Medical Specialties Commons^™

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors In Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: Current Status, Aman Chauhan, Susanne Arnold, Jill M. Kolesar, Hala Elnakat Thomas, B. Mark Evers, Lowell B. Anthony

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Introduction: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNEC) are a group of rare high grade neuroendocrine tumors that often behave clinically like small cell carcinoma (SCLC) and are treated as such. No major advancement in the management of these tumors has occurred in the last 30 years.

Methods: We present a case series of three cases from Markey Cancer center along with a review of 13 published cases in the literature wherein immune-checkpoint inhibitors were utilized in the management of LCNEC.

Results: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors might have clinical activity in LCNEC.

Conclusion: Role of immune-checkpoint inhibitors should be explored in prospective LCNEC clinical …

Improving Eukaryotic Genome Annotation Using Single Molecule Mrna Sequencing., Vincent Magrini, Xin Gao, Bruce A Rosa, Sean Mcgrath, Xu Zhang, Kymberlie Hallsworth-Pepin, John Martin, John Hawdon, Richard K Wilson, Makedonka Mitreva

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The advantages of Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) technology include long reads, low systematic bias, and high consensus read accuracy. Here we use these attributes to improve on the genome annotation of the parasitic hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum using PacBio RNA-Seq.

RESULTS: We sequenced 192,888 circular consensus sequences (CCS) derived from cDNAs generated using the CloneTech SMARTer system. These SMARTer-SMRT libraries were normalized and size-selected providing a robust population of expressed structural genes for subsequent genome annotation. We demonstrate PacBio mRNA sequences based genome annotation improvement, compared to genome annotation using conventional sequencing-by-synthesis alone, by identifying 1609 (9.2%) new …

Serum Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha In Osteopenic And Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Females: A Cross-Sectional Study In Pakistan, Rafat Murad, Zahra Shezad, Saara Ahmed, Mussarat Ashraf, Murad Qadir, Rehana Rehman

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To compare biochemical parameters serum tumour necrosis factor alpha, calcium, magnesium, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D in postmenopausal women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from June 2015 to July 2016 at Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, and comprised postmenopausal women. Bone mineral density done by dual energy X-ray absorptiometryscan categorised subjects by World Health Organisation classification into normal (T score > -1) osteopenic (T score between -1 and -2.5) and osteoporotic (T score < -2.5). Biochemical parameters like tumour necrosis alpha, calcium, magnesium, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D were measured by solid phase enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay method. SPSS 16 was used to analyse the data.
Results: Of the 146 women, 34(23%) were normal, 93(67%) were osteopenic and 19(13%) were osteoporotic. There was significant difference in mean body mass …

A Gender-Based Comparison In Health Behaviors And State Of Happiness Among University Students, Rehana Rehman, Amara Zafar, Aleena Mohib, Mukhtiar Baig

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: The presence of good healthy behaviors among university students is imperative for their future life. This study aimed to compare positive health behaviors and state of happiness between the two genders of Bahria University (BU), Karachi, Pakistan.
Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at BU, Karachi, Pakistan. A total 813 students participated in this study. The healthquestionnaire, adapted from Health and Behavior Survey and the Subjective Happiness Scale, was used to assess self-reported happiness. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.
Results: Overall self-reported health behaviors were found to be more prevalent in females as …

A Comparison Of Oral And Intravenous Mouse Models Of Listeriosis, Michelle G. Pitts, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Listeria monocytogenes is one of several enteric microbes that is acquired orally, invades the gastric mucosa, and then disseminates to peripheral tissues to cause systemic disease in humans. Intravenous (i.v.) inoculation of mice with L. monocytogenes has been the most widely-used small animal model of listeriosis over the past few decades. The infection is highly reproducible and has been invaluable in deciphering mechanisms of adaptive immunity in vivo, particularly CD8+ T cell responses to intracellular pathogens. However, the i.v. model completely bypasses the gut phase of the infection. Recent advances in generating both humanized mice and murinized bacteria, as well …

Integrating Tuberculosis And Antimicrobial Resistance Control Programmes, Rumina Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Johanna Hanefeld, Mishal Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Many low- and middle-income countries facing high levels of antimicrobial resistance, and the associated morbidity from ineffective treatment, also have a high burden of tuberculosis. Over recent decades many countries have developed effective laboratory and information systems for tuberculosis control. In this paper we describe how existing tuberculosis laboratory systems can be expanded to accommodate antimicrobial resistance functions. We show how such expansion in services may benefit tuberculosis case-finding and laboratory capacity through integration of laboratory services. We further summarize the synergies between high-level strategies on tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance control. These provide a potential platform for the integration of …

Ferrocenylchalcone-Uracil Conjugates: Synthesis And Cytotoxic Evaluation, Amandeep Singh, Vishu Mehra, Neda Sadeghiani, Saghar Mozaffari, Keykavous Parang, Vipan Kumar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Huisgen’s azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction was employed to synthesize a series of 1H-1,2,3-triazole-tethered uracil-ferrocenyl chalcone conjugates with the aim of evaluating their in vitro anti-proliferative efficacy on human leukemia (CCRF-CEM) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-468) cell lines. Cytotoxic evaluation studies identified a number of synthesized conjugates that inhibited the proliferation of leukemia cancer cells by ~70% after 72 h. The selected synthesized conjugates were found to be significantly less cytotoxic against normal kidney cell line (LLC-PK1) when compared with CCRF-CEM cancer cells.

Lafora Disease Offers A Unique Window Into Neuronal Glycogen Metabolism, Matthew S. Gentry, Joan J. Guinovart, Berge A. Minassian, Peter J. Roach, Jose M. Serratosa

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal, autosomal recessive, glycogen-storage disorder that manifests as severe epilepsy. LD results from mutations in the gene encoding either the glycogen phosphatase laforin or the E3 ubiquitin ligase malin. Individuals with LD develop cytoplasmic, aberrant glycogen inclusions in nearly all tissues that more closely resemble plant starch than human glycogen. This Minireview discusses the unique window into glycogen metabolism that LD research offers. It also highlights recent discoveries, including that glycogen contains covalently bound phosphate and that neurons synthesize glycogen and express both glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase.

Resveratrol And Pterostilbene Exhibit Anticancer Properties Involving The Downregulation Of Hpv Oncoprotein E6 In Cervical Cancer Cells, Kaushiki Chatterjee, Dina Alsharif, Christina Mazza, Palwasha Syar, Mohamed Al Sharif, Jimmie E. Fata

Publications and Research

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women living in developing countries. Due to a lack of affordable effective therapy, research into alternative anticancer compounds with low toxicity such as dietary polyphenols has continued. Our aim is to determine whether two structurally similar plant polyphenols, resveratrol and pterostilbene, exhibit anticancer and anti-HPV (Human papillomavirus) activity against cervical cancer cells. To determine anticancer activity, extensive in vitro analyses were performed. Anti-HPV activity, through measuring E6 protein levels, subsequent downstream p53 effects, and caspase-3 activation, were studied to understand a possible mechanism of action. Both polyphenols are effective agents …

Emergence Of An Extensively Drug-Resistant Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi Clone Harboring A Promiscuous Plasmid Encoding Resistance To Fluoroquinolones And Third-Generation Cephalosporins, Rumina Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Farah Naz Qamar, Dania Khalid Saeed, Ghazala Shaheen, Shahida Qureshi, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Muhammad Khalid Salim, Zahra Hasan, Elizabeth J. Klemma, Andrew J. Page, Kim Judge, Vanessa K. Wong, Timothy J. Dallman, Satheesh Nair, Stephen Baker, Gordon Dougan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the causative agent of typhoid. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates are prevalent in parts of Asia and Africa and are often associated with the dominant H58 haplotype. Reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones is also widespread, and sporadic cases of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins or azithromycin have also been reported. Here, we report the first large-scale emergence and spread of a novel S. Typhi clone harboring resistance to three first-line drugs (chloramphenicol, ampicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) as well as fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins in Sindh, Pakistan, which we classify as extensively drug resistant …

Acute Pressor Response To Psychosocial Stress Is Dependent On Endothelium‐Derived Endothelin‐1, Brandon M. Fox, Bryan K. Becker, Analia S. Loria, Kelly A. Hyndman, Chunhua Jin, Hannah Clark, Robin Johns, Masashi Yanagisawa, David M. Pollock, Jennifer S. Pollock

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Acute psychosocial stress provokes increases in circulating endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) levels in humans and animal models. However, key questions about the physiological function and cellular source of stress‐induced ET‐1 remain unanswered. We hypothesized that endothelium‐derived ET‐1 contributes to the acute pressor response to stress via activation of the endothelin A receptor.

Methods and Results

Adult male vascular endothelium‐specific ET‐1 knockout mice and control mice that were homozygous for the floxed allele were exposed to acute psychosocial stress in the form of cage switch stress (CSS), with blood pressure measured by telemetry. An acute pressor response was elicited by CSS in …

Binge Alcohol Exposure Causes Neurobehavioral Deficits And Gsk3Β Activation In The Hippocampus Of Adolescent Rats, Zhe Ji, Lin Yuan, Xiong Lu, Hanqing Ding, Jia Luo, Zun-Ji Ke

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Heavy alcohol exposure causes profound damage to the adolescent brain, particularly the hippocampus, which underlie some behavioral deficits. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain inconclusive. The current study sought to determine whether binge alcohol exposure affects the hippocampus-related behaviors and key signaling proteins that may mediate alcohol neurotoxicity in adolescent rats. Alcohol exposure reduced the number of both NeuN-positive and doublecortin-positive cells in the hippocampus. Alcohol also induced neurodegeneration which was confirmed by ultrastructural analysis by electronic microscopy and was accompanied with the activation of microglia. Binge alcohol exposure impaired spatial learning and memory which was evaluated by the Morris …

Downregulation Of Srebp Inhibits Tumor Growth And Initiation By Altering Cellular Metabolism In Colon Cancer, Yang-An Wen, Xiaopeng Xiong, Yekaterina Y. Zaytseva, Dana L. Napier, Emma Vallee, Austin T. Li, Chi Wang, Heidi L. Weiss, B. Mark Evers, Tianyan Gao

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) belong to a family of transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes required for the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Three SREBP isoforms, SREBP1a, SREBP1c, and SREBP2, have been identified in mammalian cells. SREBP1a and SREBP1c are derived from a single gene through the use of alternative transcription start sites. Here we investigated the role of SREBP-mediated lipogenesis in regulating tumor growth and initiation in colon cancer. Knockdown of either SREBP1 or SREBP2 decreased levels of fatty acids as a result of decreased expression of SREBP target genes required for lipid biosynthesis in …

Drug Repurposing For Schistosomiasis: Combinations Of Drugs Or Biomolecules., Maria João Gouveia, Paul J Brindley, Fátima Gärtner, José M Correia Da Costa, Nuno Vale

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Schistosomiasis is a major neglected tropical disease. Control of schistosomiasis currently relies on a single drug, praziquantel, and despite its efficacy against the all schistosome species that parasitize humans, it displays some problematic drawbacks and alone is ineffective in counteracting adverse pathologies associated with infection. Moreover, due to the development of the potential emergence of PZQ-resistant strains, the search for additional or alternative antischistosomal drugs have become a public health priority. The current drug discovery for schistosomiasis has been slow and uninspiring. By contrast, repurposing of existing approved drugs may offer a safe, rapid and cost-effective alternative. Combined treatment with …

Lack Of Association Of Statin Use With Vitamin D Levels In A Hospital Based Population Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Khalida Iqbal, Najmul Islam, Iqbal Azam Syed, Naseema Mehboobali, Mohammad Perwaiz Iqbal

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To investigate the relationship of statins (drug given to reduce serum levels of LDL-cholesterol) on vitamin D levels of Pakistani type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients in a hospital in Karachi.
Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, 312 consecutive patients with type 2 DM (219 males and 93 females, age 22-70 years) were recruited with informed consent. A questionnaire was administered to find out whether they were statin users or non-users. Serum was analyzed for concentrations of 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] and other related biomarkers such as serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, phosphate and calcium using kit methods. Multiple Linear …

Mra-Based Evaluation Of Anatomical Variation Of Circle Of Willis In Adult Pakistanis, Rehana Shaikh, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

Objective: To determine the frequency and patterns of normal anatomical variation of Circle of Willis on magnetic resonance angiogram in adults without cerebrovascular disease.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Radiology Department of Dow University of Health Sciences / Civil Hospital, Karachi, from January to December 2016, and comprised patients referred for magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and magnetic resonance angiogram without any clinical or radiological manifestation of cerebrovascular disease, primarily including those with suspected demyelination, infection, epilepsy or metastases. Three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography was performed. The Circle of Willis was assessed for its completeness …

Treated Hypothyroidism Is Associated With Cerebrovascular Disease But Not Alzheimer's Disease Pathology In Older Adults, Willa D. Brenowitz, Fang Han, Walter A. Kukull, Peter T. Nelson

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Thyroid hormone (TH) disease is common among older adults and is associated with cognitive impairment. However, pathologic correlates are not well understood. We studied pathologic and clinical factors associated with hypothyroidism, the most common form of TH disease, in research subjects seen annually for clinical evaluations at U.S. Alzheimer’s Disease Centers. Thyroid disease and treatment status were assessed during clinician interviews. Among autopsied subjects, there were 555 participants with treated hypothyroidism and 2,146 with no known thyroid disease; hypothyroidism was associated with severe atherosclerosis (OR=1.35 95% CI: 1.02, 1.79) but not Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathologies (amyloid plaques or neurofibrillary tangles). …

Effects Of Six Common Dietary Nutrients On Murine Intestinal Organoid Growth, Tenson Cai, Yijun Qi, Albert Jergens, Michael Wannemuehler, Terrence A. Barrett, Qun Wang

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

The intestinal epithelium of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract constantly renews itself to absorb nutrients and provide protection for the body from the outside world. Since the intestinal epithelium is constantly exposed to various chemicals and dietary components, it is critical to determine which constituents promote or inhibit intestinal epithelium health and growth rate. Intestinal organoids, three-dimensional miniature models of the intestines, represent an ex vivo tool to investigate intestinal physiology and growth patterns. In this study, we measured the growth rates of murine intestinal organoids exposed to various concentrations of different dietary constituents. Results indicate that caffeic acid inhibited organoid …

Rad Gtpase Deletion Atenuates Post-Ischemic Cardiac Dysfunction And Remodeling, Janet R. Manning, Lakshman Chelvarajan, Bryana R. Levitan, Catherine Nicole Kaminski Withers, Prabhakara R. Nagareddy, Christopher M. Haggerty, Brandon K. Fornwalt, Erhe Gao, Himi Tripathi, Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Douglas A. Andres, Jonathan Satin

Physiology Faculty Publications

The protein Rad interacts with the L-type calcium channel complex to modulate trigger Ca²⁺ and hence to govern contractility. Reducing Rad levels increases cardiac output. Ablation of Rad also attenuated the inflammatory response following acute myocardial infarction. Future studies to target deletion of Rad in the heart could be conducted to establish a novel treatment paradigm whereby pathologically stressed hearts would be given safe, stable positive inotropic support without arrhythmias and without pathological structural remodeling. Future investigations will also focus on establishing inhibitors of Rad and testing the efficacy of Rad deletion in cardioprotection relative to the time of …

Horse-Related Injuries: Causes, Preventability, And Where Educational Efforts Should Be Focused, Fernanda Camargo, William R. Gombeski Jr., Polly Barger, Connie Jehlik, Holly Wiemers, James Mead, Amy Lawyer

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

A high percentage of equestrians will experience accidents, with different degrees of severity, throughout their riding careers. Horse-related injuries have the highest likelihood of requiring hospitalization based on individuals visiting US emergency departments. Studies have shown that the majority of injured riders said they could have prevented the accident and the injury was due to rider/handler error. Therefore, equestrians reported their injuries, and a panel of experts analyzed these reports to better understand the causes, how to prevent, and where to invest educational resources to generate a reduction in horse-related accidents. The majority of riders reported intermediate riding skills, most …

Amyloid-Beta Solubility In The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Michael Paul Murphy

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Infection Of A Ventricular Septal Defect Patch With Acremonium Species, Nosheen Nasir, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Binish Arif Sultan, Afia Zafar, Aamir Hameed Khan, Muneer Amanullah, Farheen Ali

Section of Internal Medicine

A ventricular septal defect (VSD) patch infection with Acremonium species isolated from vegetation and blood culture is described. Antifungal treatment was discontinued after 3 months and patient developed relapse. Surgery with prolonged oral voriconazole was instituted with recovery. We emphasize importance of surgery and prolonged therapy to treat such infections.

Direct Detection Of Shigella In Stool Specimens By Use Of A Metagenomic Approach, Jie Liu, Mathieu Almeida, Furqan Kabir, Sadia Shakoor, Shahida Qureshi, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Shan Li, Boubou Tamboura, Samba O. Sow, Inacio Mandomando

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

The underestimation of Shigella species as a cause of childhood diarrhea disease has become increasingly apparent with quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based diagnostic methods versus culture. We sought to confirm qPCR-based detection of Shigella via a metagenomics approach. Three groups of samples were selected from diarrheal cases from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study: nine Shigella culture-positive and qPCR-positive (culture⁺ qPCR⁺) samples, nine culture-negative but qPCR-positive (culture^- qPCR⁺) samples, and nine culture-negative and qPCR-negative (culture^- qPCR^-) samples. Fecal DNA was sequenced using paired-end Illumina HiSeq, whereby 3.26 × 10⁸ ± 5.6 × 10 …

Galectin - Method For Enhancing Specific Immunotherapies In Cancer Treatment, Peter G. Traber, William L. Redmond, Eliezer Zomer, Anatole Klyosov, Stephanie N. Linch

Technology Transfer - Patents

Methods and compositions of the invention relate to the enhancement of specific immunotherapies in cancer treatment. In particular, aspects of the invention relate to novel approaches to boost immune function using a complex carbohydrate pharmaceutical compound alone or in combination with other targeted immunotherapy to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy of cancer.

Liposomal Tricurin, A Synergistic Combination Of Curcumin, Epicatechin Gallate And Resveratrol, Repolarizes Tumor-Associated Microglia/Macrophages, And Eliminates Glioblastoma (Gbm) And Gbm Stem Cells, Sumit Mukherjee, Juliet N. E. Baidoo, Samay Sampat, Andrew Manusco, Lovena David, Leah S. Cohen, Shuiqin Zhou, Probal Banerjee

Publications and Research

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly brain tumor with a current mean survival of 12–15 months. Despite being a potent anti-cancer agent, the turmeric ingredient curcumin (C) has limited anti-tumor efficacy in vivo due to its low bioavailability. We have reported earlier a strategy involving the use two other polyphenols, epicatechin gallate (E) from green tea and resveratrol (R) from red grapes at a unique, synergistic molar ratio with C (C:E:R: 4:1:12.5, termed TriCurin) to achieve superior potency against HPV+ tumors than C alone at C:E:R (M): 32:8:100 (termed 32 M+ TriCurin). We have now prepared liposomal TriCurin (TrLp) and demonstrated …

Sertraline, Paroxetine, And Chlorpromazine Are Rapidly Acting Anthelmintic Drugs Capable Of Clinical Repurposing., Janis C Weeks, William M Roberts, Caitlyn Leasure, Brian M Suzuki, Kristin J Robinson, John M Hawdon, +Several Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Parasitic helminths infect over 1 billion people worldwide, while current treatments rely on a limited arsenal of drugs. To expedite drug discovery, we screened a small-molecule library of compounds with histories of use in human clinical trials for anthelmintic activity against the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. From this screen, we found that the neuromodulatory drugs sertraline, paroxetine, and chlorpromazine kill C. elegans at multiple life stages including embryos, developing larvae and gravid adults. These drugs act rapidly to inhibit C. elegans feeding within minutes of exposure. Sertraline, paroxetine, and chlorpromazine also decrease motility of adult Trichuris muris whipworms, prevent hatching …

Frequency And Factors Associated With Adult Immunization In Patients Visiting Family Medicine Clinics At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi, Samar Zaki, Asma Usman, Swaleha Tariq, Sameena Shah, Iqbal Azam Syed, Waris Qidwai, Kashmira Nanji

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with adult immunization in patients visiting family medicine clinics at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2014 to March 2015 in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants more than 18 years were invited to participate in the study. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 19.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp).
Results: A total of 340 patients were surveyed. The majority of patients …

Resting Hormone Alterations And Injuries: Block Vs. Dup Weight-Training Among D-1 Track And Field Athletes, Keith B. Painter, G. Gregory Haff, N. Travis Triplett, Charles Stuart, Guy Hornsby, Mike W. Ramsey, Caleb D. Bazyler, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

Daily undulating periodization (DUP), using daily alterations in repetitions, has been advocated as a superior method of resistance training, while traditional forms of programming for periodization (Block) have been questioned. Nineteen Division I track and field athletes were assigned to either a 10-week Block or DUP training group. Year and event were controlled. Over the course of the study, there were four testing sessions, which were used to evaluate a variety of strength characteristics, including maximum isometric strength, rate of force development, and one repetition maximum (1RM). Although, performance trends favored the Block group for strength and rate of force …

Lipoblastoma: A Clinicopathologic Review Of 23 Cases From A Major Tertiary Care Center Plus Detailed Review Of Literature, Jamshid Abdul Ghafar, Zubair Ahmad, Muhammad Usman Tariq, Naila Kayani Naila Kayani, Nasir Ud Din

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: Lipoblastoma is a rare neoplasm that occurs mostly in infants and children. Although benign, it has a tendency for local recurrence.
Results: Clinical and pathological features of 23 cases of lipoblastoma described. Patients’ age ranged from 8 months to 18 years with mean and median age 4.1 and 2.5 years, respectively. Male:female ratio was 2.8:1. Most common sites were lower extremities (9 cases), followed by abdominal cavity and retroperitoneum (4 cases), and scrotum/groin (3 cases). Grossly, 22 tumors were well circumscribed and multi nodular. All cases showed lobules composed of adi‑ pocytes and lipoblasts with intervening fbrous septa and …

Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Novel Surgical Model For Moyamoya Syndrome, Jill M. Roberts, Michael E. Maniskas, Justin F. Fraser, Gregory J. Bix

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Moyamoya is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive stenosis of the intracranial internal carotid arteries. There are two forms: Disease and Syndrome, with each characterized by the sub-population it affects. Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) is more prominent in adults in their 20’s-40’s, and is often associated with autoimmune diseases. Currently, there are no surgical models for inducing moyamoya syndrome, so our aim was to develop a new animal model to study this relatively unknown cerebrovascular disease. Here, we demonstrate a new surgical technique termed internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS), to mimic MMS using micro-coils on the proximal ICA. We tested for …