In Subjects With Early Alzheimer's Disease, Douglas Galasko, Martin R Farlow, Brendan P Lucey, Lawrence S Honig, Donald Elbert, Randall Bateman, Jeremiah Momper, Ronald G Thomas, Robert A Rissman, Judy Pa, Vahan Aslanyan, Archana Balasubramanian, Tim West, Maria Maccecchini, Howard H Feldman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Amyloid beta protein (Aβ) is a treatment target in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Lowering production of its parent protein, APP, has benefits in preclinical models. Posiphen, an orally administered small molecule, binds to an iron-responsive element in APP mRNA and decreases translation of APP and Aβ. To augment human data for Posiphen, we evaluated safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects on Aβ metabolism using Stable Isotope Labeling Kinetic (SILK) analysis.

METHODS: Double-blind phase 1b randomized ascending dose clinical trial, at five sites, under an IRB-approved protocol. Participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild AD (Early AD) confirmed by …

Cell-Specific Single Viral Vector Crispr/Cas9 Editing And Genetically Encoded Tool Delivery In The Central And Peripheral Nervous Systems, Jamie C Moffa, India N Bland, Jessica R Tooley, Vani Kalyanaraman, Monique Heitmeier, Meaghan C Creed, Bryan A Copits

2020-Current year OA Pubs

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing represents an exciting avenue to study genes of unknown function and can be combined with genetically encoded tools such as fluorescent proteins, channelrhodopsins, DREADDs, and various biosensors to more deeply probe the function of these genes in different cell types. However, current strategies to also manipulate or visualize edited cells are challenging due to the large size of Cas9 proteins and the limited packaging capacity of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). To overcome these constraints, we developed an alternative gene editing strategy using a single AAV vector and mouse lines that express Cre-dependent Cas9 to achieve efficient cell-type specific …

Shp2 As A Primordial Epigenetic Enzyme Expunges Histone H3 Ptyr-54 To Amend Androgen Receptor Homeostasis, Surbhi Chouhan, Dhivya Sridaran, Cody Weimholt, Jingqin Luo, Tiandao Li, Kiran Mahajan, Nupam P Mahajan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mutations that decrease or increase the activity of the tyrosine phosphatase, SHP2 (encoded by PTPN11), promotes developmental disorders and several malignancies by varying phosphatase activity. We uncovered that SHP2 is a distinct class of an epigenetic enzyme; upon phosphorylation by the kinase ACK1/TNK2, pSHP2 was escorted by androgen receptor (AR) to chromatin, erasing hitherto unidentified pY54-H3 (phosphorylation of histones H3 at Tyr54) epigenetic marks to trigger a transcriptional program of AR. Noonan Syndrome with Multiple Lentigines (NSML) patients, SHP2 knock-in mice, and ACK1 knockout mice presented dramatic increase in pY54-H3, leading to loss of AR transcriptome. In contrast, prostate tumors …

Oral Sebetralstat For On-Demand Treatment Of Hereditary Angioedema Attacks, Marc A Riedl, H James Wedner, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Approved on-demand treatments for hereditary angioedema attacks need to be administered parenterally, a route of administration that is associated with delays in treatment or withholding of therapy.

METHODS: In this phase 3, double-blind, three-way crossover trial, we randomly assigned participants at least 12 years of age with type 1 or type 2 hereditary angioedema to take up to two oral doses of sebetralstat (300 mg or 600 mg) or placebo for an angioedema attack. The primary end point, assessed in a time-to-event analysis, was the beginning of symptom relief, defined as a rating of "a little better" on the …

O-Glcnacylation Of Mitf Regulates Its Activity And Cdk4/6 Inhibitor Resistance In Breast Cancer, Yi Zhang, Shuyan Zhou, Yan Kai, Ya-Qin Zhang, Changmin Peng, Zhuqing Li, Muhammad Jameel Mughal, Belmar Julie, Xiaoyan Zheng, Junfeng Ma, Cynthia X Ma, Min Shen, Matthew D Hall, Shunqiang Li, Wenge Zhu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) play a pivotal role in cell cycle and cancer development. Targeting CDK4/6 has demonstrated promising effects against breast cancer. However, resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i), such as palbociclib, remains a substantial challenge in clinical settings. Using high-throughput combinatorial drug screening and genomic sequencing, we find that the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is activated via O-GlcNAcylation by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) in palbociclib-resistant breast cancer cells and tumors. Mechanistically, O-GlcNAcylation of MITF at Serine 49 enhances its interaction with importin α/β, thus promoting its translocation to nuclei, where it suppresses palbociclib-induced senescence. Inhibition of MITF or …

Ledoxy-Sl: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomized, 24-Month Trial Of Six Weeks Of Daily Doxycycline Plus Hygiene-Based Essential Care For Reducing Progression Of Filarial Lymphedema In Sri Lanka, Thishan Channa Yahathugoda, Nirmitha Lalindi De Silva, Janaka Ruben, Sharmini Gunawardena, Mirani Vasanthamala Weerasooriya, John Horton, Philip Budge, Eric Ottesen, Sarah Mary Sullivan, Mariana Stephens, John Shen, Ute Klarmann-Schulz, Achim Hoerauf, Joseph Patrick Shott, Charles Mackenzie

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Morbidity management of filarial lymphedema remains a challenge even during the post-lymphatic filariasis elimination era in Sri Lanka despite provision of the predominantly hygiene-based WHO Essential Package of Care. Because prior studies have suggested that 6 weeks of doxycycline may reduce progression of limb lymphedema, we conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, superiority study to evaluate this possibility in Sri Lanka. Patients aged 14 to 65 years with lymphedema in one or both legs received either 200 mg of doxycycline daily for 6 weeks or matching placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was improvement or lack of progression in lymphedema stage at 24 …

A "Prime And Expand" Strategy Using The Multifunctional Fusion Proteins To Generate Memory-Like Nk Cells For Cell Therapy, Niraj Shrestha, Michelle Becker-Hapak, Mark Foster, Ethan Mcclain, Melissa M Berrien-Elliott, Todd A Fehniger, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) using memory-like (ML) natural killer (NK) cells, generated through overnight ex vivo activation with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18, has shown promise for treating hematologic malignancies. We recently reported that a multifunctional fusion molecule, HCW9201, comprising IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 domains could replace individual cytokines for priming human ML NK cell programming ("Prime" step). However, this approach does not include ex vivo expansion, thereby limiting the ability to test different doses and schedules. Here, we report the design and generation of a multifunctional fusion molecule, HCW9206, consisting of human IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21 cytokines. We observed > 300-fold …

Baseline Levels And Longitudinal Changes In Plasma Aβ42/40 Among Black And White Individuals, Chengjie Xiong, Jingqin Luo, Rachel L Henson, Tammie L S Benzinger, Quoc Bui, Folasade Agboola, Elizabeth Grant, Emily N Gremminger, Krista L Moulder, Ganesh Babulal, Carlos Cruchaga, David M Holtzman, Randall J Bateman, John C Morris, Suzanne E Schindler, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) may facilitate testing of historically under-represented groups. The Study of Race to Understand Alzheimer Biomarkers (SORTOUT-AB) is a multi-center longitudinal study to compare AD biomarkers in participants who identify their race as either Black or white. Plasma samples from 324 Black and 1,547 white participants underwent analysis with C

Validating A Curvature-Based Marker Of Cervical Carotid Tortuosity For Risk Assessment In Heritable Aortopathies, Jin Vivian Lee, Anna L Huguenard, Ralph G Dacey, Alan C Braverman, Joshua W Osbun

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Cervical arterial tortuosity is associated with adverse outcomes in Loeys-Dietz syndrome and other heritable aortopathies.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A method to assess tortuosity based on curvature of the vessel centerline in 3-dimensional space was developed. We measured cervical carotid tortuosity in 65 patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome from baseline computed tomography angiogram/magnetic resonance angiogram and all serial images during follow-up. Relations between baseline carotid tortuosity, age, aortic root diameter, and its change over time were compared. Patients with unoperated aortic roots were assessed for clinical end point (type A aortic dissection or aortic root surgery during 4 years of follow-up). …

Pathogenic Variants In Autism Gene Katnal2 Cause Hydrocephalus And Disrupt Neuronal Connectivity By Impairing Ciliary Microtubule Dynamics, Tyrone Despenza, Shujuan Zhao, Sheng Chih Jin, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Enlargement of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled brain ventricles (cerebral ventriculomegaly), the cardinal feature of congenital hydrocephalus (CH), is increasingly recognized among patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Identification Of Unique Cell Type Responses In Pancreatic Islets To Stress, Marlie M Maestas, Matthew Ishahak, Punn Augsornworawat, Daniel A Veronese-Paniagua, Kristina G Maxwell, Leonardo Velazco-Cruz, Erica Marquez, Jiameng Sun, Mira Shunkarova, Sarah E Gale, Fumihiko Urano, Jeffrey R Millman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Diabetes involves the death or dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells. Analysis of bulk sequencing from human samples and studies using in vitro and in vivo models suggest that endoplasmic reticulum and inflammatory signaling play an important role in diabetes progression. To better characterize cell type-specific stress response, we perform multiplexed single-cell RNA sequencing to define the transcriptional signature of primary human islet cells exposed to endoplasmic reticulum and inflammatory stress. Through comprehensive pair-wise analysis of stress responses across pancreatic endocrine and exocrine cell types, we define changes in gene expression for each cell type under different diabetes-associated stressors. We find that …

Assessment Of Patient-Derived Xenograft Growth And Antitumor Activity: The Nci Pdxnet Consensus Recommendations, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Ramaswamy Govinden, Li Ding, Ryan Fields, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Although patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are commonly used for preclinical modeling in cancer research, a standard approach to in vivo tumor growth analysis and assessment of antitumor activity is lacking, complicating the comparison of different studies and determination of whether a PDX experiment has produced evidence needed to consider a new therapy promising. We present consensus recommendations for assessment of PDX growth and antitumor activity, providing public access to a suite of tools for in vivo growth analyses. We expect that harmonizing PDX study design and analysis and assessing a suite of analytical tools will enhance information exchange and facilitate identification …

A Pan-Cancer Patient-Derived Xenograft Histology Image Repository With Genomic And Pathologic Annotations Enables Deep Learning Analysis, Brian S White, R Jay Mashl, Sherri R Davies, Ryan C Fields, Jacqueline L Mudd, Ramaswamy Govindan, Shunqiang Li, Li Ding, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) model human intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity in the context of the intact tissue of immunocompromised mice. Histologic imaging via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is routinely performed on PDX samples, which could be harnessed for computational analysis. Prior studies of large clinical H&E image repositories have shown that deep learning analysis can identify intercellular and morphologic signals correlated with disease phenotype and therapeutic response. In this study, we developed an extensive, pan-cancer repository of >1,000 PDX and paired parental tumor H&E images. These images, curated from the PDX Development and Trial Centers Research Network Consortium, had a …

Open-Label, Dose-Escalation Fight-101 Study Of Pemigatinib Combined With Targeted Therapy, Chemotherapy, Or Immunotherapy In Patients With Advanced Malignancies, M Saleh, M Barve, V Subbiah, K P Papadopoulos, D Morgensztern, N B Mettu, S Roychowdhury, I Spanggaard, M L Veronese, C Tian, I M Silverman, M Gutierrez

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pemigatinib is an oral, potent, selective fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 1-3 inhibitor. FIGHT-101, a three-part, open-label, first-in-human, phase I/II study (NCT02393248), evaluated pemigatinib in patients with advanced solid tumors. In parts 1 and 2, pemigatinib monotherapy had a manageable safety profile and antitumor activity in FGFR-altered tumors. Part 3 (pemigatinib combination therapies) results are presented here.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received 9, 13.5, or 20 mg oral once-daily pemigatinib on continuous or intermittent schedules with gemcitabine and cisplatin (pemi/gem/cis), docetaxel (pemi/doc), trastuzumab (pemi/tras), pembrolizumab (pemi/pembro), or retifanlimab (pemi/reti) irrespective of whether the tumor was confirmed as FGFR altered. …

Integrating Multisector Molecular Characterization Into Personalized Peptide Vaccine Design For Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma, Tanner M Johanns, Elizabeth A R Garfinkle, Katherine E Miller, Alexandra J Livingstone, Kaleigh F Roberts, Lakshmi P Rao Venkata, Joshua L Dowling, Michael R Chicoine, Ralph G Dacey, Gregory J Zipfel, Albert H Kim, Elaine R Mardis, Gavin P Dunn

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Outcomes for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remain poor despite multimodality treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. There are few immunotherapy options due to the lack of tumor immunogenicity. Several clinical trials have reported promising results with cancer vaccines. To date, studies have used data from a single tumor site to identify targetable antigens, but this approach limits the antigen pool and is antithetical to the heterogeneity of GBM. We have implemented multisector sequencing to increase the pool of neoantigens across the GBM genomic landscape that can be incorporated into personalized peptide vaccines called NeoVax.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this …

Cognitive Control Training With Domain-General Response Inhibition Does Not Change Children's Brains Or Behavior, Keertana Ganesan, Abigail Thompson, Claire R Smid, Roser Cañigueral, Yongjing Li, Grace Revill, Vanessa Puetz, Boris C Bernhardt, Nico U F Dosenbach, Rogier Kievit, Nikolaus Steinbeis

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cognitive control is required to organize thoughts and actions and is critical for the pursuit of long-term goals. Childhood cognitive control relates to other domains of cognitive functioning and predicts later-life success and well-being. In this study, we used a randomized controlled trial to test whether cognitive control can be improved through a pre-registered 8-week intervention in 235 children aged 6-13 years targeting response inhibition and whether this leads to changes in multiple behavioral and neural outcomes compared to a response speed training. We show long-lasting improvements of closely related measures of cognitive control at the 1-year follow-up; however, training …

Origins Of Cancer: Ain't It Just Mature Cells Misbehaving?, Charles J Cho, Jeffrey W Brown, Jason C Mills

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A pervasive view is that undifferentiated stem cells are alone responsible for generating all other cells and are the origins of cancer. However, emerging evidence demonstrates fully differentiated cells are plastic, can be coaxed to proliferate, and also play essential roles in tissue maintenance, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Here, we review the mechanisms governing how differentiated cells become cancer cells. First, we examine the unique characteristics of differentiated cell division, focusing on why differentiated cells are more susceptible than stem cells to accumulating mutations. Next, we investigate why the evolution of multicellularity in animals likely required plastic differentiated cells that maintain …

Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of The Effect Of Tariquidar On Ondansetron Disposition Into The Central Nervous System, Manting Chiang, Hyunmoon Back, Jong Bong Lee, Sarah Oh, Tiffany Guo, Simone Girgis, Celine Park, Simon Haroutounian, Leonid Kagan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Serotonin (5-HT

METHODS: Ondansetron (10 mg/kg) and tariquidar (7.5 mg/kg) were administered intravenously, plasma and tissue samples were collected and analyzed by HPLC. A mathematical model with brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid and two systemic disposition compartments was developed to describe the data.

RESULTS: The results demonstrate that tariquidar at 7.5 mg/kg resulted in a complete inhibition of Pgp efflux of ondansetron in the brain and spinal cord. The compartmental model successfully captured pharmacokinetics of ondansetron in wild type and Pgp knockout (KO) animals receiving the drug alone or in wild type animals receiving the ondansetron and tariquidar combination. …

Replication And Reliability Of Parkinson's Disease Clinical Subtypes, Therese V Cash, Christina N Lessov-Schlaggar, Erin R Foster, Peter S Myers, Joshua J Jackson, Baijayanta Maiti, Paul T Kotzbauer, Joel S Perlmutter, Meghan C Campbell

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: We recently identified three distinct Parkinson's disease subtypes: "motor only" (predominant motor deficits with intact cognition and psychiatric function); "psychiatric & motor" (prominent psychiatric symptoms and moderate motor deficits); "cognitive & motor" (cognitive and motor deficits).

OBJECTIVE: We used an independent cohort to replicate and assess reliability of these Parkinson's disease subtypes.

METHODS: We tested our original subtype classification with an independent cohort (N = 100) of Parkinson's disease participants without dementia and the same comprehensive evaluations assessing motor, cognitive, and psychiatric function. Next, we combined the original (N = 162) and replication (N = 100) datasets to test …

Survival Disparities In Rural Versus Urban Patients With Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Multi-Institutional Study From The Us Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group, Muhammad Bilal Mirza, Jordan J Baechle, Paula Marincola Smith, Mary Dillhoff, George Poultsides, Flavio G Rocha, Clifford S Cho, Emily R Winslow, Ryan C Fields, Shishir K Maithel, Kamran Idrees

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs) are indolent malignancies that often have a prolonged clinical course. This study assesses disparities in outcomes between PNET patients who live in urban (UA) and rural areas (RA).

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the US Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group database. PNET patients with a home zip code recorded were included and categorized as RA or UA according to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and logistical regression.

RESULTS: Of the 1176 PNET patients in the database, 1126 (96%) had zip code …

Feasibility Of Simulation Free Abdominal Stereotactic Adaptive Radiotherapy Using An Expedited Pre-Plan Workflow, Alex T Price, Joshua P Schiff, Alice Silberstein, Robbie Beckert, Tianyu Zhao, Geoffrey D Hugo, Pamela P Samson, Eric Laugeman, Lauren E Henke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Improved hounsfield-unit accuracy of on-board imaging may lead to direct-to-unit treatment approaches We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using only a diagnostic (dx) computed tomography (CT)-defined target pre-plan in an

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients with abdominal treatment sites (five pancreatic cancer, three oligometastases) were treated using an integrated adaptive O-Ring gantry system. Each patient's target was delineated on a dxCT. The target only pre-plan served primarily to seed the ART process. During the ART session, all structures were delineated. All simulated cases were treated to 50 Gy in 5 fractions to a planning target optimization …

Distinguishing Recrudescence From Reinfection In Lymphatic Filariasis, Young-Jun Choi, Kerstin Fischer, Aboulaye Méité, Benjamin G Koudou, Peter U Fischer, Makedonka Mitreva

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is the largest public health program based on mass drug administration (MDA). Despite decades of MDA, ongoing transmission in some countries remains a challenge. To optimise interventions, it is critical to differentiate between recrudescence and new infections. Since adult filariae are inaccessible in humans, deriving a method that relies on the offspring microfilariae (mf) is necessary.

METHODS: We developed a genome amplification and kinship analysis-based approach using Brugia malayi samples from gerbils, and applied it to analyse Wuchereria bancrofti mf from humans in Côte d'Ivoire. We examined the pre-treatment genetic diversity …

Poglut2/3 Double Knockout In Mice Results In Neonatal Lethality With Reduced Levels Of Fibrillin In Lung Tissues, Sanjiv Neupane, Daniel B Williamson, Robyn A Roth, Carmen M Halabi, Robert S Haltiwanger, Bernadette C Holdener

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Fibrillin microfibrils play a critical role in the formation of elastic fibers, tissue/organ development, and cardiopulmonary function. These microfibrils not only provide structural support and flexibility to tissues, but they also regulate growth factor signaling through a plethora of microfibril-binding proteins in the extracellular space. Mutations in fibrillins are associated with human diseases affecting cardiovascular, pulmonary, skeletal, and ocular systems. Fibrillins consist of up to 47 epidermal growth factor-like repeats, of which more than half are modified by protein O-glucosyltransferase 2 (POGLUT2) and/or POGLUT3. Loss of these modifications reduces secretion of N-terminal fibrillin constructs overexpressed in vitro. Here, we investigated …

Study Of A Pst-Trained Voice-Enabled Artificial Intelligence Counselor For Adults With Emotional Distress (Speac-2): Design And Methods, Corina R Ronneberg, Thomas Kannampallil, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Novel and scalable psychotherapies are urgently needed to address the depression and anxiety epidemic. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), a voice-based virtual coach named Lumen was developed to deliver problem solving treatment (PST). The first pilot trial showed promising changes in cognitive control measured by functional neuroimaging and improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms.

METHODS: To further validate Lumen in a 3-arm randomized clinical trial, 200 participants with mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety will be randomly assigned in a 2:1:1 ratio to receive Lumen-coached PST, human-coached PST as active treatment comparison, or a waitlist control condition where participants can receive Lumen …

Aqueous Macrophages Contribute To Conserved Ccl2 And Cxcl10 Gradients In Uveitis, Joseph B Lin, Kathryn L Pepple, Christian Concepcion, Yulia Korshunova, Michael A Paley, Grace L Paley, Jennifer Laurent, Rajendra S Apte, Lynn M Hassman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Uveitis is a heterogenous group of inflammatory eye disease for which current cytokine-targeted immune therapies are effective for only a subset of patients. We hypothesized that despite pathophysiologic nuances that differentiate individual disease states, all forms of eye inflammation might share common mechanisms for immune cell recruitment. Identifying these mechanisms is critical for developing novel, broadly acting therapeutic strategies.

DESIGN: Experimental study.

SUBJECTS: Biospecimens from patients with active or inactive uveitis and healthy controls.

METHODS: Protein concentration and single cell gene expression were assessed in aqueous fluid biopsies and plasma samples from deidentified patients with uveitis or healthy controls. …

Phase 1b Study To Assess The Safety, Tolerability, And Clinical Activity Of Pamiparib In Combination With Temozolomide In Patients With Locally Advanced Or Metastatic Solid Tumors, Agostina Stradella, Haeseong Park, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pamiparib is a potent, selective, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1/2 inhibitor that demonstrates synthetic lethality in cells with breast cancer susceptibility gene mutations or other homologous recombination deficiency. This two-stage phase 1b study (NCT03150810) assessed pamiparib in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) in adult patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced and metastatic solid tumors.

METHODS: Oral pamiparib 60 mg was administered twice daily. During the dose-escalation stage, increasing doses of TMZ (40-120 mg once daily pulsed or 20-40 mg once daily continuous) were administered to determine the recommended dose to be administered in the dose-expansion stage. The primary objectives were to …