Diseases Commons^™

Relative And Quantitative Characterization Of The Bovine Bacterial Ocular Surface Microbiome In The Context Of Suspected Ocular Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Hannah B. Gafen, Chin-Chi Liu, Nikole E. Ineck, Clare M. Scully, Melanie A. Mironovich, Lauren Guarneri, Christopher M. Taylor, Meng Luo, Marina L. Leis, Erin M. Scott, Renee T. Carter, Andrew C. Lewin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The ocular surface microbiome is altered in certain disease states. The aim of this study was to characterize the bovine bacterial ocular surface microbiome (BBOSM) in the context of ocular squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The conjunctiva of normal (n = 28) and OSCC (n = 10) eyes of cows aged 2 to 13 years from two farms in Louisiana and Wyoming were sampled using individual sterile swabs. DNA extraction followed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to, respectively, assess the relative and absolute BBOSM. Discriminant analysis (DA) was performed using …

Tumor Microenvironment As A Therapeutic Target In Melanoma Treatment, Naji Kharouf, Thomas W. Flanagan, Sofie Yasmin Hassan, Hosam Shalaby, Marla Khabaz, Sarah Lilly Hassan, Mosaad Megahed, Youssef Haikel, Simeon Santourlidis, Mohamed Hassan

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

The role of the tumor microenvironment in tumor growth and therapy has recently attracted more attention in research and drug development. The ability of the microenvironment to trigger tumor maintenance, progression, and resistance is the main cause for treatment failure and tumor relapse. Accumulated evidence indicates that the maintenance and progression of tumor cells is determined by components of the microenvironment, which include stromal cells (endothelial cells, fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, and immune cells), extracellular matrix (ECM), and soluble molecules (chemokines, cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular vesicles). As a solid tumor, melanoma is not only a tumor mass of monolithic …

17Β-Estradiol Promotes Extracellular Vesicle Release And Selective Mirna Loading In Erα-Positive Breast Cancer, Rares Drula, Barbara Pardini, Xiao Fu, Mireia Cruz De Los Santos, Ancuta Jurj, Lan Pang, Sherien M El-Daly, Linda Fabris, Erik Knutsen, Mihnea P Dragomir, Recep Bayraktar, Yongfeng Li, Meng Chen, Filippo Del Vecchio, Léa Berland, Jessica Dae, Daniel Fan, Masayoshi Shimizu, Anh M Tran, Mercedes Barzi, Carlotta Pioppini, Angelica M Gutierrez, Cristina Ivan, Salyna Meas, Carolyn S Hall, Suresh K Alahari, Ioana Berindan-Neagoe, Muller Fabbri, Anthony Lucci, Banu Arun, Simone Anfossi, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The causes and consequences of abnormal biogenesis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) are not yet well understood in malignancies, including in breast cancers (BCs). Given the hormonal signaling dependence of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) BC, we hypothesized that 17β-estradiol (estrogen) might influence EV production and microRNA (miRNA) loading. We report that physiological doses of 17β-estradiol promote EV secretion specifically from ER+ BC cells via inhibition of miR-149-5p, hindering its regulatory activity on SP1, a transcription factor that regulates the EV biogenesis factor nSMase2. Additionally, miR-149-5p downregulation promotes hnRNPA1 expression, responsible for the loading of let-7's miRNAs into EVs. In multiple patient cohorts, …

5s Rrna Pseudogene Transcripts Are Associated With Interferon Production And Inflammatory Responses In Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis, Jianguo Wu, Adam Kim, Xiaoqin Wu, Semanti Ray, Daniela S Allende, Nicole Welch, Annette Bellar, Jaividhya Dasarathy, Srinivasan Dasarathy, Laura E Nagy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Interferon (IFN) signaling is critical to the pathogenesis of alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), yet the mechanisms for activation of this system are elusive. We hypothesize that host-derived 5S rRNA pseudogene (RNA5SP) transcripts regulate IFN production and modify immunity in AH.

APPROACH AND RESULTS: Mining of transcriptomic datasets revealed that in patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (sAH), hepatic expression of genes regulated by IFNs was perturbed and gene sets involved in IFN production were enriched. RNA5SP transcripts were also increased and correlated with expression of type I IFNs. Interestingly, inflammatory mediators upregulated in sAH, but not in other liver …

Targeting Glutaminase Is Therapeutically Effective In Ibrutinib-Resistant Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Lingzhi Li, Lei Nie, Alexa Jordan, Qingsong Cai, Yang Liu, Yijing Li, Yuxuan Che, Jovanny Vargas, Zhihong Chen, Angela Leeming, Wei Wang, Yixin Yao, Michael Wang, Vivian Changying Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an incurable B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by frequent relapses. The development of resistance to ibrutinib therapy remains a major challenge in MCL. We previously showed that glutaminolysis is associated with resistance to ibrutinib. In this study, we confirmed that glutaminase (GLS), the first enzyme in glutaminolysis, is overexpressed in ibrutinib-resistant MCL cells, and that its expression correlates well with elevated glutamine dependency and glutaminolysis. Furthermore, we discovered that GLS expression correlates with MYC expression and the functioning of the glutamine transporter ASCT2. Depletion of glutamine or GLS significantly reduced cell growth, while GLS overexpression enhanced …

Derivation And Validation Of A Clinical Risk Assessment Model For Cancer-Associated Thrombosis In Two Unique Us Health Care Systems, Ang Li, Jennifer La, Sarah B May, Danielle Guffey, Wilson L Da Costa, Christopher I Amos, Raka Bandyo, Emily M Milner, Karen M Kurian, Daniel C R Chen, Nhan V Do, Carolina Granada, Nimrah Riaz, Mary T Brophy, Vipul Chitalia, J Michael Gaziano, David A Garcia, Marc Carrier, Christopher R Flowers, Neil A Zakai, Nathanael R Fillmore

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), especially pulmonary embolism (PE) and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LE-DVT), is a serious and potentially preventable complication for patients with cancer undergoing systemic therapy.

METHODS: Using retrospective data from patients diagnosed with incident cancer from 2011-2020, we derived a parsimonious risk assessment model (RAM) using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression from the Harris Health System (HHS, n = 9,769) and externally validated it using the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system (n = 79,517). Bootstrapped c statistics and calibration curves were used to assess external model discrimination and fit. Dichotomized risk strata using …

Epidemiology Of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism In Patients With Solid And Hematologic Neoplasms In The Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Kylee L Martens, Ang Li, Jennifer La, Sarah B May, Kaitlin N Swinnerton, Hannah Tosi, Danne C Elbers, Nhan V Do, Mary T Brophy, J Michael Gaziano, Saran Lotfollahzadeh, Vipul Chitalia, Katya Ravid, Nathanael R Fillmore

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Identifying changes in epidemiologic patterns of the incidence and risk of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), particularly with evolving cancer-directed therapy, is essential for risk stratification.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of CAT over time and to determine pertinent patient-specific, cancer-specific, and treatment-specific factors associated with its risk.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This longitudinal, retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2006 to 2021. Duration of follow-up was from the date of diagnosis until first venous thromboembolism (VTE) event, death, loss of follow-up (defined as a 90-day gap without clinical encounters), or administrative censoring on April 1, 2022. The study took place …

Review Of Gynaecological Cancer Among Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander People In Australia, Aime Powell, Ami Morseu-Diop, Maya Morton Ninomiya, Uday Narayan Yadav, Emily Phillips, Devendra Raj Singh, Tamara Butler, Emma Allanson, Lisa J. Whop

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Gynaecological cancers bear a significant burden on the health of Australians. Whilst Australia has made great strides in reducing the overall gynaecological cancer burden nationally, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women continue to experience disproportionately high rates of gynaecological cancers.

This review focuses on the social, cultural, and historical contexts that contribute to inequitable gynaecological cancer rates among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women. An in-depth discussion on cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer are described; including the incidence, mortality, survival, and management of these diseases for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women.

It highlights both the persistent barriers …

Zinc Treatment Reverses And Anti-Zn-Regulated Mirs Suppress Esophageal Carcinomas In Vivo, Louise Fong, Kay Huebner, Ruiyan Jing, Karl Smalley, Christopher R Brydges, Oliver Fiehn, John Farber, Carlo M Croce

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly disease with few prevention or treatment options. ESCC development in humans and rodents is associated with Zn deficiency (ZD), inflammation, and overexpression of oncogenic microRNAs: miR-31 and miR-21. In a ZD-promoted ESCC rat model with upregulation of these miRs, systemic antimiR-31 suppresses the miR-31-EGLN3/STK40-NF-κB-controlled inflammatory pathway and ESCC. In this model, systemic delivery of Zn-regulated antimiR-31, followed by antimiR-21, restored expression of tumor-suppressor proteins targeted by these specific miRs: STK40/EGLN3 (miR-31), PDCD4 (miR-21), suppressing inflammation, promoting apoptosis, and inhibiting ESCC development. Moreover, ESCC-bearing Zn-deficient (ZD) rats receiving Zn medication showed a 47% …

Barriers To Colorectal Cancer Screening For Low-Income Hispanic Men In Urban Areas Between 50-75, Alex Vega

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Although CRC screening rates have improved in non-Hispanic whites (NHW), Hispanic adult males (HAM) aged 50-75 in urban areas continue to experience low screening rates and higher CRC morbidity and mortality. This review aims to identify the barriers to CRC screening among HAM and propose targeted interventions to increase screening rates. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Key search terms included "colorectal cancer", "screening", "Hispanic adult males", "urban", "barriers", and "interventions". Factors identified include poverty, language …

Cellular Metabolism Therapy Slowing Growth Rate Of Glioblastomas, Heet Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), more commonly known as glioblastomas, are a form of specialized brain tumors called gliomas. Glioblastomas most commonly occur in glial cells of the central nervous system and the average age of diagnosis is 64. Treatment methods implemented currently are surgery of the removable masses followed by courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These methods can only prolong the life span by a few months and as such, new research focused on tumor cell metabolism is being conducted to determine its impact on the progression of this tumor. Tumor masses, such as Glioblastomas, modify their metabolism via the Warburg …

Evaluating The Effect Of A Taxane-Based Anti-Cancer Drug On The Adult Taste Organ Using A Mouse Model, Archana Kumari, Lucre'ce Estropia

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Chemosensory alteration is one of the major side effects of chemotherapy that can negatively impact the quality of life of cancer patients. Decreased appetite and food aversions can consequently lead to substantial reductions in food intake and thereby malnutrition and poor patient outcomes. The chemotherapeutic agent, taxane (docetaxel), is an effective choice of treatment for breast cancer, gastric cancer, or prostate cancer. Despite its major effects as an anti-cancer medication, patients under taxane treatments have reported taste alterations. Essentially, the drug disrupts normal microtubule growth by inhibiting microtubule depolymerization. By binding to ß-tubulin, a major component of mitotic spindles, docetaxel …

Mcl-1 Inhibition Modulates Erk-Mediated Resistance In Multiple Myeloma, Omar Al-Odat, Krishne Gowda, Shantu Amin, Tulin Budak-Alpdogan, Subash Jonnalagadda, Manoj Pandey

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Novel multiple myeloma (MM) treatments have significantly improved over the previous several decades, primarily on account of targeting bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) pathways. However, drug resistance and patient relapse remain major clinical problems. The role of BMM in the upregulation of anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 is well documented. The Mcl-1 protein plays a critical role in the progression and acquired drug resistance in MM. The regulation of Mcl-1, a protein characterized by a short half-life, from transcription to degradation is crucial for understanding its role in cell survival. The GSK3β and Erk play important role in the stability of Mcl-1. Also, …

The Clinical Definition And Characterization Of Field Of Cancerization In Patients With Actinic Keratoses, Stuti Prajapati, Christina Kontzias, Mallory Zaino, Steven Feldman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: Chronic UV radiation affects the entire area of skin exposed, leading to visible actinic keratoses (AK) and subclinical changes in the surrounding skin. AKs are hyperkeratotic lesions, with a 0.025-16% risk of transforming into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).1 Cellular atypia around AKs is the field of cancerization (FOC). Topical AK therapies can treat the FOC, while destructive treatments address visible lesions. FDA-approved products may be approved for field sizes up to 25 cm2.1,2

Objective: To characterize the FOC and assess the correlation between the FOC and number of AKs.

Methods: 100 patients with AKs were recruited. FOC was defined …

Barriers To Dermatological Care In Patients Who Received Extensive Mohs Surgery - An In-Depth Qualitative Analysis, Stuti Prajapati, Mallory Zaino, Christina Kontzias, Laura Doerfler, Steven R. Feldman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Dermatological care needs to be accessible for the elderly, but they face prominent challenges contributing to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Prolonged management of may lead to widespread cutaneous malignancies, necessitating extensive Mohs surgery.

Objective: To identify areas for early intervention in the geriatric population who have undergone extensive Mohs surgery.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study on 10 patients 65 years and older (68-91) from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist dermatology clinics between December 2022 and February 2023, who had extensive Mohs surgery (3 or more layers removed).

Results: Three major areas for potential intervention for cutaneous carcinoma …

The Effect Of Socioeconomic Status On Primary Care Access And Cancer Screening Rates, Seth Spicer, Liam Courtney, Alyssa Laguerta, Abdul Sanni-Adam, Bharathi Balaji

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Low cancer screening rates among specific demographics are major health issues that lead to disparities in health outcomes. Early cancer detection is crucial for cure; however, it is not well known how age, race, gender, primary care access, and socio-economic status affect cancer screening rates. This review discusses the importance of cancer screening and the factors that affect screening rates.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how access to primary care affects cancer screening rates, with consideration to age, race, socioeconomic status, and primary care access in order to improve screening rates in underserved populations.

Methods: …

Perioperative Ketamine Use For Post Mastectomy Pain, Alessia Cooney, Jaylyn Thompson, Naomi Watkins-Granville

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

PMPS is defined as chronic neuropathic pain following breast cancer procedures in the ipsilateral arm, chest wall, axilla or shoulder.1-3 Approximately 20 to 50% of post mastectomy patients suffer from Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS).1 With more than 3.8 million breast cancer survivors, due to advances in treatment, there is increased importance in findings ways to better manage the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.1,4 Ketamine induces analgesic effects through its non-competitive antagonism of NDMA receptors.5 Low doses of ketamine infusion (20–30 mg x h−1) have been shown to produce analgesia in neuropathic pain states with benefits lasting up …

Echinomycin As A Promising Therapeutic Agent Against Kshv-Related Malignancies, Jungang Chen, Zhen Lin, Jiao Song, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Jennifer James, Shengyu Mu, Steven R. Post, Lu Dai, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of several human cancers, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), which preferentially arise in immunocompromised patients while lack of effective therapeutic options. Oncoproteins Myc and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) have been found closely related to KSHV infection, replication and oncogenesis. However, the strategies of dual targeting these two oncoproteins have never been developed and tested for treatments of KSHV-related malignancies. In the current study, we report that treatment of echinomycin dramatically regresses cell growth both in vitro-cultured KSHV + tumor cells and in vivo KS or PEL xenograft mice models, …

Functional Characterization Of Age-Dependent P16 Epimutation Reveals Biological Drivers And Therapeutic Targets For Colorectal Cancer, Li Yang, Xiaomin Chen, Christy Lee, Jiejun Shi, Emily B Lawrence, Lanjing Zhang, Yumei Li, Nan Gao, Sung Yun Jung, Chad J Creighton, Jingyi Jessica Li, Ya Cui, Sumimasa Arimura, Yunping Lei, Wei Li, Lanlan Shen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Methylation of the p16 promoter resulting in epigenetic gene silencing-known as p16 epimutation-is frequently found in human colorectal cancer and is also common in normal-appearing colonic mucosa of aging individuals. Thus, to improve clinical care of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, we explored the role of age-related p16 epimutation in intestinal tumorigenesis.

METHODS: We established a mouse model that replicates two common genetic and epigenetic events observed in human CRCs: Apc mutation and p16 epimutation. We conducted long-term survival and histological analysis of tumor development and progression. Colonic epithelial cells and tumors were collected from mice and analyzed by RNA …

Using Cancer Proteomics Data To Identify Gene Candidates For Therapeutic Targeting, Diana Monsivais, Sydney E Parks, Darshan S Chandrashekar, Sooryanarayana Varambally, Chad J Creighton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Gene-level associations obtained from mass-spectrometry-based cancer proteomics datasets represent a resource for identifying gene candidates for functional studies. When recently surveying proteomic correlates of tumor grade across multiple cancer types, we identified specific protein kinases having a functional impact on uterine endometrial cancer cells. This previously published study provides just one template for utilizing public molecular datasets to discover potential novel therapeutic targets and approaches for cancer patients. Proteomic profiling data combined with corresponding multi-omics data on human tumors and cell lines can be analyzed in various ways to prioritize genes of interest for interrogating biology. Across hundreds of cancer …

In Vitro Characterization Of A Novel Murine Model Of Cancerous Progression, Steven D. Scahill, Kelly Jean Sherman, Jessie J. Guidry, Whitney Walkowski, Theresa Nguyen, Durwood B. Ray, David H. Jones, Harry J. Gould, Dennis Paul

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

To evaluate a potentially valuable tool to study cancer progression and metastasis, we characterized a novel murine model composed of a parental oncogene-transformed embryonic fibroblast line and five cell lines isolated from progressively advanced tumors. Lines derived from distant metastases displayed significantly greater rates of motility, invasiveness, and extracellular acidification than lines derived from a primary tumor or local metastases. A comprehensive proteomic analysis of these cells showed numerous oncogenes to be upregulated and tumor suppressors to be downregulated in the advanced lines, and provided novel targets for future examination. The first cell line capable of extravasation displayed particularly high …

Tcf4 Is A Key Mediator Of Cell Identity And Oncogenesis In Neuroblastoma, Nour Aljouda

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Neuroblastomas (NB) are embryonal childhood tumors that derive from the multipotent neural crest cells (NCCs) of the peripheral nervous system. NB accounts for more than 15% of all childhood cancer-related deaths. Despite the most intensive multimodal therapy, more than 50% of patients with high-risk NB relapse with often fatal, resistant disease. Novel therapies are desperately needed to improve cure rates. Previous studies proposed that the deregulation of normal neural crest developmental programs contributes to NB oncogenesis by retaining the highly migratory and proliferative traits of NCCs. Thus, activation or repression of neural crest developmental pathways have been implicated in NB …

Examining Ndufab1 Expression In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Addison Stevens

Poster Presentations

Honors research poster.

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is approximately 4% of all cancers and 2% of all cancer associated mortality in the United States. In 2023, there will be an estimated 67,000 new cases of HNSCC, along with 15,400 deaths, in the United States. HNSCC locations include the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Major risk factors for HNSCC include tobacco use, alcohol use, and human papilloma virus (HPV). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is currently the only approved molecular targeted therapy for HNSCC. Therefore, new therapeutics and biomarkers for HNSCC are warranted. Mitochondria are …

Inhibition Of Kdm4 With Qc6352 To Target High-Risk Neuroblastoma, Ahmed M. Abuzaid

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a malignancy of improperly maturated nerve tissues of the sympathetic nervous system. It is the most diagnosed extracranial solid tumor of childhood, and it accounts for roughly up to 10% of all childhood malignancies and 15% of all childhood malignancy-related deaths. MYCN amplification, occurring in 20-25% of all NB patients and 50% of all high-risk NB patients, is the well-characterized genetic abnormality and is associated with ill-fated outcomes. Regrettably, in spite of the contemporary therapeutic advances and aggressive combinatorial treatments, the overall 5-year event-free survival rate is roughly 51% with a 5-year overall survival rate of nearly …

Examining Ndufab1 Expression In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Addison L. Stevens

Honors Theses

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for around 4% of all cancers in the USA. HNSCC includes cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Reprogramming of mitochondrial metabolism has been known to promote oncogenesis. NDUFAB1, a nuclear encoded subunit of respiratory complex I (RCI) in the inner mitochondrial membrane, is abundantly expressed at the mRNA level in HNSCC patients. Based on this finding, we hypothesize that NDUFAB1 protein expression is high in HNSCC and that NDUFAB1 expression predicts a poor prognosis in HNSCC patients. We determined NDUFAB1 expression in HNSCC using immunohistochemistry and pathology guided …

P53 And Ovarian Carcinoma Survival: An Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis Consortium Study, Martin Köbel, Eun-Young Kang, Ashley Weir, Peter F Rambau, Cheng-Han Lee, Gregg S Nelson, Prafull Ghatage, Nicola S Meagher, Marjorie J Riggan, Jennifer Alsop, Michael S Anglesio, Matthias W Beckmann, Christiani Bisinotto, Michelle Boisen, Jessica Boros, Alison H Brand, Angela Brooks-Wilson, Michael E Carney, Penny Coulson, Madeleine Courtney-Brooks, Kara L Cushing-Haugen, Cezary Cybulski, Suha Deen, Mona A El-Bahrawy, Esther Elishaev, Ramona Erber, Sian Fereday, Aocs Group, Anna Fischer, Simon A Gayther, Arantzazu Barquin-Garcia, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, C Blake Gilks, Helena Gronwald, Marcel Grube, Paul R Harnett, Holly R Harris, Andreas D Hartkopf, Arndt Hartmann, Alexander Hein, Joy Hendley, Brenda Y Hernandez, Yajue Huang, Anna Jakubowska, Mercedes Jimenez-Linan, Michael E Jones, Catherine J Kennedy, Tomasz Kluz, Jennifer M Koziak, Jaime Lesnock, Jenny Lester, Jan Lubiński, Teri A Longacre, Maria Lycke, Constantina Mateoiu, Bryan M Mccauley, Valerie Mcguire, Britta Ney, Alexander Olawaiye, Sandra Orsulic, Ana Osorio, Luis Paz-Ares, Teresa Ramón Y Cajal, Joseph H Rothstein, Matthias Ruebner, Minouk J Schoemaker, Mitul Shah, Raghwa Sharma, Mark E Sherman, Yurii B Shvetsov, Naveena Singh, Helen Steed, Sarah J Storr, Aline Talhouk, Nadia Traficante, Chen Wang, Alice S Whittemore, Martin Widschwendter, Lynne R Wilkens, Stacey J Winham, Javier Benitez, Andrew Berchuck, David D Bowtell, Francisco J Candido Dos Reis, Ian Campbell, Linda S Cook, Anna Defazio, Jennifer A Doherty, Peter A Fasching, Renée T Fortner, María J García, Marc T Goodman, Ellen L Goode, Jacek Gronwald, David G Huntsman, Beth Y Karlan, Linda E Kelemen, Stefan Kommoss, Nhu D Le, Stewart G Martin, Usha Menon, Francesmary Modugno, Paul Dp Pharoah, Joellen M Schildkraut, Weiva Sieh, Annette Staebler, Karin Sundfeldt, Anthony J Swerdlow, Susan J Ramus, James D Brenton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Our objective was to test whether p53 expression status is associated with survival for women diagnosed with the most common ovarian carcinoma histotypes (high-grade serous carcinoma [HGSC], endometrioid carcinoma [EC], and clear cell carcinoma [CCC]) using a large multi-institutional cohort from the Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis (OTTA) consortium. p53 expression was assessed on 6,678 cases represented on tissue microarrays from 25 participating OTTA study sites using a previously validated immunohistochemical (IHC) assay as a surrogate for the presence and functional effect of TP53 mutations. Three abnormal expression patterns (overexpression, complete absence, and cytoplasmic) and the normal (wild type) pattern were …

The Effects Of Radiation On Cancer Stem Cells In Glioblastoma And Ovarian Cancer, Aaron Keniston

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are some of the most aggressive forms of cancer with poor patient survival. Despite successful cancer therapies, these malignancies have high recurrence rates which can be attributed to cancer stem cells (CSC) due to innate tumor initiating properties. In this study, we investigated the response of CSC populations to proton and photon radiation by quantification of core stem cell transcription factors Sox2 and Oct4. This was carried out utilizing a Sox2/Oct4 green fluorescent protein based reporter designated as SORE6-GFP measured by flow cytometry. We hypothesize that proton and photon irradiation …

Development Of A Computable Phenotype Using Electronic Health Records For Venous Thromboembolism In Medical Inpatients: The Medical Inpatient Thrombosis And Hemostasis Study, Ryan M Thomas, Katherine Wilkinson, Insu Koh, Ang Li, Janine S A Warren, Nicholas S Roetker, Nicholas L Smith, Chris E Holmes, Timothy B Plante, Allen B Repp, Mary Cushman, Neil A Zakai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Accurate and efficient methods to identify venous thromboembolism (VTE) events in hospitalized people are needed to support large-scale studies. Validated computable phenotypes using a specific combination of discrete, searchable elements in electronic health records to identify VTE and distinguish between hospital-acquired (HA)-VTE and present-on-admission (POA)-VTE would greatly facilitate the study of VTE, obviating the need for chart review.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate computable phenotypes for POA- and HA-VTE in adults hospitalized for medical reasons.

METHODS: The population included admissions to medical services from 2010 to 2019 at an academic medical center. POA-VTE was defined as VTE diagnosed within …

Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Artificial Intelligence Pipeline For Oropharyngeal Cancer Radiotherapy Treatment Guidance, Kareem Wahid

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is a widespread disease and one of the few domestic cancers that is rising in incidence. Radiographic images are crucial for assessment of OPC and aid in radiotherapy (RT) treatment. However, RT planning with conventional imaging approaches requires operator-dependent tumor segmentation, which is the primary source of treatment error. Further, OPC expresses differential tumor/node mid-RT response (rapid response) rates, resulting in significant differences between planned and delivered RT dose. Finally, clinical outcomes for OPC patients can also be variable, which warrants the investigation of prognostic models. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) techniques that incorporate simultaneous anatomical and functional information …

Effect Of Quality Of Life On Radiation Adherence For Patients With Cervical Cancer In An Urban Safety Net Health System, Alison K Yoder, Elizabeth Dong, Xiaoman Yu, Alfredo Echeverria, Shelly Sharma, Jane Montealegre, Michelle S Ludwig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: Outcomes for patients undergoing chemoradiation for cervical cancer are dependent on adherence to radiation therapy (RT). In other diseases, quality of life (QoL) is associated with treatment adherence, but the association between QoL and RT adherence for patients with cervical cancer remains unclear.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: This prospective study included patients undergoing RT for cervical cancer from 2017 to 2021 at an urban safety net hospital. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cervical Cancer Version 4 was used to assess QoL based on 5 subscales (physical, functional, social and emotional, and cervical-cancer specific). The survey was administered at radiation consult, …