Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Quality Improvement Project To Increase Hepatitis C Virus Screening For Ambulatory Gme Internal Medicine Clinic Patients, Nghia Nguyen, Karrar Al Gburi, Arturo Suplee, Jarrad Mcadams, Serag Fares, Carol Soler, Ans Albustamy, Jorge Alejandro Bernal, Sumandeep Brar, J. Paredes

Research Symposium

Background: In 2020, CDC established new guideline expanding Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening to all adults aged 18 to 79 years. Our QI project objective is to enhance HCV screening amongst the UTRGV-DHR IM department by establishing suitable reminders and educational sessions.

Methods: We reviewed HCV screening status of all adult patients 18 to 79 years old from June 1^st 2020 to December 1^st 2020. We then provided one lecture on the new screening recommendation from CDC 2020 guideline. We also encouraged residents to educate patients on the importance of HCV screening, and to identify and overcome barriers …

Project: Center For Diabetes And Metabolism [Centro De Diabetes Y Metabolismo: Cedimet], A Collaborative Dream Comes True, Claudia Munguia-Cisneros, Edith Cantu, Carlos Ramirez-Pfeiffer, Adriana L. Perales-Torres, Esperanza M. Garcia-Oropeza, Estrella Y. Martinez-Lopez, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Joselin Hernandez-Ruiz, Alberto O. Chavez-Velazquez, Lucia M. Perez-Navarro, Beatriz Tapia, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga

Research Symposium

Reynosa urban area has 690,000 inhabitants (384,000 adults >20 years old), 35% moved from other states. The use of cell phones is in 81%, personal computer or laptop with 29%. The prevalence of overweight is 39%, obesity 36%, and T2D 13%. The expected adult population with T2D is 49,900 individuals. The are 5 clinics prepared to attend T2D, and few with specialized personnel.

The CeDiMet is a collaborative clinic involving health personnel and researchers from the Universidad Mexico Americana del Norte, Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, Hospital General de Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and the …

Psychoactive Substances Consumers Among High School Students: Detection And Intervention, Rebeca Thelma Martínez Villarreal, Alan Fernando García Martínez, Irma Cecilia Rico Ramírez, Brenda Elizabeth Salas Herrera, Claudia Cecilia Salazar Garza

Research Symposium

Purpose: Identify and treat psychoactive substances consumers (PSC) among high school students at Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL); México.

Description: A two-phase program (detection and intervention) was designed. Phase one included urine drug testing (UDT) either from direct aleatory sampling or referrals from within university departments under informed consent.

Phase two for positive PSC, included an interview for psychological needs identification and cognitive behavioral intervention planning.

Between 2017 and 2019, 490 UDT were performed. Results showed 235 PSC (47.9%), 86.4% were males (203) and 13.6% females (32).

Most detected substance was cannabis: 218 students (92.7%); less frequent substances detected …

Production Of Codon Optimized Polyomavirus Small T Antigen In Escherichia Coli., Luis Mario Rodriguez, Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña, James A. Decaprio

Research Symposium

Background: Hauzen et al., went against the dogma that cancer only develops by genetic factors and postulated oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) as the etiological agent of cervical cancer (2008). The eleven new human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) identified have been shown to infect humans subclinically from an early age. The small t-antigen (tAg) proteins of polyomaviruses control cellular phosphorylation mechanisms leading to uncontrolled replication cycles and cancer. Mechanisms of transformation and progression to tumor cells, and cellular tropism of the new HPyVs, remain unknown. Availability of recombinant tAg (rtAg) can contribute to understanding them.

Methods: tAg coding sequences derived from Merkel cell …

Proactively Preventing Medical Errors: A Student-Led Approach To Patient Safety In Pre-Clinical Curriculum, Sahar Panjwani, Daniel Nwosuocha, Nelson D. Gonzalez, Ayleen Godreau

Research Symposium

Introduction: Preventable medical errors are currently the third leading cause of death in the United States following heart disease and cancer (1). This study was designed to assess the change in knowledge from earlier education of medical students during pre-clinical years.

Methods: Patient safety trainings have been conducted for two years for interested first and second-year medical students and responses are assessed through a pre-test, immediate post-test, 3-month post-test, and 6-month post-test. The survey assesses student knowledge on aspects of patient safety and has Likert scale questions assessing if the training influenced students’ desire to learn about patient safety. …

Prevalence Of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Types In North-Eastern Mexico And Implications, A. L. Huitrón-Carrizales, Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña

Research Symposium

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most frequent sexually transmitted infection (STI) and the causal agent of cervical and penile cancers. Globally, 570,000 cases per year in women and 60,000 cases in men are attributable to HPV. HPV types 16 and 18 are the most prevalent high-risk (HR) viral types in tumors. We have used the database of our HPV diagnostic service to determine the prevalence of HR-HPV types in our population (North-Eastern Mexico) and its implications.

Methods: Samples of 50 men and 50 women that were received in our laboratory from 2017 to 2021 were included. These were collected …

Precise Method To Identify Kinase Drug Targets In Complex Diseases: The First Step Towards Sustainable And Effective Treatment, Hasbanny Irisson, Marzieh Ayati

Research Symposium

Background: Kinases are enzymes that have proven to be important drug targets due to their role in critical biological mechanisms such as phosphorylation. Phosphorylation happens when a kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group to a protein in a phosphorylated site, which then becomes known as the substrate of the kinase. Any dysregulation of protein phosphorylation causes a wide range of complex diseases including cancer. Thus, discovering the links between kinases and their substrates (i.e. predicting kinase-substrate associations (KSAs)) is crucial in developing effective and sustainable treatments. Presently, less than 5% of phosphorylated sites have an associated kinase, and …

Piperine Encourages Apoptosis In Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma Cells Through Ros Generation, Dna Fragmentation, Caspase-3 Activation And Cell Cycle Arrest, Asif Jafri, Juhi Rais, Sudhir Kumar, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Cancer is one of the most common destructive diseases and the second leading cause of death in humans. Among cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women globally. Thus, there is a continuous need to search for chemotherapeutic chemicals or naturally occurring drugs to resolve this global health problem. Piperine (1-piperoylpeperdine) is present in the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.). It possesses several pharmacological properties and in the present study we have evaluated its anti-cancer potential on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells.

Methods: The anti-proliferative effect …

Pharmacoeconomics Of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment With Targeted Therapies Guided By Companion Molecular Diagnostics, Luis E. Fernández-Garza, Hector Sánchez-Ibarra, Daniela Treviño-Sáenz, Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña

Research Symposium

Background: To guide the treatment with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), the FDA recommends prior companion molecular diagnosis (CMDx). It initially recommended screening for mutations in exon 2 of the KRAS gene, and most recently to extend to screening to exons 2, 3, and 4 of KRAS and 2, 3, and 4 of NRAS genes; furthermore, to evaluate the BRAF exon 15 mutation status (including V600E). To date, no studies have been done to compare the cost-benefit of these different CMDXs.

Methods: We have compared the cost of treatment without …

Performing A High-Throughput Virtual Screening (Hvts) To Identify Potential Therapeutic Targets Of Yb-1 Protein, Omar Karkoutly, Anupam Dhasmana, Kristopher Ezell, Kyle Doxtater, Vijian Dhevan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Manish Tripathi

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is a primary malignancy of the liver. Hispanic-Texans have several risk factors and disparities that compound the risk of HCC diagnosis and treatment. The most used chemotherapeutic drug against HCC is sorafenib, but many liver cancers have developed a resistance to this drug. The knockdown of Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) has been shown to greatly increase sensitivity to sorafenib. In this study, we will discuss identification of potential YB-1 inhibitors, which can lead to re-sensitization of liver cancer cells to sorafenib.

Methodology: The RCSB protein data bank (pdb) was used to retrieve the crystal structure of …

Outcomes Of Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy In Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Carcinoma Lung : A Single Institutional Experience, Meenu Gupta, Shivani Mehra, Vipul Nautiyal, Sunil Saini, Mushtaq Ahmed

Research Symposium

Introduction: Radical treatment in locally advanced non small cell carcinoma lung presents a management dilemma in patients with compromised performance status. Hypofractionated EBRT resolves this by confering high efficacy while avoiding excessive early toxicity.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of hypofractionated radiotherapy in locally advanced lung cancer patients with compromised performance status.

Methods: From January 2019 to January 2020,62 patients were enrolled to receive hypofractionated radiotherapy with 40Gy in 16 fractions with 5 fractions per week (2.5Gy per fraction) because of compromised performance status. Follow-up was conducted at 6 weeks and 3 months for symptomatic and radiological response …

Pediatric Covid-19 Encephalitis, Nelson D. Gonzalez, Dustin Paul, Ana Almeda, Samuel Serna, Linette Linsangan

Research Symposium

Background: Neurologic complications of COVID-19 in the pediatric population have been reported in a limited number of reports. There have been reports of COVID-19-associated encephalitis in pediatric cases along with neuroimaging findings revealing involvement of some parts of the nervous system. We present the first case of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - associated encephalitis targeting the parietal lobes.

Case: A 14-year-old morbidly obese Hispanic male with no past medical history presented to the hospital for new onset seizures. Family reported exposure to his COVID-19 positive mother, a one-week history of fever, and a three-month history of …

Osteomyelitis In Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Common Dreaded Complication Of Dm, Gabriel J. Lora Ferreira, Carol Soler, Patrick Ojeaga

Research Symposium

Background: Group B ß-hemolytic streptococci is a rare offending agent in osteomyelitis with strong affinity for the diabetic foot. A high index of clinical suspicion, alongside radiological studies, should guide prompt diagnosis and treatment to avoid unfavorable complications.

Case Presentation: A 42-year-old obese gentleman with history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, peripheral artery disease, depression with alcohol abuse, and recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy presented to the emergency department with worsening left foot pain for 2 weeks with a nonhealing necrotic ulcer. Upon presentation, he was in no acute distress with insignificant initial labs except for blood glucose …

Optimization Of A Non-Invasive Temporary Deafferentation Protocol To Improve Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Victoria Cuello, Kelsey Baker

Research Symposium

Background: After a spinal cord injury neural structures that survive reorganize. The brain “ignores” past associations with weaker muscles below the level of injury so stronger, spared muscles take over cortical maps of weaker muscles. Temporary Deafferentation (TD) is a method that utilizes short-term anesthesia, such as over-the-counter lidocaine cream, to inactivate sensation pathways from stronger muscles so that the brain releases inhibition that was placed on weaker muscles, thereby strengthening them. There has been research supporting TD approaches to rehabilitation; however, there is not an established protocol to apply TD in a clinical setting. Here, we seek to optimize …

Novel Nanoparticle Formulation Of Sabizabulin (Veru-111) For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Vivek K. Kashyap, Godwin P. Darkwah, Neeraj Chauhan, Prashanth Kb Nagesh, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Qinghui Wang, Duane D. Miller, Wei Li, Bilal B. B. Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States due to very limited therapeutic options. Thus, developing novel therapeutic strategies will help for the management of this disease. We recently identified VERU-111, a novel synthetic molecule which showed potent anti-cancer effect against PanCa via targeting clinically important βIII and βIV tubulin isoforms. In this study, we synthesized and characterized its novel nanoformulation (MNP-VERU) and evaluated its therapeutic effects in vitro and xenograft mouse model.

Methods: MNPs were prepared by chemical precipitation method and loaded with VERU-111 using diffusion method. This formulation was …

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease And Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk Associated Gene Expression Phenotypes In Hispanics, Satish Kumar, Joanne E. Curran, Erica De Leon, Jose C. Granados, Ana C. Leandro, Marcelo Leandro, Juan M. Peralta, Sarah Williams-Blangero, John Blangero

Research Symposium

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a state of metabolic dysregulation characterized by excessive lipid accumulation into the hepatocytes (hepatic steatosis). It is a major determinant of risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hispanics in south Texas exhibit one of the highest incidences of NAFLD and HCC in the United States.

Methods: We used an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) based hepatocyte (HEP) model to identify high lipid stress induced transcriptomic changes in HEPs to better understand hepatic steatosis associated HCC risk. Well-characterized, iPSC differentiated functional HEPs generated from six participants in our San Antonio Mexican American family study were …

Natural Remedies To Combat Aberrant Hallmark Signatures Including Altered Glycosylation In Oral Carcinoma, Kruti A. Mehta, Jayendra B. Patel, Prabhudas S. Patel

Research Symposium

Background: Tobacco associated oral cancers remain a major concern in India with higher incidence and mortality making it an Indian-centric burning issue. To combat this dreadful disease, we investigated effects of certain natural compounds on the hallmark signatures including glycosylation transcripts levels in oral carcinoma.

Methods: The tongue carcinoma cells- SAS cells were treated with tobacco compounds, natural compounds and Cisplatin. RNA was isolated from the cells and converted to cDNA. RT-qPCR was performed to evaluate expression levels of various genes.

Results: The treatment of tobacco compounds resulted in similar pattern of altered makers (ST3GAL1, NEU3, FUT5, FUT6, MMP2, BCL2) …

Multiple Rsv Strains Infecting Hep-2 And A549 Cells Reveal Cell Line-Dependent Differences In Resistance To Rsv Infection, Anubama Rajan, Felipe-Andres Piedra, Letisha Aideyan, Trevor Mcbride, Matthew Robertson, Hannah L. Johnson, Gina Marie Aloisio, David Henke, Cristian Coarfa, Fabio Stossi, Vipin Kumar Menon, Harshavardhan Doddapaneni, Donna Marie Muzny, Sara Joan Javornik Cregeen, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Joseph Petrosino, Richard A. Gibbs, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Pedro A. Piedra

Research Symposium

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major viral driver of a global pediatric respiratory disease burden disproportionately borne by the poor¹. Thus, RSV, like SARS-CoV-2, combines with congenital and environmental and host-history-dependent factors to create a spectrum of disease with greatest severity most frequently occurring in those least able to procure treatment.

Methods: Here we apply whole genome sequencing and a suite of other molecular biological techniques to survey host-virus dynamics in infections of two distinct cell lines (HEp2 and A549) with four strains representative of known RSV genetic diversity.

Results: We observed non-gradient patterns of RSV …

Neurodegeneration Difference Between The Non-Lesioned And Lesioned Hemisphere In Stroke Patients, Nuvia Cortez, Elle Wynn, Kelsey Baker

Research Symposium

Background: Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in Hispanics. It has generally been suggested that neurodegeneration is isolated to the lesioned hemisphere . However, recent evidence has suggested that the non-lesioned side of the brain may also undergo neurodegeneration. Here, we sought to evaluate the amount of neurodegeneration in the lesioned and non-lesioned hemisphere in chronic stroke patients and identify the impact of stroke size and location.

Methods:T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of the brain was collected in 23 patients with chronic stroke and 14 healthy controls. We quantified the amount of neurodegeneration …

My Achy-Breaky Heart: A Case Of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Presenting As Impending Cardiac Tamponade In A Hispanic Woman, Christine E. Loftis, Rosa Guedez-White, Daniel Farray

Research Symposium

Background: Mediastinal masses can arise from typical structures within the mediastinal or they can develop secondary to metastasis from other organ systems [1] Primary mediastinal diffuse large B-Cell lymphomas (PMBCL) are uncommon, accounting for 7% of the cases of diffuse large b cell lymphoma. We describe a case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with atypical chest pain and shortness of breath and was diagnosed with PMBCL in the setting of impending cardiac tamponade.

Case Report: A 35-year-old woman with history of cutaneous lupus presented with an 8-month history of chest pain with associated worsening shortness of breath. Upon further …

Mutational And Expression Analysis Of Fbxw7 Gene In Colorectal Cancer Patients Among North Indian Population, Laraib Uroog

Research Symposium

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide with the incidence rate of 1.8 million (10.2%) (GOBOCON-2018). CRC is endemic to Kashmir Valley due to both, kangri use and non-veg food habit. The current study was designed to explore the possible correlation between that FBXW7 and colorectal cancer progression.

Methods: FBXW7 gene mutations and expression was analyzed in 173 colorectal carcinoma tissues along with the adjacent non-cancerous matched tissues using polymerase chain reaction-single stranded confirmation polymorphism assay. Gene expression analysis was conducted using qRT-PCR, western blot and IHC.

Results: In total, six mutations were found …

Mucin Muc13 And Yap1 Correlate With Poor Survival In Colorectal Cancer, Sudhir Kotnala, Anupam Dhasmana, Kyle Doxtater, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Manish Tripathi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Metastatic disease contributes to over 90% of cancer-associated deaths. Colorectal cancer (CRC), the second lethal malignancy, has the greatest incidence and mortality rates in the Southern United States. Over 40-50% of CRC patients acquire metastasis at some point throughout their disease's progression. CRC survival rate drops from 90%-14% when the disease is confined within the colon and therefore “early diagnosis” becomes imperative to determine timely and quality treatments. We have identified that MUC13 protein translocate to nucleus along with transcription factor Yes-Associated Protein 1 (YAP1) during anchorage independent conditions (metastatic phenotype). YAP1 is known to be overexpressed in CRC …

Mucin 13 Expression Is An Early Indicator Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, Deepshikha Pande Katare, S. Mishra, S. K. Jain, P. Khan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to ineffective therapeutic modality and lack of an early marker for diagnosis. Studies show that increased mucin 13 (MUC13) expression as a possible oncogene and predictive biomarker for various cancers has been shown. But its expression and role in the development of HCC is very little known.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the MUC13 expression in chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methodology: Male Wistar rats were subjected to a DEN and 2-Acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) induced method for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Serum and tissues were collected at …

Mrna-1273 Covid-19 Vaccine Leading To Anti-Lgi1 Limbic Encephalitis Flare, Cesar A. Peralta, Ismael Polo, Siddanth Singh, Ronkino Mccoy, Jose E. Campo Maldonado

Research Symposium

Introduction: Here, we discuss a patient with a past medical history of Anti-LGI1 limbic encephalitis that presented with seizure-like activity approximately three weeks after the administration of the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine.

Case Description: A 75-year-old male with a history of Anti-LGI1 limbic encephalitis presented to our hospital with bilateral, truncal myoclonus and lateral nystagmus. EEG showed periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges. Brain MRI was unremarkable. The lumbar puncture was not suggestive of meningoencephalitis and the patient was diagnosed with a clinical relapse of Anti-LG1 limbic encephalitis, started on IVIG, methylprednisolone, azathioprine, and antiseizure medications. After the absence of seizure activity was …

Molecular Insights To The Dose-Dependent Activities Of Ashwagandha Extracts, Huayue Zhang, Jaspreet Kaur Dhanjal, Jia Wang, Ashish Kaul, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background: Stress is an inevitable component of life. Several herbs are known for their health supporting effects that range from treatment of stress, common cold to cancer. We investigated the dose-dependent effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extracts on human normal and cancer cells, and have attempted to resolve the molecular mechanisms of their antistress activities.

Methods: Ashwagandha extracts were chemically profiled by HPLC. Cytotoxicity was determined by viability assays. Biochemical and immunoimaging assays were performed using specific antibodies.

Results: Human normal cells treated with low doses of the leaf extract or purified withanolides (Withaferin A or Withanone) showed no toxicity. …

Molecular Insights Into Targeting Pkd1 For Prostate Cancer Treatment, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, A. Rodriguez, Aditya Ganju, Bilal B. Hafeez, Fathi T. Halaweish, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

Research Symposium

Background: Prostate cancer has a poor prognosis due to late diagnosis and ineffective multimodal clinical treatment. Efforts are underway to create strategies for resolving the abnormal expression of molecular targets implicated in disease development and progression. We previously reported that the serine threonine kinase Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1) regulates a multitude of tumor suppressor functions, including cell aggregation, motility, proliferation, and invasion in prostate cancer. Thus, PKD1 is regarded as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of ormeloxifene (ORM), a pharmacological modulator with well-defined …

Molecular Basis For The Pharmacological Activities Of Piperlongumine Against Breast Cancer: Role Of Glucose Import, Ros, Nf-Κb And Lncrnas, Nikee Awasthee, Anusmita Shekher, Vipin Rai, Sumit Singh Verma, Shruti Mishra, Subash Chandra Gupta

Research Symposium

Background: Piperlongumine (PL, piplartine) is an alkaloid derived from the Piper longum L. (long pepper) root. The activities PL against breast cancer and the underlying mechanism is not thoroughly investigated.

Aim: We examined the anti-cancer activities of PL against breast cancer cells. The molecular basis for the pharmacological activities of this alkaloid was also examined.

Methods: The breast cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, T-47D, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-453 were used during the study. We used MTT assay, clonogenic and soft agar colony formation assay for cytotoxicity. The cell cycle analysis, phosphatidylserine externalization assay, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential, …

Mind, Body And Race: A Look Into How Implicit Biases Influence The Perception Of Emotion, Faiza Ahmad, Adam Anderson, James Dalton Rounds, Christina Chick, Alize Hill

Research Symposium

Background: Most research examining the effects of implicit race-based biases in emotion perception has focused on the perception of Black faces as being angry. Limited work has been done examining the perception of “approach” emotions such as fear. Furthermore, most studies have predominantly used White subjects. Our study examined the role of implicit racial biases in shaping the perception of both anger and fear in White, Black and Asian participants.

Methods: 78 participants completed a Go/NoGo task in which they were asked to categorize different race faces as portraying either anger or fear. Participants would be asked to press the …

Moans, Palpable Groin, And Entrapment Of Bone: A Case Of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor In An Otherwise Healthy Hispanic Male, Nelson D. Gonzalez, Christine E. Loftis, Rosa Guedez-White

Research Symposium

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNTs) are rare malignant soft tissue sarcomas that have an incidence of about 0.001 %. MPNTs typically occur in individuals who have neurofibromatosis or secondary to radiation therapy and rarely occur sporadically. We present a case of a previously healthy 56-year-old gentleman who was diagnosed with MPNTs.

Case: A healthy 56-year-old gentleman presented with worsening LLQ abdominal pain for 6 months. Associated symptoms included bloating, LLE swelling, early satiety for the past 2 months, and a 5-10lb unintentional weight loss. Patient denied recent cough, night sweats, dyspnea, fever, chills, melena or hematochezia. Vitals were …

Microrna-145 Replacement As A Therapeutic Tool To Improve Trail Therapy, Sheema Khan, Saini Setua, Nirnoy Dan, Melida Flores Cantu, Ana Martinez Bulnes, Murali M. Yallapu, Stephen W. Behrman, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Symposium

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is a third leading cause of cancer related deaths in US. Unlike other cancers, PanCa is highly resistant to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) that emerges as one of the most-promising therapy in clinical trials. Our group has previously identified microRNA-145 (miR-145) is downregulated in PanCa, the restoration of which inhibits tumor growth and enhances gemcitabine sensitivity. In this study, we have observed that miR-145 restoration in PanCa cells renders them sensitive to TRAIL treatment. Therefore, we have engineered unique superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPs) for co-delivering miR-145 and TRAIL in PanCa for improving their therapeutic response to TRAIL. The …