Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Optimizing Postpartum Recovery: An Occupational Therapy–Informed Home-Based Education Program, Maria Cristal Sanchez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Postpartum women experience significant physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes, yet care often prioritizes the infant, leaving mothers with limited recovery education. This doctoral capstone project developed and implemented an occupational therapy (OT)-informed, home-based education program for pregnant and postpartum women, in collaboration with Moonstone Wellness OT, a private occupational therapy practice in El Paso, Texas. The program, guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation model, covered OT awareness, pain education, lymphatic system and swelling management, scar healing, pelvic floor health, energy conservation, body mechanics, and emotional well-being. Sessions were individualized and one-on-one, delivered either in-home or via telehealth, and supported by a Facilitator …

Every Child Deserves To Play: Inclusive Playgrounds In School Settings, Irene Rios

OT Doctoral Capstones

Children with disabilities experience barriers that limit meaningful participation and social interaction during school playground play. Despite ADA standards, many playgrounds lack inclusive features that support participation for students of all abilities. YISD identified the need for a comprehensive resource to evaluate playground Accessiblity and inclusivity beyond ADA compliance.

Project Purpose: Develop an Inclusive School Playground Assessment Toolkit (ISPAT), an evaluation criteria and guidelines to assess the Accessiblity and inclusivity of elementary school playgrounds.

Implementation: Evaluate five YISD school playgrounds using ISPAT

Outcomes: Using IPSAT and its scoring system, only one playground achieved a Mostly Inclusive rating (70-85%), one achieved …

Promoting Office Worker Well-Being- An Occupational Therapy Approach To Workplace Ergonomics, David D. Roberts

OT Doctoral Capstones

Office-based employees face an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to prolonged sitting, repetitive computer use, static postures, and poorly designed workstations. These risk factors contribute to discomfort, fatigue, and diminished work performance. While ergonomic education and workstation modifications have proven effective, evidence on the long-term impact of occupational therapy-led interventions in office settings remains limited. In response, an evidence-based ergonomic program was developed using an occupational therapy framework to enhance awareness, habits, performance, and overall well-being. The program included individualized ergonomic workstation assessments, tailored recommendations, educational presentations, instructional videos, movement and stretching resources, and ongoing follow-up support. Administrative …

Occupation, Purpose, And Possibility: A Holistic Program For Children Battling Cancer, Ayleen Mena

OT Doctoral Capstones

Pediatric oncology patients often experience disruptions in meaningful occupations due to prolonged hospitalization, medical treatments, fatigue, isolation precautions, and emotional distress. A needs assessment conducted within a pediatric oncology unit identified concerns related to social isolation, limited opportunities for meaningful activity, emotional well-being, and disruptions in play, leisure, social participation, and daily routines. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement an occupation-based, family-centered activity program to support the psychosocial well-being and meaningful participation of pediatric oncology patients during hospitalization.

The Next Step: Building Strength Through Life Skills, Victoria Nunez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Adolescents who are at risk or facing mental health challenges often miss out on chances to build the practical life skills they need for everyday life and a smooth transition into adulthood. While traditional rehabilitation programs tend to focus on stabilization and therapy, they frequently fall short when it comes to preparing young people for independent living. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to develop and implement a structured, occupation-based life skills program to promote well-being, independence, and meaningful participation among adolescents. The Life Skills Program (Life Lab) took place at the Alamito STREAM Center in Segundo Barrio, …

Beyond The Game: An Occupational Therapy Approach To Adaptive Sports, Leslie Nicole Martinez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Children with physical disabilities often experience limited opportunities to participate in meaningful recreational and leisure activities, which may hinder overall quality of life. A needs assessment conducted with staff and parents at Permian Basin Reability Center (PBRC) identified a gap in accessible recreational opportunities for children with physical disabilities, justifying the need for an adaptive softball program. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement an adaptive softball program that promoted participation, inclusion, personal skills development, and enhanced quality of life by integrating occupational therapy in adaptive sports.

The adaptive softball program included a parent/guardian education guide …

Thriving Through Occupation: Enhancing Occupational Participation For Cancer Survivors, Leslie B. Martinez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Cancer survivors often experience decreased participation in meaningful occupations, along with physical, mental, emotional, and financial challenges (Newman et al., 2024). This capstone project developed an educational series to promote engagement in meaningful occupations and provide strategies to combat the negative physical and mental effects of cancer and treatment. Four classes covering various health topics, including cancer-related fatigue, cognitive impairment, mental health, and nutrition, were implemented for cancer survivors at the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation. The classes included an educational portion in which participants were introduced to each topic, followed by interactive learning activities designed to promote the application and …

Promoting Social Participation In Pediatric Behavioral Health, Desirae Gomez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Children receiving behavioral health services may experience challenges with social participation, including difficulty communicating, forming friendships, and engaging with peers. A needs assessment identified a need for more opportunities to develop social skills and support emotional well-being within an outpatient behavioral health setting. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and implement an occupational therapy-driven social participation program that promoted social engagement, coping skills, emotional expression, and interpersonal skills among children receiving behavioral health services. Weekly group workshops were implemented using evidence-informed, occupation-based activities, such as art and emotional expression, social stories, board games, and collaborative activities. Pre- …

Navigating Child Development: A Toolkit For Bridging Knowledge And Strengthening Caregiver Confidence, Kristen Sarai Martinez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Children involved in the child welfare system are at increased risk for trauma, prenatal substance exposure (PSE), adverse childhood experiences, and developmental challenges that may affect participation and well-being. A needs assessment conducted at CASA of El Paso identified a need for practical resources to strengthen advocates’ knowledge and confidence related to child development, trauma-informed care, PSE, play-based strategies, and communication with caregivers. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to develop and implement an evidence-based occupational therapy toolkit and educational workshop to increase CASA advocates’ knowledge, confidence, and skills in supporting children and families. The project included a …

Playing In The Zones: Enhancing Executive Function And Self-Regulation Through Play-Based Interventions, Armando Martinez

OT Doctoral Capstones

Executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) are essential skills that support children’s participation in school, play, and everyday occupations. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and developmental delays may experience difficulties with working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation. A need was identified for a structured, evidence-informed therapy resource addressing EF and SR within pediatric practice. The purpose of the project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a group program integrating the Zones of Regulation to support EF and SR in children. The program was implemented at an outpatient pediatric clinic with children ages 6-11 …

Grading Melanocytic Dysplasia: Updated Histopathologic Criteria, Christopher R Shea, Victor G Prieto, Catherine M Shachaf, Scott R Florell

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dr. Martin C. Mihm, Jr.'s innovative work on the dysplastic nevus achieved a milestone in his chapter in the World Health Organisation Classification of Skin Tumours (WHO-C). WHO-C presents a dichotomous classification (high-grade versus low-grade dysplastic nevi) and a quantitative metric to assess melanocytic nuclear enlargement. The Duke classification is a related approach that provides mostly quantitative histopathologic criteria for dysplastic nevi and gives due weight to architectural features as well as cytology. This paper proposes and illustrates updated criteria for scoring and grading melanocytic dysplasia, incorporating some of the definitions and categories of WHO-C, while refining the quantitative and …

Evaluation Of Organ-Specific Relative Biological Effectiveness Of Proton Therapy Using Radiation-Induced Pneumonitis As An Endpoint, Li Liao, Ting Xu, Mei Chen, Tingshi Su, Narayan Sahoo, Xiaorong Zhu, Steven J Frank, Quynh-Nhu Nguyen, Zhongxing Liao, Xiaodong Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: Proton therapy has become widely used for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) due to its ability to spare normal tissue. However, the commonly assumed relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 may underestimate the therapy's true biological effects on lung, potentially leading to a higher than expected incidence of radiation-induced pneumonitis (RP). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the variability of organ-specific RBE of proton therapy using RP grade 2 or higher (RP2+) as an endpoint.

Materials and methods: Data from 270 NSCLC patients across two clinical trials were analyzed, with 134 given photon therapy and 136 given …

Trial Interviews To Explore Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia Patient Experiences Following Gene Therapy, Diane M Turner-Bowker, Jessica Butler, Shayna Egan, David A Weinstein, David F Rodriguez-Buritica, Ayesha Ahmad, María-Luz Couce, Rebecca Riba-Wolman, John J Mitchell, Christina Theodore-Oklota

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa) is a rare, inherited, autosomal recessive deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), an enzyme necessary in glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. To maintain normal blood glucose levels and ensure survival, individuals living with GSDIa must frequently consume complex carbohydrates (eg, uncooked cornstarch). Dietary management can result in chronic complications and significant patient burden. DTX401 (pariglasgene brecaparvovec) is an investigational adeno-associated virus serotype 8 vector (AAV8)-based gene therapy designed to restore endogenous glucose production.

Objectives: Patient experience interviews were conducted as part of an open-label, phase 1/2 dose-escalation trial (NCT03517085) evaluating the safety and efficacy of …

Applications And Challenges Of Utilizing Digital Pathology And Ai-Enabled Workflows In Clinical Trials, Manu Sebastian, Harsh Batra, Monika Lamba Saini, Staci Kearney, Lorcan Sherry, Serge Alexanian, Michael Cohen, William Weber, Joe Lennerz, Anil V Parwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This is a comprehensive review on current utilization and challenges of digital pathology adoption in clinical trials and aims to provide a broad view on its impact on pathology review processes in clinical trials. It provides an overview of current pathology review practices in clinical trials and unique advantages digital pathology adoption can offer. The key areas including existing workflows, use case scenarios in different disease areas in clinical trials, including but not limited to patient identification and pre-screening, and regulatory aspects have been described with relevance. In addition, the review delves into the integration of genomics, AI, image analysis, …

Infliximab For Grade Iii Or Iv Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Nephritis Clinical And Translational Evidence, Nada Youssef, Masroor Habeeb, Hong Chen, Zainab Alhamal, Omar Mamlouk, Heather Lin, Valda Page, Amanda Tchakarov, Sreyashi Basu, Adi Diab, Padmanee Sharma, Ala Abudayyeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a common presentation of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) toxicity. Increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression has been observed in ICI-induced AIN (ICI-AIN). In this study, we compared treatment with glucocorticoids plus infliximab to glucocorticoids only in stage III or IV ICI-AIN. We conducted retrospective NanoString analysis of ICI-exposed kidney samples to identify associated gene signatures and possible association with TNF-α expression.

Methods: We reviewed the records of patients who received ICI, developed acute kidney injury (AKI), and underwent kidney biopsy at MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2022 to October 2024. Fifty-five patients had …

Reconsidering The Definition Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In The Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Era: An Optimal Cut-Off Value For Hormone Receptor Percentage Of Her2-Negative Invasive Breast Cancer, Takeo Fujii, Toshiaki Iwase, Yu Shen, Jami Fukui, Naoto T Ueno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The optimal cut-off values of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) expression to define the positivity of ER and PgR have been under discussion for over a decade but remain controversial. The American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) and the St. Gallen International Expert Consensus recommended that breast cancers with ≥1% of ER or PgR expression should be considered hormone receptor (HR)-positive tumors but ER/PR expression of 1% to 10% should be reported as HR-low positive; however, among HER2-negative disease, data on the overall benefit of adjuvant endocrine therapies for patients with HR-low positive disease is …

T Cells Modulate The Development And Maintenance Of Painful Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy In Rnu Rats, Ahmed Olalekan Bakare, Gerard Limerick, Vasudha Goel, Ratan K Banik, Lei Zheng, Andrew J Shepherd, Kristine Glunde, Qin Zheng, Eellan Sivanesan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The role of T cells in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is complex and shaped by biological and experimental factors, including sex, hormonal status, genetic background, and cancer model. This complexity has contributed to inconsistent findings among studies, limiting therapeutic progress. In this study, we investigate how T cells contribute to painful paclitaxel (PTX)-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). Adult male T cell-competent (RNU+/−) and T cell-deficient (RNU−/−) rats were subcutaneously inoculated with tumor cells and subsequently treated with intraperitoneal PTX (8 mg/kg total dose). Reflexive (mechanical, heat, cold) and non-reflexive (burrowing, gait) pain behaviors were assessed from baseline through week 6. Immunohistochemistry …

The Effects Of Fitness Self-Testing With Instant Feedback On Changes In Health-Related Fitness Among Chinese Male College Students, Yongshun Wang, Xiaofen D Hamilton, Rulan Shangguan, Anlu Yang, Na Xiao, Chenhao Wu, Sizhe Liu, Ren Yang, Jiren Zhang, Mark F Hamilton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The decline in health-related physical fitness resulting from physical inactivity remains a critical global public health concern. Technology-supported fitness self-testing has the potential not only to improve students' testing experiences but also to enhance their health-related fitness. However, the effectiveness of such approaches has not yet been systematically examined, and their validity within university populations remains largely unestablished.

Method: A quasi-experimental research design with a control group (n = 45) and an experimental group (n = 44), incorporating pre- and post-tests, was employed in this study. The experimental group completed monthly self-testing sessions accompanied by GAI-generated instant feedback over …

The Lysine Demethylase Kdm4c Is An Oncogenic Driver And Regulates Erk Activity In Kras-Mutant Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Menna-T-Allah Shaheen, Sarah Dhebat, Kimal I Rajapakshe, Bidyut Ghosh, Benson Chellakkan Selvanesan, Shariq S Ansari, Cara L Haymaker, Dorsay Sadeghian, Huamin Wang, Ching-Fei Li, Haoqiang Ying, Anirban Maitra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Deregulation of proteins involved in chromatin regulation is common in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Lysine demethylase 4C (KDM4C) is one of the chromatin-modifying proteins frequently overexpressed across multiple solid cancers and is linked to chromatin instability, increased cell proliferation, and enhanced stem cell–like behavior. We observed upregulation of KDM4C protein in a panel of human PDAC cell lines and patient samples compared with nonneoplastic controls. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of KDM4C in human and murine PDAC cells reduced proliferation, clonogenicity, and increased survival of orthotopically implanted murine PDAC allografts. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that loss of KDM4C in both human and …

Clinical And Molecular Characteristics Of Patients With Young-Onset And Average-Onset Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Adriana C Gamboa, Kever A Lewis, Laura R Prakash, Zhouxuan Li, Wei Qiao, Dan Zhao, Mark W Hurd, Mahmoud Yousef, Naruhiko Ikoma, Michael P Kim, Jeffrey E Lee, Jessica E Maxwell, Ching-Wei D Tzeng, Matthew H G Katz, Rebecca A Snyder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The incidence of young-onset pancreatic cancer (YO-PC) has risen over the past two decades, yet its molecular characteristics and long-term outcomes remain poorly defined.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with PC treated at a tertiary referral center from 2016 to 2022 who had available molecular data. Patients were classified as YO-PC (≤50 years) or average-onset PC (AO-PC, >50 years). A subset analysis examined outcomes in those who underwent curative-intent pancreatectomy. Primary end points included overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

Results: Among 511 patients, 10.9% had YO-PC (n = 56; median age 44 years). Patients with YO-PC more …

Case Report: Management Of A Challenging Case Presenting With Dysphagia After Thyroidectomy Requiring Administration Of Liquid 131i Via Mic-Key Low-Profile Tube—A Multidisciplinary Approach, Ahmed Ebada Salem, Sandra Ramirez, Brian R Weston, Akram Hussein, Simone Krebs

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy with 131-iodine (131I) remains a cornerstone in the postoperative management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The standard route of administration is oral, typically in capsule form and less commonly as a liquid. However, in patients with severe dysphagia and compromised airway, traditional oral 131I delivery may be contraindicated due to the risk of aspiration and radioactivity contamination. These scenarios present unique clinical challenges that necessitate deviation from conventional protocols. While liquid 131I may be administered through the mouth or via nasogastric or percutaneous gastrostomy tubes, there is currently no standardized approach, and potential risks, such as …

Initial Experience With Remote Mri Scanning Support In An Oncology Focused Practice: Opportunities For Expanded Access To Radiology Care, Christopher M Walker, Maria G Maldonado, Megan C Jacobsen, Suprateek Kundu, Michelle L Underwood, Joshua P Yung, Brandy J Reed, David Jaffray, R Jason Stafford, Marshall E Hicks, Caroline Chung, Aradhana M Venkatesan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: As medical imaging demand grows, there is increasing stress on the currently available workforce to deliver consistent, high-quality imaging studies while ensuring rapid study turnaround times and round-the-clock radiology coverage. Advances in remote access technology facilitating remote scan assistance and control are now commercially available to address these pressing clinical needs.

Methods: This work evaluated an early clinical application of a virtual scanner operations system (syngo Virtual Cockpit (VA13A, Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany) for remote magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) monitoring and scan control at three geographically distant outpatient sites associated with our primary institution.

Results: The system facilitated execution …

Preliminary Examination Of Orexin Receptor Antagonism With Suvorexant In Individuals With Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Case Series Study, Heather Webber, Jessica Badawi, Douglas Calvillo, Jin Yoon, Michael Weaver, Scott Lane, Joy Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Evolving Molecular Subtypes Of Gastric Cancer: From Past Classifications To Present Consensus And Future Directions For Precision Therapy, Ju-Seog Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gastric cancer is a biologically heterogeneous disease. The advent of high-throughput multi-omic technologies has revolutionized our understanding of gastric cancer by deconstructing this heterogeneous entity into distinct and more homogeneous molecular subtypes. Early classifications based on gene expression, methylation, and histology have laid the groundwork for multi-omic frameworks proposed by The Cancer Genome Atlas and Asian Cancer Research Group, which established the foundation of modern molecular taxonomy. Subsequent integrative efforts, particularly the Consensus Genomic Subtypes (Super 6) model, have unified this collected information into clinically relevant subtypes that bridge prognostic stratification with treatment strategies. Established biomarkers such as human epidermal …

Bop2-Te: Bayesian Optimal Phase 2 Design For Jointly Monitoring Efficacy And Toxicity With Application To Dose Optimization, Kai Chen, Heng Zhou, J Jack Lee, Ying Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We propose a Bayesian optimal phase 2 design for jointly monitoring efficacy and toxicity, referred to as BOP2-TE, to improve the operating characteristics of the BOP2 design proposed by Zhou et al. (2017). BOP2-TE utilizes a Dirichlet-multinomial model to jointly model the distribution of toxicity and efficacy endpoints, making go/no-go decisions based on the posterior probability of toxicity and futility. In comparison to the original BOP2 and other existing designs, BOP2-TE offers the advantage of providing rigorous type I error control in cases where the treatment is toxic and futile, effective but toxic, or safe but futile, while optimizing …

A Combinatorial Approach To Synthetic Data Generation For Machine Learning, Krishna Khadka, Jaganmohan Chandrasekaran, Yu Lei, Raghu Kacker, D Richard Kuhn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Datasets used in machine learning often contain sensitive information, including personally identifiable health and financial details. A common challenge faced by organizations and researchers is the risk of privacy breaches when using real-world data. Synthetic data can be used as an alternative to the real-world data. In existing synthetic data generation techniques, an encoder processes the real-world data to map it into a lower-dimensional latent space. Random sampling is then performed in this latent space. Subsequently, a decoder network is utilized to generate synthetic data from these sampled points in the latent space. Such approaches typically require generating a large …

Prickle4 Drives Microenvironmental Remodeling And Resistance To Parp Inhibition In Idh-Mutant Glioma, Ju Yang, Hua Yang, Yifan Yuan, Chenyang Zhang, Ziwei Fu, Yanyan Chen, Yinghong Xiong, Shuyu Chen, Kexin Ling, Ying Liu, Jason T Huse, Bo Chen, Timothy A Chan, Zengxin Qi, Zhao Zhang, Xiuping Liu, Yuxiang Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes sensitize gliomas to PARP inhibition (PARPi) by inducing epigenetic reprogramming of DNA damage repair circuits. However, tumors treated with PARPi eventually relapse despite initial responsiveness. In this study, it is demonstrated that the anti-angiogenic agent lenvatinib synergizes effectively with PARPi, resulting in substantial tumor regression and significantly extended survival. Genomic analysis of tumors reveals that PARPi induces widespread transcriptomic changes that are predominantly pro-inflammatory, thereby promoting tumor angiogenesis. Prickle4, a planar cell polarity protein, is identified as a critical mediator of PARPi-induced neovascularization. Targeting Prickle4 effectively overcomes PARPi resistance in these tumors. Collectively, these …

Alternative Polyadenylation Signatures Distinguish Maladaptive Right Ventricular Remodeling In Pulmonary Hypertension: Implications For Rna-Based Diagnostics And Therapeutics, Janani Subramaniam, Venkata Jonnakuti, Scott D Collum, Sandra Martineau, Kai-Lieh Huang, Sandra Breuils-Bonnet, Andrea L Frump, Bindu H Akkanti, Jayeshkumar A Patel, Manish K Patel, Ismael Salas De Armas, Isabella N Lefebvre, Rajko Radovancevic, Elvin Blanco, Eric J Wagner, Igor Gregoric, Sriram Nathan, Biswajit Kar, Steeve Provencher, Sebastien Bonnet, François Potus, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Harry Karmouty-Quintana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increased pulmonary vascular pressures due to vascular remodeling, elevated vascular resistance, and vasoconstriction characterize Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). The narrowing of the pulmonary arteries and obstruction of blood flow increase the Right Ventricular (RV) afterload, forcing the RV to undergo structural and functional changes. While adaptive remodeling leads to RV compensation by maintaining function, maladaptive remodeling leads to RV decompensation, characterized by worsening function and eventual failure. At present, there is no effective treatment for these patients as therapies for left ventricular failure are ineffectual, and there are no therapies specifically targeting the RV. Therefore, there is a clear need …

A Gut-Activated Nhr-86-Cyp Pathway Mediates The Neuroprotective Effects Of Enterococcus Faecium Probiotics In A Nematode Model Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Yu Sang, Jie Ren, Alejandro Aballay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with oxidative stress, and while probiotics may influence neuronal health, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using the sod-1 A4VM amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) model in Caenorhabditis elegans, we investigated the protective effects of the probiotic Enterococcus faecium against oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration. Animals fed E. faecium showed reduced motor neuron degeneration under oxidative stress compared to those maintained on a standard Escherichia coli diet. Transcriptome analysis revealed a significant enrichment of oxidoreductase genes, including cytochrome P450 (cyp) genes. RNAi-mediated knockdown of cyp genes impaired E. faecium-mediated neuroprotection, and this loss correlated with increased reactive oxygen …

Guadecitabine Improved Relapse-Free Survival In High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia And Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients After Transplant: Phase Ii Results From A Single Center, Betül Oran, Peter Thall, Amin Alousi, Gheath Al-Atrash, Rohtesh Mehta, David Marin, Partow Kebriaei, Uday Popat, Roland Bassett, Qaiser Bashir, Jin Im, Amanda Olson, Jessica Jewell, Portia Smallbone, Elizabeth Shpall, Richard Champlin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This phase II, single-center clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of guadecitabine, with or without donor lymphocyte infusion, following allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The study had three treatment cohorts based on post-transplant disease status. Cohort 1 included patients with hematologic relapse after transplant (N=13). Cohort 2 consisted of patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) detected after transplant (N=18). Cohort 3 compromised patients in remission without MRD within 100 days after transplant (N=24). The primary objectives were achievement of morphological complete remission in cohort 1 and MRD eradication …