Neurosciences Commons^™

Number Of Children In The Household Influences Respiratory Morbidities In Children With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia In The Outpatient Setting, Joseph M Collaco, Katharine R Tsukahara, Michael C Tracy, Catherine A Sheils, Jessica L Rice, Lawrence M Rhein, Antonia P Popova, Leif Nelin, Audrey N Miller, Winston M Manimtim, Jonathan C Levin, Khanh Lai, Jacob A Kaslow, Lystra P Hayden, Manvi Bansal, Eric D Austin, Brianna Aoyama, Gangaram Akangire, Amit Agarwal, Natalie Villafranco, Sharon A Mcgrath-Morrow

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a common complication of prematurity, is associated with outpatient morbidities, including respiratory exacerbations. Daycare attendance is associated with increased rates of acute and chronic morbidities in children with BPD. We sought to determine if additional children in the household conferred similar risks for children with BPD.

METHODS: The number of children in the household and clinical outcomes were obtained via validated instruments for 933 subjects recruited from 13 BPD specialty clinics in the United States. Clustered logistic regression models were used to test for associations.

RESULTS: The mean gestational age of the study population was 26.5 …

The Role Of Diet And Gut Microbiota In Alzheimer’S Disease, D. M.Sithara Dissanayaka, Vijay Jayasena, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins, W. M.A.D.Binosha Fernando

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (A ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles. Currently, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impacts 50 million individuals, with projections anticipating an increase to 152 million by the year 2050. Despite the increasing global prevalence of AD, its underlying pathology remains poorly understood, posing challenges for early diagnosis and treatment. Recent research suggests a link between gut dysbiosis and the aggregation of A , the development of tau proteins, and the occurrence of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are associated with AD. However, investigations into the gut–brain axis …

Investigating The Association Between Gut Bacteria And Childhood Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Maha Abdo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unclear. However, it’s believed to be a multifactorial condition. Several studies suggest the involvement of gut and oral microbiome in the predisposition of ASD symptoms. Understanding the pathophysiology could aid in developing better treatment strategies that improve the quality of life of ASD individuals and their caregivers.

Aim: The current study aims at characterizing the gut and oral microbiome composition of ASD children compared to their healthy siblings and mothers as control groups.

Methods: Stool and saliva samples were collected from fourteen families at Ain Shams University Hospital, Outpatient Clinic. The …

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) Signaling Mechanisms That Regulate Learning And Memory In Rats, Clementine Faye Harvey

Theses - ALL

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a widespread neurotrophin implicated in cellular processes underlying memory, socialization, and emotion; however, little is known about how genetic modification of BDNF interacts with BDNF modulators (e.g., hormones) to regulate BDNF-TrkB signaling. BDNF binds to the TrkB receptor and triggers signaling cascades underlying neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Inhibitory phosphorylation of one downstream target of the BDNF cascade - GSK3β – is also linked to memory improvements. The Val66Met allele – a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Bdnf gene - produces impairments in regulated BDNF release from the cell, as well as deficits in spatial …

Sex-Specific Negative Affect-Like Behaviour And Parabrachial Nucleus Activation Induced By Bnst Stimulation In Adult Mice With Adolescent Alcohol History, Lucas Albrechet-Souza, Chelsea R. Kasten, Natalia B. Bertagna, Tiffany A. Wills

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Adolescent alcohol use is a strong predictor for the subsequent development of alcohol use disorders later in life. Additionally, adolescence is a critical period for the onset of affective disorders, which can contribute to problematic drinking behaviours and relapse, particularly in females. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that exposure to adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) vapour alters glutamatergic transmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and, when combined with adult stress, elicits sex-specific changes in glutamatergic plasticity and negative affect-like behaviours in mice. Building on these findings, the current work investigated whether BNST stimulation could substitute …

Role Of Polyunsaturated Fat In Modifying Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Family History Of Cardiovascular Disease: Pooled De Novo Results From 15 Observational Studies, Federica Laguzzi, Agneta Åkesson, Matti Marklund, Frank Qian, Bruna Gigante, Traci M Bartz, Julie K Bassett, Anna Birukov, Hannia Campos, Yoichiro Hirakawa, Fumiaki Imamura, Susanne Jäger, Maria Lankinen, Rachel A Murphy, Mackenzie Senn, Toshiko Tanaka, Nathan Tintle, Jyrki K Virtanen, Kazumasa Yamagishi, Matthew Allison, Ingeborg A Brouwer, Ulf De Faire, Gudny Eiriksdottir, Luigi Ferrucci, Nita G Forouhi, Johanna M Geleijnse, Allison M Hodge, Hitomi Kimura, Markku Laakso, Ulf Risérus, Anniek C Van Westing, Stefania Bandinelli, Ana Baylin, Graham G Giles, Vilmundur Gudnason, Hiroyasu Iso, Rozenn N Lemaitre, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Wendy S Post, Bruce M Psaty, Jukka T Salonen, Matthias B Schulze, Michael Y Tsai, Matti Uusitupa, Nicholas J Wareham, Seung-Won Oh, Alexis C Wood, William S Harris, David Siscovick, Dariush Mozaffarian, Karin Leander, Fatty Acids And Outcomes Research Consortium (Force)

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) modifies the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk associated with a family history of CVD. We assessed interactions between biomarkers of low PUFA intake and a family history in relation to long-term CVD risk in a large consortium.

METHODS: Blood and tissue PUFA data from 40 885 CVD-free adults were assessed. PUFA levels ≤25th percentile were considered to reflect low intake of linoleic, alpha-linolenic, and eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acids (EPA/DHA). Family history was defined as having ≥1 first-degree relative who experienced a CVD event. Relative risks with 95% CI of CVD were …

Revitalizing Alzheimer's Community Engagement In The Rgv Post-Pandemic: Insights From The First Two Alzheimer's Forums, Karla D. Lopez Lorenzo, Maxine Vieyra, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Gladys E. Maestre

Research Symposium

Background: The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), with a population predominantly composed of Hispanic/Latinos (93%), faces a higher risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) compared to other groups. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the lack of education and awareness surrounding AD and related dementias in our community. To address these challenges, we partnered with the Alzheimer's Association to organize the first two Community Forums after the pandemic. Our goal is to raise awareness, provide resources, and support those affected by AD and related conditions in the RGV.

Methods: Through a proactive partnership, our objective was to meet the growing demand for education, …

Chronic Cannabis Use Is Associated With Decreased Treatment Response In Major Depression, Ihsan Salloum

Research Symposium

Background: Cannabis is the most frequently used federally illegal drug among the population and those receiving psychiatric treatment, including patients with major depression or alcohol use disorder. There is limited information on the impact of chronic cannabis use on treatment response. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of depression remission among patients with MDD and comorbid alcoholism who reported chronic cannabis abuse.

Methods: Sixty-four subjects with comorbid major depressive disorder and alcohol dependence (PRISM/DSM-IV), and a chronic (=>10 years) history of cannabis use (n=26) were compared to those who reported occasional or no cannabis …

Deepvelo: Deep Learning Extends Rna Velocity To Multi-Lineage Systems With Cell-Specific Kinetics, Haotian Cui, Hassaan Maan, Maria C Vladoiu, Jiao Zhang, Michael D Taylor, Bo Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Existing RNA velocity estimation methods strongly rely on predefined dynamics and cell-agnostic constant transcriptional kinetic rates, assumptions often violated in complex and heterogeneous single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Using a graph convolution network, DeepVelo overcomes these limitations by generalizing RNA velocity to cell populations containing time-dependent kinetics and multiple lineages. DeepVelo infers time-varying cellular rates of transcription, splicing, and degradation, recovers each cell's stage in the differentiation process, and detects functionally relevant driver genes regulating these processes. Application to various developmental and pathogenic processes demonstrates DeepVelo's capacity to study complex differentiation and lineage decision events in heterogeneous scRNA-seq data.

Risk For Diagnosis Or Treatment Of Mood Or Anxiety Disorders In Adults After Sars-Cov-2 Infection, 2020–2022, Christina X. Wang, Rhea Kohli, Veronica R. Olaker, Pauline Terebuh, Rong Xu, David C. Kaelber, Pamela B. Davis

Faculty Scholarship

COVID-19 is associated with increased risks for mood or anxiety disorders, but it remains uncertain how the association evolves over time or which patient groups are most affected. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide database of electronic health records to determine the risk of depressive or anxiety disorder diagnoses after SARS-CoV-2 infection by 3-month blocks from January 2020 to April 2022. The study population comprised 822,756 patients (51.8% female; mean age 42.8 years) with COVID-19 and 2,034,353 patients with other respiratory tract infections (RTIs) (53.5% female, mean age 30.6 years). First time diagnoses of depressive or anxiety …

Disruption Of The Arabidopsis Acyl-Activating Enzyme 3 Impairs Seed Coat Mucilage Accumulation And Seed Germination, Ninghui Cheng, Paul A Nakata

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Acyl-activating enzyme (AAE) 3 gene encodes an oxalyl-CoA synthetase that catalyzes the conversion of oxalate to oxalyl-CoA as the first step in the CoA-dependent pathway of oxalate catabolism. Although the role of this enzyme in oxalate catabolism has been established, its biological roles in plant growth and development are less understood. As a step toward gaining a better understanding of these biological roles, we report here a characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana aae3 (Ataae3) seed mucilage phenotype. Ruthidium red (RR) staining of Ataae3 and wild type (WT) seeds suggested that the observed reduction in Ataae3 …

Ephrinb2 Knockdown In Cervical Spinal Cord Preserves Diaphragm Innervation In A Mutant Sod1 Mouse Model Of Als, Mark W. Urban, Brittany A. Charsar, Nicolette M. Heinsinger, Shashirekha S. Markandaiah, Lindsay Sprimont, Wei Zhou, Eric V. Brown, Nathan T. Henderson, Samantha J. Thomas, Biswarup Ghosh, Rachel E. Cain, Davide Trotti, Piera Pasinelli, Megan C. Wright, Matthew B. Dalva, Angelo C. Lepore

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Staff Papers and Presentations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via …

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Of Cerebellar Astrocytes Across Developmental Stages And Brain Regions, Wookbong Kwon, Dong-Joo Choi, Kwanha Yu, Michael R Williamson, Sanjana Murali, Yeunjung Ko, Junsung Woo, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type in the central nervous system, and they play a crucial role in normal brain function. While gliogenesis and glial differentiation occur during perinatal cerebellar development, the processes that occur during early postnatal development remain obscure. In this study, we conducted transcriptomic profiling of postnatal cerebellar astrocytes at postnatal days 1, 7, 14, and 28 (P1, P7, P14, and P28), identifying temporal-specific gene signatures at each specific time point. Comparing these profiles with region-specific astrocyte differentially expressed genes (DEGs) published for the cortex, hippocampus, and olfactory bulb revealed cerebellar-specific gene signature across these …

Single-Cell Multi-Omic Analysis Of The Vestibular Schwannoma Ecosystem Uncovers A Nerve Injury-Like State, Thomas F Barrett, Bhuvic Patel, Saad M Khan, Riley D Z Mullins, Aldrin K Y Yim, Sangami Pugazenthi, Tatenda Mahlokozera, Gregory J Zipfel, Jacques A Herzog, Michael R Chicoine, Cameron C Wick, Nedim Durakovic, Joshua W Osbun, Matthew Shew, Alex D Sweeney, Akash J Patel, Craig A Buchman, Allegra A Petti, Sidharth V Puram, Albert H Kim

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumors that lead to significant neurologic and otologic morbidity. How VS heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to VS pathogenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we perform scRNA-seq on 15 VS, with paired scATAC-seq (n = 6) and exome sequencing (n = 12). We identify diverse Schwann cell (SC), stromal, and immune populations in the VS TME and find that repair-like and MHC-II antigen-presenting SCs are associated with myeloid cell infiltrate, implicating a nerve injury-like process. Deconvolution analysis of RNA-expression data from 175 tumors reveals Injury-like tumors are associated with larger tumor size, …

Development Of A Novel Covalently Bonded Conjugate Of Caprylic Acid Tripeptide (Isoleucine–Leucine–Aspartic Acid) For Wound-Compatible And Injectable Hydrogel To Accelerate Healing, Sachin B. Baravkar, Yan Lu, Abdul Razak Masoud, Qi Zhao, Jibao He, Song Hong

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Third-degree burn injuries pose a significant health threat. Safer, easier-to-use, and more effective techniques are urgently needed for their treatment. We hypothesized that covalently bonded conjugates of fatty acids and tripeptides can form wound-compatible hydrogels that can accelerate healing. We first designed conjugated structures as fatty acid–aminoacid1–amonoacid2–aspartate amphiphiles (Cn acid–AA1–AA2–D), which were potentially capable of self-assembling into hydrogels according to the structure and properties of each moiety. We then generated 14 novel conjugates based on this design by using two Fmoc/tBu solid-phase peptide synthesis techniques; we verified their structures and purities through liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear …

Multi-Site Benchmark Classification Of Major Depressive Disorder Using Machine Learning On Cortical And Subcortical Measures, Vladimir Belov, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, Moji Aghajani, Andre Aleman, Alyssa R Amod, Zeynep Basgoze, Francesco Benedetti, Bianca Besteher, Robin Bülow, Christopher R K Ching, Colm G Connolly, Kathryn Cullen, Christopher G Davey, Danai Dima, Annemiek Dols, Jennifer W Evans, Cynthia H Y Fu, Ali Saffet Gonul, Ian H Gotlib, Hans J Grabe, Nynke Groenewold, J Paul Hamilton, Ben J Harrison, Tiffany C Ho, Benson Mwangi, Natalia Jaworska, Neda Jahanshad, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Thomas Lancaster, Meng Li, David E J Linden, Frank P Macmaster, David M A Mehler, Elisa Melloni, Bryon A Mueller, Amar Ojha, Mardien L Oudega, Brenda W J H Penninx, Sara Poletti, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Maria J Portella, Elena Pozzi, Liesbeth Reneman, Matthew D Sacchet, Philipp G Sämann, Anouk Schrantee, Kang Sim, Jair C Soares, Dan J Stein, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Aslihan Uyar-Demir, Nic J A Van Der Wee, Steven J A Van Der Werff, Henry Völzke, Sarah Whittle, Katharina Wittfeld, Margaret J Wright, Mon-Ju Wu, Tony T Yang, Carlos Zarate, Dick J Veltman, Lianne Schmaal, Paul M Thompson, Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Enigma Major Depressive Disorder Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Machine learning (ML) techniques have gained popularity in the neuroimaging field due to their potential for classifying neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the diagnostic predictive power of the existing algorithms has been limited by small sample sizes, lack of representativeness, data leakage, and/or overfitting. Here, we overcome these limitations with the largest multi-site sample size to date (N = 5365) to provide a generalizable ML classification benchmark of major depressive disorder (MDD) using shallow linear and non-linear models. Leveraging brain measures from standardized ENIGMA analysis pipelines in FreeSurfer, we were able to classify MDD versus healthy controls (HC) with a balanced accuracy …

Aging Fly Cell Atlas Identifies Exhaustive Aging Features At Cellular Resolution, Kenneth A Wilson, Sudipta Bar, Eric B Dammer, Enrique M Carrera, Brian A Hodge, Tyler A U Hilsabeck, Joanna Bons, George W Brownridge, Jennifer N Beck, Jacob Rose, Melia Granath-Panelo, Christopher S Nelson, Grace Qi, Akos A Gerencser, Jianfeng Lan, Alexandra Afenjar, Geetanjali Chawla, Rachel B Brem, Philippe M Campeau, Hugo J Bellen, Birgit Schilling, Nicholas T Seyfried, Lisa M Ellerby, Pankaj Kapahi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dietary restriction (DR) delays aging, but the mechanism remains unclear. We identified polymorphisms in mtd, the fly homolog of OXR1, which influenced lifespan and mtd expression in response to DR. Knockdown in adulthood inhibited DR-mediated lifespan extension in female flies. We found that mtd/OXR1 expression declines with age and it interacts with the retromer, which regulates trafficking of proteins and lipids. Loss of mtd/OXR1 destabilized the retromer, causing improper protein trafficking and endolysosomal defects. Overexpression of retromer genes or pharmacological restabilization with R55 rescued lifespan and neurodegeneration in mtd-deficient flies and endolysosomal defects in fibroblasts from patients with lethal loss-of-function …

Precision Microbial Intervention Improves Social Behavior But Not Autism Severity: A Pilot Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial, Luigi Mazzone, Sean W Dooling, Elisabetta Volpe, Mirko Uljarević, Jillian L Waters, Andrea Sabatini, Lucrezia Arturi, Roberta Abate, Assia Riccioni, Martina Siracusano, Marcela Pereira, Lars Engstrand, Fernanda Cristofori, Domenico Adduce, Ruggiero Francavilla, Mauro Costa-Mattioli, Antonio Y Hardan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by the presence of restricted/repetitive behaviors and social communication deficits. Because effective treatments for ASD remain elusive, novel therapeutic strategies are necessary. Preclinical studies show that L. reuteri selectively reversed social deficits in several models for ASD. Here, in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we tested the effect of L. reuteri (a product containing a combination of strains ATCC-PTA-6475 and DSM-17938) in children with ASD. The treatment does not alter overall autism severity, restricted/repetitive behaviors, the microbiome composition, or the immune profile. However, L. reuteri combination yields significant improvements in social functioning that generalized …

The Immune System And Metabolic Products In Epilepsy And Glioma-Associated Epilepsy: Emerging Therapeutic Directions, Shashwat Tripathi, Cody L Nathan, Matthew C Tate, Craig M Horbinski, Jessica W Templer, Joshua M Rosenow, Timothy L Sita, Charles D James, Benjamin Deneen, Stephen D Miller, Amy B Heimberger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Epilepsy has a profound impact on quality of life. Despite the development of new antiseizure medications (ASMs), approximately one-third of affected patients have drug-refractory epilepsy and are nonresponsive to medical treatment. Nearly all currently approved ASMs target neuronal activity through ion channel modulation. Recent human and animal model studies have implicated new immunotherapeutic and metabolomic approaches that may benefit patients with epilepsy. In this Review, we detail the proinflammatory immune landscape of epilepsy and contrast this with the immunosuppressive microenvironment in patients with glioma-related epilepsy. In the tumor setting, excessive neuronal activity facilitates immunosuppression, thereby contributing to subsequent glioma progression. …

Tfeb Drives Mtorc1 Hyperactivation And Kidney Disease In Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Nicola Alesi, Damir Khabibullin, Dean M Rosenthal, Elie W Akl, Pieter M Cory, Michel Alchoueiry, Samer Salem, Melissa Daou, William F Gibbons, Jennifer A Chen, Long Zhang, Harilaos Filippakis, Laura Graciotti, Caterina Miceli, Jlenia Monfregola, Claudia Vilardo, Manrico Morroni, Chiara Di Malta, Gennaro Napolitano, Andrea Ballabio, Elizabeth P Henske

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is caused by TSC1 or TSC2 mutations, leading to hyperactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and lesions in multiple organs including lung (lymphangioleiomyomatosis) and kidney (angiomyolipoma and renal cell carcinoma). Previously, we found that TFEB is constitutively active in TSC. Here, we generated two mouse models of TSC in which kidney pathology is the primary phenotype. Knockout of TFEB rescues kidney pathology and overall survival, indicating that TFEB is the primary driver of renal disease in TSC. Importantly, increased mTORC1 activity in the TSC2 knockout kidneys is normalized by TFEB knockout. In TSC2-deficient …

Developmental Basis Of Shh Medulloblastoma Heterogeneity, Maxwell P Gold, Winnie Ong, Andrew M Masteller, David R Ghasemi, Julie Anne Galindo, Noel R Park, Nhan C Huynh, Aneesh Donde, Veronika Pister, Raul A Saurez, Maria C Vladoiu, Grace H Hwang, Tanja Eisemann, Laura K Donovan, Adam D Walker, Joseph Benetatos, Christelle Dufour, Livia Garzia, Rosalind A Segal, Robert J Wechsler-Reya, Jill P Mesirov, Andrey Korshunov, Kristian W Pajtler, Scott L Pomeroy, Olivier Ayrault, Shawn M Davidson, Jennifer A Cotter, Michael D Taylor, Ernest Fraenkel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Many genes that drive normal cellular development also contribute to oncogenesis. Medulloblastoma (MB) tumors likely arise from neuronal progenitors in the cerebellum, and we hypothesized that the heterogeneity observed in MBs with sonic hedgehog (SHH) activation could be due to differences in developmental pathways. To investigate this question, here we perform single-nucleus RNA sequencing on highly differentiated SHH MBs with extensively nodular histology and observed malignant cells resembling each stage of canonical granule neuron development. Through innovative computational approaches, we connect these results to published datasets and find that some established molecular subtypes of SHH MB appear arrested at different …

Emerging Perspectives Of Synaptic Biomarkers In Als And Ftd, Karthik Krishnamurthy, Raj Kumar Pradhan

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Staff Papers and Presentations

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are debilitating neurodegenerative diseases with shared pathological features like transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) inclusions and genetic mutations. Both diseases involve synaptic dysfunction, contributing to their clinical features. Synaptic biomarkers, representing proteins associated with synaptic function or structure, offer insights into disease mechanisms, progression, and treatment responses. These biomarkers can detect disease early, track its progression, and evaluate therapeutic efficacy. ALS is characterized by elevated neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, correlating with disease progression. TDP-43 is another key ALS biomarker, its mislocalization linked …

Development Of A Rabbit Human Glioblastoma Model For Testing Of Endovascular Selective Intra-Arterial Infusion (Esia) Of Novel Stem Cell-Based Therapeutics, Peter Kan, Visish M Srinivasan, Joy Gumin, Roberto Garcia, Stephen R Chen, Jeremiah N Johnson, Dalis E Collins, Melissa M Chen, Daniel Ledbetter, Jason Huse, Zean Aaron Evan Luna, Ariadna Robledo, Viren Vasandani, Abhijit Rao, Sanjay K Singh, Elizabeth J Shpall, Juan Fueyo, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Frederick F Lang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Endovascular selective intra-arterial (ESIA) infusion of cellular oncotherapeutics is a rapidly evolving strategy for treating glioblastoma. Evaluation of ESIA infusion requires a unique animal model. Our goal was to create a rabbit human GBM model to test IA infusions of cellular therapies and to test its usefulness by employing clinical-grade microcatheters and infusion methods to deliver mesenchymal stem cells loaded with an oncolytic adenovirus, Delta-24-RGD (MSC-D24).

METHODS: Rabbits were immunosuppressed with mycophenolate mofetil, dexamethasone, and tacrolimus. They underwent stereotactic xenoimplantation of human GBM cell lines (U87, MDA-GSC-17, and MDA-GSC-8-11) into the right frontal lobe. Tumor formation was confirmed on …

A Retrospective Genomic Landscape Of 661 Young Adult Glioblastomas Diagnosed Using 2016 Who Guidelines For Central Nervous System Tumors, James F Haberberger, Worthy Pegram, Nicholas Britt, Kelsie Schiavone, Eric Severson, Radwa Sharaf, Lee A Albacker, Erik Williams, Mirna Lechpammer, Amanda Hemmerich, Douglas Lin, Richard S P Huang, Matthew Hiemenz, Julia Elvin, Ryon Graf, Glenn Lesser, David Kram, Roy Strowd, Wenya Linda Bi, Lori A Ramkissoon, Michael B Cohen, Prasanth Reddy, James Creeden, Jeffrey S Ross, Brian M Alexander, Shakti H Ramkissoon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The authors present a cohort of 661 young adult glioblastomas diagnosed using 2016 WHO World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, utilizing comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to explore their genomic landscape and assess their relationship to currently defined disease entities. This analysis explored variants with evidence of pathogenic function, common copy number variants (CNVs), and several novel fusion events not described in literature. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) mutational signatures, anatomic location, and tumor recurrence are further explored. Using data collected from CGP, unsupervised machine-learning techniques were leveraged to identify 10 genomic classes in previously assigned young …

Alzheimer’S Disease And Microorganisms: The Non-Coding Rnas Crosstalk, Hanieh Mohammadi-Pilehdarboni, Mohammad Shenagari, Farahnaz Joukar, Hamed Naziri, Fariborz Mansour-Ghanaei

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex, multifactorial disorder, influenced by a multitude of variables ranging from genetic factors, age, and head injuries to vascular diseases, infections, and various other environmental and demographic determinants. Among the environmental factors, the role of the microbiome in the genesis of neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) is gaining increased recognition. This paradigm shift is substantiated by an extensive body of scientific literature, which underscores the significant contributions of microorganisms, encompassing viruses and gut-derived bacteria, to the pathogenesis of AD. The mechanism by which microbial infection exerts its influence on AD hinges primarily on inflammation. Neuroinflammation, activated in …

Doxycycline For Transgene Control Disrupts Gut Microbiome Diversity Without Compromising Acute Neuroinflammatory Response, Emily J Koller, Caleb A Wood, Zoe Lai, Ella Borgenheimer, Kristi L Hoffman, Joanna L Jankowsky

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The tetracycline transactivator (tTA) system provides controllable transgene expression through oral administration of the broad-spectrum antibiotic doxycycline. Antibiotic treatment for transgene control in mouse models of disease might have undesirable systemic effects resulting from changes in the gut microbiome. Here we assessed the impact of doxycycline on gut microbiome diversity in a tTA-controlled model of Alzheimer's disease and then examined neuroimmune effects of these microbiome alterations following acute LPS challenge. We show that doxycycline decreased microbiome diversity in both transgenic and wild-type mice and that these changes persisted long after drug withdrawal. Despite the change in microbiome composition, doxycycline treatment …

Heat Shock Factor 1 Directly Regulates Transsulfuration Pathway To Promote Prostate Cancer Proliferation And Survival, J Spencer Hauck, David Moon, Xue Jiang, Mu-En Wang, Yue Zhao, Lingfan Xu, Holly Quang, William Butler, Ming Chen, Everardo Macias, Xia Gao, Yiping He, Jiaoti Huang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There are limited therapeutic options for patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). We previously found that heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) expression is increased in PCa and is an actionable target. In this manuscript, we identify that HSF1 regulates the conversion of homocysteine to cystathionine in the transsulfuration pathway by altering levels of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS). We find that HSF1 directly binds the CBS gene and upregulates CBS mRNA levels. Targeting CBS decreases PCa growth and induces tumor cell death while benign prostate cells are largely unaffected. Combined inhibition of HSF1 and CBS results in more pronounced inhibition of PCa cell …

Gene Regulation And Speciation In A Migratory Divide Between Songbirds, Matthew I M Louder, Hannah Justen, Abigail A Kimmitt, Koedi S Lawley, Leslie M Turner, J David Dickman, Kira E Delmore

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Behavioral variation abounds in nature. This variation is important for adaptation and speciation, but its molecular basis remains elusive. Here, we use a hybrid zone between two subspecies of songbirds that differ in migration - an ecologically important and taxonomically widespread behavior---to gain insight into this topic. We measure gene expression in five brain regions. Differential expression between migratory states was dominated by circadian genes in all brain regions. The remaining patterns were largely brain-region specific. For example, expression differences between the subspecies that interact with migratory state likely help maintain reproductive isolation in this system and were documented in …

Examining The Impact Of Firearm Recoil During A Round Of Trap Shooting On Neurometabolic Changes Associated With Traumatic Brain Injury, Lakota Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The CDC identifies concussion as a blunt, blow, or jolt to the head resulting in brain injury. Shooting sports do not impose a direct blow to the head but instead inflict rapid acceleration to the brain via recoil transfer. Exposure to rapid, repetitive recoil may cause physiological disturbances in the brain, therefore resulting in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Chronic recoil transfer and overpressure exposure influencing neurometabolic changes of TBI have yet to be measured. The objective of this study was to examine kinetic energy experienced in trap and skeet shooters following one round of shooting in comparison to neurometabolic …

Intrasellar Neurocytoma. A Case Report & Literature Review, Gabriel Carrillo-Marhx, Mariana Flores-Núñez Dr., Basilio Fernández-Alvarado Dr., Pedro Pablo De Juambelz-Cisneros Dr., Fernando Pazos-Gómez Dr.

Archives of Neurosurgery

Background: Neurocytoma is an unusual intracranial neoplasm; it represents 0.1-0.5% of brain neoplasms. The first report of an extraventricular neurocytoma (EVN) was published in 1989. Suprasellar neurocytomas are classified as EVN, representing a scarce variant of neurocytoma. There are only 22 cases of sellar neurocytomas reported in the literature, including the present one.

Observations: A 48-year-old woman arrived at the emergency department (ED) with a previously made MRI, which reported a sellar neoplasm. Due to the clinical presentation, location, and image characteristics, the lesion was managed as a pituitary neuroendocrine tumor. The final pathology report established the final diagnosis of …