Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity Commons^™

Diras3-Derived Cyclic Peptides Disrupt Kras-Raf Interaction And Kras Nanoclustering, Suppressing Kras-Driven Pancreatic And Ovarian Tumors, Joshua P Gray, Gamze Bildik, Ha-Neul Kim, Margie N Sutton, Jing Wang, Amarachi O Osuji, Nefeli Batistatou, Hailing Yang, Weiqun Mao, Zhi Tan, Geneviève M C Gasmi-Seabrook, Junchen Liu, John F Hancock, Christopher B Marshall, Joshua A Kritzer, Mitsuhiko Ikura, Robert C Bast, Steven W Millward, Zhen Lu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mutations in KRAS drive 88% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and up to 40% of low-grade serous ovarian cancers (LGSOC), making KRAS a long-standing therapeutic target. We previously showed that DIRAS3 binds RAS, forming heterodimers that disrupt RAS clustering and downstream MAPK signaling. Building on this, we developed conformationally constrained DIRAS3-derived peptides using two cyclization strategies and characterized them by NMR and biolayer interferometry. These cyclic peptides attenuate the interaction between KRAS and the BRAF RAS-binding domain, penetrate cells efficiently, and inhibit KRAS nanoclustering on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Functionally, they reduce cell viability and suppress PDAC …

Describing The Determinants Of Fluid Prescribing And Fluid Balance Optimization In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study At A Community Hospital, Salvador Roland Maffei, Graciela Sanabria, Matthew Pesek, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, Satid Thammasitboon, Patrick G Lyons

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Critically ill children tend to receive fluid volumes exceeding physiologic requirements despite evidence demonstrating harm with increasing net positive fluid balance. However, interventions aimed at optimizing fluid balance have yet to demonstrate significant clinical benefit, likely because there are multiple drivers of this complex problem. In this study, we used qualitative inquiry to describe the current practice at a community pediatric intensive care unit and discover potential barriers and facilitators to clinical practice change.

Methods: We designed a semi-structured interview guide informed by the consolidated framework in implementation research (CFIR) and conducted interviews with attending physicians, dietitians, nurses, nurse …

Sulindac Sulfide Suppresses Oncogenic Transformation Through Let-7b-Mediated Repression Of K-Ras Signaling, Zhipin Liang, Ruixia Ma, Bin Yi, Adam I. Riker, Yaguang Xi

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Design, Optimization, And Development Of Ripk1 Degraders With Improved Pharmacokinetic And Pharmacodynamic Properties, Dong Lu, Xin Yu, Hanfeng Lin, Ran Cheng, Bin Yang, Min Zhang, Jingjing Chen, Feng Li, Xiaoli Qi, Jin Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pharmacological degradation of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) offers a compelling therapeutic strategy to overcome its scaffolding role in tumor resistance and to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies. In this study, we report the discovery of a novel RIPK1 degrader, LD5097(24b), developed through systematic optimization of its precursor compound, LD4172—specifically refining the linker, RIPK1 warhead exit vector, and VHL ligand components. LD5097(24b) exhibits potent and selective RIPK1 degradation, triggering rapid and efficient downregulation of RIPK1 and significantly enhancing TNFα-mediated apoptosis in Jurkat cells. Compared to LD4172, LD5097(24b) demonstrates markedly improved metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties. In …

Real-World Outcomes Of Infections Following Tisagenlecleucel In Patients With B-Cell All: A Cibmtr Analysis, Hemalatha G Rangarajan, Prakash Satwani, Megan M Herr, Min Chen, Michael J Martens, Kitsada Wudhikarn, Samuel John, Vanessa A Fabrizio, Emily M Hsieh, Amar H Kelkar, Erin Doherty, David I Marks, Olle Ringden, Brian Friend, Matthew S Kelly, Nosha Farhadfar, Tim Prestidge, Nasheed M Hossain, Hongtao Liu, Shahrukh Hashmi, Dipenkumar Modi, Lena E Winestone, Zeinab El Boghdadly, Hemant S Murthy, Miguel-Angel Perales, Roy F Chemaly, Christopher E Dandoy, Joshua A Hill, Anna Huppler, Marcie Riches, Jeffery J Auletta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) is a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL). We report infectious complications for 100 days (D100) following tisa-cel therapy in 471 pediatric and young adults (median age 13.8 years) with R/R B-ALL reported from September 2017 to June 2022. By D100, 137 (29%) patients had an infectious event, with an infection density of 0.542 per 100 person-days at risk. D100 cumulative incidences of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections were 14.1%, 11.6%, and 1.3%, corresponding to infection density scores of 0.296, 0.213, and 0.033 per 100 person-days at risk, respectively. …

Infection After Cd19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy For Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Real-World Analysis From Cibmtr, Kitsada Wudhikarn, Megan M Herr, Min Chen, Michael J Martens, John H Baird, Lohith Gowda, Hemalatha G Rangarajan, Muhammad Bilal Abid, Mohamed A Kharfan-Dabaja, Kirsten M Williams, Siddhartha Ganguly, Jo-Anne H Young, Akshay Sharma, Giancarlo Fatobene, Tania Jain, Christopher G Kanakry, Dipenkumar Modi, Natalie S Grover, Baheyeldin Salem, Marjorie Vieira Batista, Paschalis Vergidis, Dwight E Yin, Amer M Beitinjaneh, Amar H Kelkar, Taiga Nishihori, Jennifer Holter Chakrabarty, Usama Gergis, Melody Smith, Zeinab El Boghdadly, Christopher E Dandoy, Hemant S Murthy, Anna R Huppler, Miguel-Angel Perales, Roy F Chemaly, Joshua A Hill, Marcie Riches, Jeffery J Auletta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Infection is increasingly recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) receiving CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. The current study analyzed the natural history, risk factors, and outcomes of infection in 3350 patients with R/R LBCL receiving commercial CD19 CAR T-cell therapy (n = 2804 axicabtagene ciloleucel [axi-cel], n = 546 tisagenlecleucel) from December 2017 to June 2022. Infection developed in 834 patients (24.9%) within 100 days after infusion, resulting in an infection density of 0.43 per 100 patient days and a 100-day cumulative incidence of 22%. Bacterial, …

Social Determinants Of Health Patterns In Children With Severe Disease Due To Sars-Cov-2 Infection-An Exploratory Approach, Joshua Prabhu, Sebastian Acosta, Fabio Savorgnan, Ananth V Annapragada, Usha Sethuraman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Research on the association of adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) with severe pediatric coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is limited. We examined associations between SDOH patterns and COVID-19 severity in children.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study of children (< 18 years) with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection evaluated in an urban pediatric emergency department (March 2021-April 2022) in Detroit, Michigan. Caregivers completed a 34-item survey based on the Healthy People 2030 framework. Severe disease was defined as the occurrence of respiratory/cardiac failure or death within four weeks of diagnosis. Continuous and categorical variables were described using medians and percentages, respectively. Associations between disease severity and risk factors were determined using chi-square tests. Association rule mining was used for feature selection, followed by multivariate logistic regression.

Results: We analyzed data from 354 children [6-12 years: 31.1%, Female: 51.1%, Black: 59%, not Hispanic: 84.7%, public insurance: 77.1%, chronic condition: 27.4%]. Of the total, 113 children had severe disease. Most caregivers were 30-44 years old (53.1%), had less than a college degree (70.4%), and income < USD 50,000 (75.2%). Adverse SDOH reported included food/housing insecurity (24.6%), no support (64.7%), unmet childcare needs (35.9%), and lack of transportation (12.7%). After controlling for age, sex, medical history, income, and obesity, severe disease was associated with caregiver use of drugs/alcohol (OR:5.92, p < 0.001) and social discrimination/lack of support (OR: 1.74, p = 0.030).

Conclusions: Two SDOH patterns (caregiver use of drugs/alcohol …

Hyperoxia During Neonatal Cardiopulmonary Bypass Is Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes: A Multi-Institutional Study, Asaad G Beshish, David M Kwiatkowski, Nathaniel Sznycer-Taub, John M Costello, Andrew Jergel, Scott Gillespie, Katherine Cashen, Ahmed Asfari, Maria Batsis, Jason R Buckley, Meghan M Chlebowski, Saul Flores, Nimrod Goldshtrom, Karl Migally, Kimberly I Mills, Monique R Radman, Chetana Reddy, Brittany Shutes, Christine M Riley, Sukumar Suguna Narasimhulu, Dana Mueller, Venugopal Amula, Raji Venkitachalam, Brian F Joy, Karan B Karki, Scott M Leopold, Jennifer E Schramm, Christine A Capone, Scott I Aydin, Adnan M Bakar, Kieran Leong, Agnieszka Kulikowska, Sarah Wing, Christopher W Mastropietro, Collaborative Research From The Pediatric Intensive Care Society (Core‐Pcics) Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Exposure to supraphysiologic oxygen concentrations, or hyperoxia, during neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been associated with worse outcomes in single-center studies. We aimed to describe variation in oxygen exposure during CPB and determine if hyperoxia is associated with worse outcomes in a multicenter cohort of neonates undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of neonates who underwent surgery with CPB between January 2021 and December 2022 at 29 centers. Primary outcomes were operative mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which included CPR, extracorporeal support, stroke, and mortality. Logistic regression assessed the associations between median PaO2 during …

Aberrant Expression Of A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase With Thrombospondin Motifs 13 (Adamts13) In Pancreatic Cancer Leads To Dichotomic Functions, Stephanie Allmang, Hagen R. Witzel, Anne Hausen, Simone Marquard, Christoph Eckert, Nicole Marnet, Nina Hörner, Philipp Mayer, Stefan Heinrich, Hien Dang, Wilfried Roth, Matthias M. Gaida

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers characterized by highly invasive growth into the surrounding peripancreatic fat tissue, where tumor cells can directly interact with adipocytes. Due to poor response to the currently available (radio)chemotherapies, there is an urgent need for advanced therapy concepts. The present study shows that ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 13), a key factor in blood coagulation, is significantly overexpressed in human PDAC. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that ADAMTS13 expression is associated with prolonged survival and negatively correlated with vascular density. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate its partial …

Optimising Drowning Prevention Counselling Through A Physician Maintenance Of Certification (Moc) Quality Improvement (Qi) Initiative, Tracy E Mccallin, Anthony R Arredondo, Elizabeth A Camp, Shabana Yusuf

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children 1–4 years old in the USA. Paediatricians play an important role in giving anticipatory guidance on drowning prevention. This quality improvement initiative aimed to increase the rate of drowning prevention counselling with provision of educational materials to caregivers of children aged 0–10 years during clinical encounters in an outpatient setting.

We refined a previously published Texas state educational programme that included evidence-based counselling strategies across three Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles, with the addition of preintervention baseline counselling phase during expansion of the programme nationally to 17 and 21 states …

Assessing The Tumor Suppressive Impact And Regulatory Mechanisms Of Spdef Expression In Breast Cancer, Maansi Solanky, Maninder Khosla, Suresh K. Alahari

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and the role of the transcription factor SPDEF remains controversial. We aimed to clarify the prognostic value of SPDEF, explore demographic and molecular correlates of its expression, and investigate potential regulatory mechanisms underlying its dysregulation. Methods: Genomic and clinical data for 1218 breast cancer tumors were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). SPDEF mRNA expression was compared across intrinsic subtypes, age, and race, and prognostic significance was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Promoter methylation patterns and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) expression were examined as potential regulatory drivers. Co-expression analysis was performed using gene panels …

Selective Agonism Of Liver And Gut Fxr Prevents Cholestasis And Intestinal Atrophy In Parenterally Fed Neonatal Pigs, Yanjun Jiang, Zhengfeng Fang, Gregory Guthrie, Barbara Stoll, Shaji Chacko, Sen Lin, Bolette Hartmann, Jens J Holst, Harry Dawson, Jose J Pastor, Ignacio R Ipharraguerre, Douglas G Burrin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We aimed to investigate the relative efficacy of feeding different bile acids in preventing PNALD in neonatal pigs. Newborn pigs given total parenteral nutrition (TPN) combined with minimal enteral feeding of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) or increasing doses of obeticholic acid (OCA) for 19 days. Enteral OCA (5 and 15 mg/kg), but not CDCA (30 mg/kg) reduced blood cholestasis markers compared to TPN controls and increased bile acids in the gallbladder and intestine. Major bile acids in the liver and distal intestine were CDCA, HCA, HDCA, and OCA, and their relative proportions were increased by the type of bile acid (CDCA …

Intravascular Hemolysis As A Converging Mechanism In Hemolytic Disorders, Justin A Courson, Arun Saini

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Heart-Kidney Transplantation, Swati Choudhry, Kriti Puri, Vikas R Dharnidharka

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Heart transplantation is regarded as the definitive treatment for advanced pediatric heart failure. However, concomitant kidney dysfunction often complicates candidate selection for isolated heart transplantation. Prolonged venous congestion, nephrotoxic exposures, and recurrent episodes of acute kidney injury can result in varying degrees of renal impairment. Differentiating between reversible kidney injury secondary to cardiorenal syndrome and irreversible intrinsic renal disease remains a major challenge. Pediatric heart-kidney transplantation has shown survival benefits for patients with end-stage heart failure requiring chronic dialysis, yet its role in patients with less severe renal dysfunction is less clearly defined. This review summarizes the current evidence on …

Factors Influencing 25-Year Survival In Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients, Garrett Wortham, Megan Crawford, John Miggins, Chun-Sing Huang, John A Goss, Abbas Rana, Nhu Thao Galván

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: This study assesses the impact of cholestatic liver disease, including biliary atresia, on 25-year survival post-transplantation and additional factors influencing long-term outcomes after pediatric liver transplantation.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric liver transplant recipients (1987-1998) using de-identified data from the OPTN 2023 Liver Database. After exclusions for multi-organ transplants (n = 222), prior transplants (n = 2256), and deaths within 1 year (n = 526), 2429 patients remained, including 645 with cholestatic disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified factors associated with 25-year survival.

Results: A primary diagnosis of cholestatic disease was associated with improved 25-year survival …

Pediatric Non-Down Syndrome Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Patients Have Dismal Outcomes Irrespective Of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: A Single-Center Experience, Gabriela Llaurador, Matthew Willis, Michele S Redell, M Monica Gramatges, Andrea N Marcogliese, Swati Naik, Robert Krance, Erin Doherty, Alexandra M Stevens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pediatric non-Down Syndrome Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (non-DS-AMKL) is a rare subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) arising from primitive megakaryocytes and is associated with poor outcomes. Given its high incidence of relapse, this subpopulation of children is frequently referred for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) in first complete remission (CR1).

Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the clinical outcomes of non-DS-AMKL pediatric patients in a large, single-institution cohort.

Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of thirty-six patients diagnosed with non-DS-AMKL treated at Texas Children's Hospital from 2000 to 2022 was conducted.

Results: Twenty-nine …

Prevalence And Clinical Impact Of Pseudohypercalcemia In Paraproteinemia: A Case And Cohort Study, Usman Sunusi, Li Chen, Nianyi Li, Jason K Y Lee, Irmeen Siddiqui, Erin Goodhue, Rongrong Huang, Jieli Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Hypercalcemia is a common and serious complication of malignancy, often contributing to morbidity and mortality. In patients with paraproteinemia, elevated total calcium with normal ionized calcium, termed pseudohypercalcemia, can complicate diagnosis and lead to inappropriate treatment. While this phenomenon has been described in case reports, its prevalence and clinical impact in routine practice remain poorly defined.

Methods: We report a case of pseudohypercalcemia in a patient with IgG κ multiple myeloma and conducted a retrospective review of de-identified data to assess the prevalence and biochemical associations of pseudohypercalcemia in paraproteinemia. Available data included serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP), …

Translational Framework Linking Perfluoroheptanoic Acid (Pfhpa) Exposure To Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease In Adolescents, Brittney O Baumert, Ana C Maretti-Mira, Douglas I Walker, Zhenjiang Li, Nikos Stratakis, Hongxu Wang, Yinqi Zhao, Fabian Christoph Fischer, Qiran Jia, Damaskini Valvi, Scott M Bartell, Jiawen Carmen Chen, Thomas Inge, Justin R Ryder, Todd Jenkins, Stephanie Sisley, Stavra Xanthakos, David E Kleiner, Rohit Kohli, Sarah Rock, Sandrah P Eckel, Michele A La Merrill, Max M Aung, Matthew P Salomon, Rob Mcconnell, Jesse Goodrich, David V Conti, Lucy Golden-Mason, Lida Chatzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The rising prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), particularly among pediatric populations, requires identification of modifiable risk factors to control disease progression. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as potential contributors to liver damage; however, their role in MASLD remains underexplored. This study aimed to develop a translational framework integrating human and in vitro data to elucidate the effect of PFAS on MASLD development.

Methods: We measured PFAS plasma levels in the Teen-LABS cohort (n = 136), comprising adolescents with obesity (mean age = 16.8 years) undergoing bariatric surgery. Plasma samples were also analyzed using proteomic …

Cdk4/6 Inhibitors In Breast Cancer-Who Should Receive Them?, Anran Chen, Ze-Yi Zheng, Meenakshi Anurag, Ahmed Elkhanany, Natalie C Chen, Eric C Chang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

More than 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+). Endocrine therapy that blocks estrogen signaling remains the cornerstone of treatment, yet relapses continue to affect many patients. Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) regulate the G1-S phase transition in the cell cycle, and pharmacological inhibition of this pathway has been successfully leveraged to reduce recurrence. CDK4/6 inhibitors combined with endocrine therapy are now the standard of care, although determining the optimal patient population for treatment remains a key challenge. A newly published study provides important insight, showing that loss of the NF1/neurofibromin tumor suppressor confers greater sensitivity to CDK4/6 …

Use Of The Selective Cytopheretic Device With Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy In Children: A Comparison Of Contemporary Cohorts, Natalja L Stanski, Jangdong Seo, Todd Jenkins, Kelli A Krallman, Shina Menon, H David Humes, David J Askenazi, Rajit K Basu, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, Stuart L Goldstein, Katja M Gist

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The selective cytopheretic device (SCD) is a cell-directed extracorporeal therapy approved for use in children with acute kidney injury (AKI) receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with sepsis/sepsis-like conditions. We compared outcomes for children treated with SCD to a contemporary cohort of children treated with CRRT alone.

Methods: Secondary analysis and comparison of patients ≤22 years old and ≥10 kg from a multicenter registry of patients receiving CRRT for AKI and/or fluid overload (WE-ROCK; 2015-2021) to patients from two multicenter, prospective, interventional studies of children with AKI and multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) receiving SCD (SCD-PED-01/SCD-PED-02; 2016-2022).

Results: Eighteen patients …

Probabilistic Data Linkage To Study The Epidemiology Of Unintentional Fatal Drowning In A Large Metropolitan Region, Rohit P Shenoi, Ned Levine, Elizabeth A Camp, Linh Nguyen, Sandra Mckay, Shaila Zaman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: It is difficult to study the epidemiology of drowning at the regional level because of multiple data sources, many of which have a high degree of unstandardized and missing data. We aimed to link multiple datasets to identify demographics and geographic locations of unintentional fatal drowning in a metropolitan region and compare linked data with vital statistic data.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included unintentional drowning fatalities among persons of all ages in metropolitan Houston between 2016 and 2022. Probabilistic linking was used to link multiple datasets and geographical mapping to identify drowning locations. The effectiveness of data linkage was …

Multimodal Reprogramming Of The Tumor Microenvironment By Mmr And Dual Checkpoint Blockade In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Models, Mulu Z. Tesfay, Aleksandra Cios, Khandoker Usran Ferdous, Randal S. Shelton, Bahaa Mustafa, Camila C. Simoes, Murat Gokden, Isabelle R. Miousse, Kimberly J. Krager, Marjan Boerma, Alicja Urbaniak, Anuradha Kunthur, Sri Obulareddy, Joshua M. Eichhorn, Steven R. Post, Jean Christopher Chamcheu, Omeed Moaven, Chiswili Y. Chabu, Dan G. Duda, Matteo Conti, Bruno Nardo, Rang Govindarajan, Martin E. Fernandez-Zapico, Lewis R. Roberts, Mitesh J. Borad, Martin J. Cannon, Alexei G. Basnakian, Bolni M. Nagalo

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, thus, there is an urgent need to develop more effective therapeutic options for this dismal condition. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with improved response to immune checkpoint blockade in HCC, but their low abundance in most cases limits their therapeutic efficacy. Here, we demonstrate, in mice, that low-dose intratumoral immunovirotherapy with the trivalent measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) induces superior tumor-growth delay and extended host survival compared to individually administered vaccines for measles, mumps, or rubella viruses. Further, our results show that MMR therapy synergizes with PD-1 and …

Mechanistic Study Of Pexidartinib-Induced Toxicity In Human Hepatic Cells, Si Chen, Yuxi Li, Xilin Li, Nan Mei, Xiaobo He, Matthew S Bryant, Xuan Qin, Feng Li, Lei Guo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pexidartinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for treating adult patients with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumors. Because of its hepatotoxicity risks, pexidartinib received a boxed warning; however, mechanistic studies on this hepatotoxicity remain limited. In this study, we demonstrate that pexidartinib decreases cell viability in primary human hepatocytes and hepatic HepG2 cells. A 24-h treatment with pexidartinib led to apoptosis in HepG2 cells, as evidenced by increased caspase 3/7 activity and the induction of cleaved PARP and γ-H2A.X. Pexidartinib-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was observed at early time points of …

The Latest In Resuscitation Research: Highlights From The 2024 American Heart Association's Resuscitation Science Symposium, Gabriela M Galli, Aarthi Kaviyarasu, Sachin Agarwal, Catherine R Counts, Tommaso Scquizzato, Betty Yang, Clark G Owyang, Ryan Coute, Simon Orlob, Lindsay Shepard, Saleem Halablab, James Horowitz, Sarah Perman, Ryan Morgan, Anne Grossestreuer, Jacob Vine, Nicholas Johnson, Luke Andrea, Ari Moskowitz, Benjamin Abella, Cameron Dezfulian, Walid H Farooqi, Felipe Teran

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Three-Dimensional Human Mucopolysaccharidosis Iva Chondrocyte Culture Reveals Significant Impairments In The Lysosomal-Mitochondrial Crosstalk, Andrés Felipe Leal, Sampurna Saikia, Shaukat A. Khan, Shunji Tomatsu

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is a lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) caused by a deficiency of N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase enzyme. MPS IVA patients suffer from skeletal dysplasia due to the abnormal function of chondrocytes. Given the interactions of lysosomes with various intracellular organelles, it is not surprising that lysosomal dysfunction can lead to improper functioning of lysosome-interacting organelles such as mitochondria. Mitochondrial alterations have been evaluated in several LSDs; nevertheless, they have not been fully addressed in MPS IVA. In this study, we assessed the mitochondrial alterations in MPS IVA chondrocytes using a three-dimensional culture approach. Our findings revealed that MPS IVA …

Fructose And Glucose From Sugary Drinks Enhance Colorectal Cancer Metastasis Via Sord, Tianshi Feng, Qin Luo, Yanlin Liu, Zeyu Jin, David Skwarchuk, Rumi Lee, Miso Nam, John M Asara, Daya R Adye, Philip L Lorenzi, Lin Tan, Guangsheng Pei, Zhongming Zhao, Neda Zarrin-Khameh, Adriana Paulucci-Holthauzen, Brian W Simons, Ju-Seog Lee, Scott Kopetz, Jihye Yun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which contain high levels of fructose and glucose, has been causally and mechanistically linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the effects of SSB consumption on advanced stages of disease progression, including metastasis, remain poorly understood. Here we show that exposure of CRC cells to a glucose and fructose formulation-reflecting the composition of both high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose found in SSBs-enhances cellular motility and metastatic potential compared to glucose alone. Given that CRC cells grow poorly in fructose alone, and cells in vivo are not physiologically exposed to fructose without …

Critical Care Of The Adult With Congenital Heart Disease, Christopher W Valle, Amanda C Garfinkel, Jonathan Buber, Anitra W Romfh, Andrea M Elliott, Jonathan N Menachem, Jennifer Nelson, Peter C Laussen, Jane Heggie, Cameron Dezfulian, David Morrow, Anne Marie Valente, American College Of Cardiology Critical Care Cardiology Section And Adult Congenital And Pediatric Cardiology Section

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Advances in the treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) have led to dramatic improvements in survival for individuals with CHD. While adults with CHD represent a small percentage of admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU), the critical care needs of this population will grow as this population ages and develops increasingly complex cardiac and noncardiac conditions. Adults with CHD require special care in the ICU because of both their unique cardiovascular conditions and the multi-organ dysfunction that often accompanies their cardiac pathophysiology. This review aims to summarize the current epidemiology of critical care for adults with CHD, describe key …

Endoglin-Directed Car T Cells Comprehensively Target Tumors In Advanced Sarcomas, Harrison R Berger, Malina Maharana, Jeneffer Mirabal, Lyazat Kurenbekova, Alberto Delaidelli, Atreyi Dasgupta, Ahmed Z Gad, Mohamed F Sheha, Sybrina S Kerr, Ada I Ozcan, Jessica S Morris, Angela M Major, M John Hicks, Mary K Mckenna, Ben K Seon, Matthew L Baker, Poul H Sorensen, Meenakshi Hegde, Jason T Yustein, Nabil Ahmed, Sujith K Joseph

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There are limited therapeutic options for patients with advanced sarcomas, which leads to dismal outcomes for children and adults. Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells hold promise for treating advanced sarcomas, this approach is constrained by a paucity of effective targets. Our previous clinical study identified endoglin (ENG/CD105), a TGFβ coreceptor, as a target of the endogenous immune response in a patient with sarcoma who exhibited an exceptional response to HER2-targeted CAR T-cell therapy. ENG is expressed on various sarcomas, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and neoangiogenic vessels and therefore offers comprehensive tumor targeting. Furthermore, ENG knockout in sarcoma cells reduces their …

Nonexposed Endoscopic Full Thickness Resection Of Residual Disease After Definitive Chemoradiation For Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer, Brennan W Gioe, Bryan C Luu, Michael M Ittmann, George Chen, Yvonne H Sada, Wasseem Skef

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Salvage endoscopic resection of residual esophageal neoplasia for patients that prefer to avoid surgery or are poor surgical candidates has been reported. We report a case of gastric signet ring cell carcinoma with residual disease after definitive chemoradiotherapy, that was treated with nonexposed endoscopic full thickness resection. This endoscopic resection achieved negative margins, with postresection surveillance endoscopy and imaging showing no evidence of disease. This case highlights the potential use of salvage endoscopic resection as a therapy for residual gastric cancer after chemoradiation in patients where surgery is not an option.

Peritoneal Immunosurgery: Immunotherapy Augmented Surgery For The Treatment Of Peritoneal Cancers, Ada I Ozcan, Arianexys Aquino López, Mary K Mckenna, Malcolm K Brenner, Alastair M Thompson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Peritoneal malignancy often indicates disruptions in multiple physiological systems resulting from widespread cancer. The heterogenous origin and dynamic nature of peritoneal cancer make it difficult to treat with standard approaches that fit into guidelines. We describe how successful treatment should address the underlying pathology, the systemic response to surgical treatments and target the immune perturbations that facilitate the establishment and propagation of this multifaceted disease.