Medical Specialties Commons^™

Mutant P53 Confers Chemoresistance By Activating Kmt5b-Mediated Dna Repair Pathway In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Haidan Luo, Mo-Fan Huang, An Xu, Donghui Wang, Julian A Gingold, Jian Tu, Ruoyu Wang, Zijun Huo, Yen-Ting Chiang, Kuang-Lei Tsai, Jie Su, Danielle A Bazer, Mien-Chie Hung, Canmao Xie, Yubiao Guo, Dung-Fang Lee, Huiling Yang, Ruiying Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a malignancy arising from the nasopharyngeal epithelium, is common in the east and southeast area of Asia. Treatments for locally advanced and recurrent NPC include chemotherapy (usually combined with 5-Fluorouracil, 5-FU) and radiotherapy, but response is limited due to chemo-resistance. p53 mutation is a critical factor for 5-FU resistance in some cancers, but its role in NPC chemo-resistance remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that p53(R280T), a common p53 somatic mutation found in multiple NPC tumor samples, induces gain-of-function upregulation of DNA repair genes which leads to 5-FU resistance in NPC. p53(R280T) specifically upregulates the expression of DNA …

Evaluating Dosimetric Outcomes In A Prostate Rapid Plan Model: A Comparison Of Prostate Treatment Plans With And Without Standardized Planning Structures, Erica Wartman

Masters Projects

Abstract

Knowledge-based planning (KBP) using RapidPlan (RP) has demonstrated the ability to produce high quality radiation therapy treatment plans while reducing time. This study evaluated whether the inclusion of department specific standardized planning structures, including rings and other optimization tools, improves plan quality when using a prostate and lymph node RP model, or if the model alone is sufficient to provide a quality plan without the use of these additional planning structures.

Ten previously treated Prostate+LN patients were replanned using the departmental RP model in Varian Eclipse treatment planning system.1 For each patient, two plans were created, one with standardized …

Frontline Acalabrutinib, Lenalidomide And Rituximab For Advanced Stage Follicular Lymphoma With High Tumor Burden: Phase Ii Trial, Paolo Strati, Lei Feng, Jason R Westin, Ranjit Nair, Luis E Fayad, Maria A Rodriguez, Dai Chihara, Luis Malpica, Jared Henderson, Mariana Gallardo, Marissa Rivera, Iris Wang, Anastasiia Bolshakova, Anastasia Radko, David Kurtz, Stefan K Alig, Christopher R Flowers, Ash A Alizadeh, Sattva S Neelapu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This phase II trial aims to determine the efficacy and safety of frontline acalabrutinib, lenalidomide and rituximab for patients with advanced stage follicular lymphoma (FL) and high tumor burden. The primary endpoint was best complete response (CR) rate; the secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), duration of response measured as CR at 30 months (CR30), progression of disease at 24 months (POD24) rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival and safety. Twenty-four patients with previously untreated FL were included in this phase 2 single arm study (NCT04404088). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (58%) and …

Histologic And Immune Characterization Of Cutaneous Immune-Related Adverse Events Induced By Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Omar Pacha, Anisha B Patel, Jonathan L Curry, Cara L Haymaker, Nejla Ozirmak Lermi, Dzifa Yawa Duose, Ken Chen, Joud Hajjar, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are efficacious, they often cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), most commonly cutaneous irAEs (CirAEs). The mechanisms underlying CirAEs remain unclear.

Methods: Attempting to better understand their mechanisms and histology we conducted a prospective study of 15 patients with advanced cancers treated with ICIs who developed grade 2 or higher CirAEs. Clinical and histologic characterization of biopsy specimens of CirAEs was performed. Histologic analysis of patient biopsy specimens were subdivided by epidermal reaction patterns that included spongiotic, lichenoid, and interface dermatitis patterns. A targeted RNA expression assay was used to identify immune markers in CirAE …

Occupational Therapy In Adolescent And Young Adult Oncology: An Educational Guidebook, Bailee N. Fleming, Lesley Khan-Farooqi

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients, typically aged 15 to 39, face numerous physical, emotional, and psychological challenges during and after treatment, which can significantly affect their quality of life and ability to engage in daily activities. While occupational therapy has proven effective in addressing these challenges, its integration into AYA cancer care remains underutilized. This project aimed to bridge the gap by developing a comprehensive guidebook for AYA oncology patients and their oncology care teams, providing an in-depth understanding of the impact of cancer and its treatments on occupational performance, and promoting the role of occupational therapy in …

Dosimetric Comparison Of Organ-At-Risk Constraints Across Multi-Resolution Levels In Eclipse Planning Optimization, Ji Hyun Jeon

Masters Projects

Background: In inverse treatment planning, the timing of applying organ-at-risk (OAR) constraints during the optimization process can influence dosimetric outcomes. This study investigates the effects of introducing OAR constraints at different stages of the multi-resolution optimization process within the Eclipse Treatment Planning System (TPS).

Purpose: To determine the optimal resolution level for applying OAR constraints that achieves the best dosimetric balance between target coverage and normal tissue sparing.

Methods: Thirteen prostate cancer treatment plans were generated using an anonymized pelvic CT dataset from The Cancer Imaging Archive. All plans were developed in GVSU Virtual Eclipse TPS using the Photon Optimizer …

Immunomodulatory Effects Of Gold Nanoparticles: Impacts On Immune Cells And Mechanisms Of Action, Khadijeh Koushki, Prapannajeet Biswal, Geraldine Vidhya Vijay, Mahvash Sadeghi, Sajad Dehnavi, Ngoc Tuyet Tra, Sai Kumar Samala, Mahdieh Yousefi Taba, Arjun Balaji Vasan, Emily Han, Yuri Mackeyev, Sunil Krishnan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Traditional anti-inflammatory medications-such as corticosteroids, biological agents, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-are commonly employed to mitigate inflammation, despite their potential for debilitating side effects. There is a growing need for alternative next-generation therapies for symptomatic, unchecked, and/or detrimental inflammation with more favorable adverse effect profiles. The long history of use of gold salts as anti-inflammatory agents and the more recent exploration of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) formulations for clinical indications suggest that the targeted delivery of nanoparticles to inflammatory sites may be a promising approach worth investigating. Coupled with peptides that specifically target immune cells, AuNPs could potently counteract inflammation. Here, we …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Receipt Of Guideline-Concordant Pancreatic Cancer Care Among Older Adults In The United States, Joshua Herb, Kai-Ping Liao, John K Lin, Kever A Lewis, Sharon H Giordano, Matthew H G Katz, Rebecca A Snyder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Patients racialized as Black experience a higher mortality from pancreatic cancer (PC). Worse survival outcomes may relate to differences in delivered treatment. This study examined differences in receipt of guideline-concordant care (GCC) among older adults with PC according to race and ethnicity.

Methods: Patients 65 years and older with incident PC racialized as non-Hispanic White (NH-White) or racialized as NH-Black or of Hispanic ethnicity were identified in the SEER-Medicare database from 2004 to 2019. The primary outcome was receipt of stage-specific GCC. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with GCC. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition examined the contribution of measured and unmeasured …

Nuak Kinases: Signaling Mechanisms And Therapeutic Applications, Nicole M. Cullen, Peter Rosston, Bakhtawar Tufail, Anne E. D'Armond, Ayushi Patel, Dara H. Khosravi, Bridgette M. Collins-Burow, Van T. Hoang, Elizabeth C. Martin, David H. Drewry, Matthew E. Burow, Suresh K. Alahari

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The novel (nua) kinases 1 and 2 are two of 12 AMP-activated protein–related kinases whose signaling pathways are involved in cancer progression, as well as neurologic, fibrotic, and inflammatory diseases. Currently, there are 80 Food and Drug Administration-approved kinase inhibitors which target roughly 24 of the 500+ known human kinases, leaving most kinases underexplored, including NUAK1 and NUAK2. Thus, there is a critical need for selective inhibition of NUAK1 and NUAK2 signaling. Here, we review the protein structure, known upstream regulators and downstream targets, and expression profiles of NUAK1 and NUAK2 in cancerous compared to noncancerous tissue. We also delineate …

Information Theory Optimization Of Signals From Small-Angle Scattering Measurements, Robert P Rambo, John A Tainer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of particles in solution informs on the conformational states and assemblies of biological macromolecules (bioSAXS) outside of cryo- and solid-state conditions. In bioSAXS, the SAXS measurement under dilute conditions is resolution limited, and through an inverse Fourier transform, the measured SAXS intensities directly relate to the physical space occupied by the particles via the P(r)-distribution. Yet, this inverse transform of SAXS data has been historically cast as an ill-posed, ill-conditioned problem requiring an indirect approach. Here, we show that through the applications of matrix and information theories, the inverse transform of SAXS intensity data is a …

Phase 2 Study Of Zilovertamab Vedotin In Participants With Metastatic Solid Tumors, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Martin Gutierrez, Enrique Sanz-Garcia, Diego Villa, Jun Zhang, Jennifer Friedmann, Fengting Yan, Mark A Socinski, John Sarantopoulos, Luis E Raez, Quincy S Chu, Maxime Chénard-Poirier, Manash Chatterjee, Hong Ren, Qi Liu, Douglas A Levine, Komal L Jhaveri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Zilovertamab vedotin, an antibody‒drug conjugate targeting receptor tyrosine kinase‒like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1), had manageable safety and promising antitumor activity in participants with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphomas. We evaluated zilovertamab vedotin in participants with previously-treated metastatic solid tumors.

Methods: This phase 2, open-label, nonrandomized study (NCT04504916) enrolled participants with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, hormone receptor‒positive (HR+) breast cancer, nonsquamous non‒small-cell lung cancer, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, or pancreatic cancer. Participants received zilovertamab vedotin ≤2.5 mg/kg once every 3 weeks (Q1/3W) or < 1.75 mg/kg twice every 3 weeks (Q2/3W). Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1 by blinded independent central review. ROR1 protein expression was correlated with clinical outcomes.

Results: 102 participants were enrolled (Q1/3W, n=70; Q2/3W, n=32). ORR was 1% (95% CI, 0%‒8%) with …

The Neurosurgeon's Role In The Brain Economy: How Strategic Investment In Neurosurgical Care And Innovation Will Improve Global Outcomes, Daniela A Perez-Chadid, Riya M Dange, Harris A Eyre, Graham Fieggen, Kerry A Vaughan, Sameer A Sheth, Jafri Malin Abdullah, Bello B Shehu, Daniel Donoho, Samuel Browd, Agustin Ibanez, Saksham Gupta, Frederick Lang, Anil Nanda, Gail Rosseau

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Interactive 3d Segmentation For Primary Gross Tumor Volume In Oropharyngeal Cancer, Mikko Saukkoriipi, Jaakko Sahlsten, Joel Jaskari, Lotta Orsmaa, Jari Kangas, Nastaran Rasouli, Roope Raisamo, Jussi Hirvonen, Helena Mehtonen, Jorma Järnstedt, Antti Mäkitie, Mohamed Naser, Clifton Fuller, Benjamin Kann, Kimmo Kaski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiotherapy is the main treatment modality of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), in which an accurate segmentation of primary gross tumor volume (GTVt) is essential but also challenging due to significant interobserver variability and the time consumed in manual tumor delineation. For such a challenge an interactive deep learning (DL) based approach offers the advantage of automatic high-performance segmentation with the flexibility for user correction when necessary. In this study, we investigate an interactive DL for GTVt segmentation in OPC by introducing a novel two-stage Interactive Click Refinement (2S-ICR) framework and implementing state-of-the-art algorithms. Using the 2021 HEad and neCK TumOR dataset …

Evaluating Coplanar And Noncoplanar Treatment Plans For The Varian Halcyon And Varian Truebeam For Intact Prostate Patients., Ashley Coppage

Masters Projects

Prostate cancer is among the most treated malignancies with radiation therapy, where precise dose delivery is critical for tumor control and minimizing toxicity. VMAT is widely adopted due to its efficiency and conformity; however, the choice between coplanar and non-coplanar beam arrangements remains an area of ongoing investigation, especially with newer platforms like Halcyon and TrueBeam. This retrospective dosimetric study compares coplanar and non-coplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans for intact prostate cancer patients using the Varian Halcyon and Varian TrueBeam systems. Plans were created using a standardized protocol within Eclipse v16.1, with all Halcyon plans employing coplanar …

Integrating Ctdna Analysis And Radiomics For Dynamic Risk Assessment In Localized Lung Cancer, Everett J Moding, Mohammad Shahrokh Esfahani, Cheng Jin, Angela B Hui, Barzin Y Nabet, Yufei Liu, Jacob J Chabon, Michael S Binkley, David M Kurtz, Emily G Hamilton, Aadel A Chaudhuri, Chih Long Liu, Zhe Li, Rene F Bonilla, Alice L Jiang, Brianna C Lau, Pablo Lopez, Jianzhong He, Yawei Qiao, Ting Xu, Luyang Yao, Saumil Gandhi, Zhongxing Liao, Millie Das, Kavitha J Ramchandran, Sukhmani K Padda, Joel W Neal, Heather A Wakelee, Michael F Gensheimer, Billy W Loo, Ruijiang Li, Steven H Lin, Ash A Alizadeh, Maximilian Diehn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The complementarity and clinical utility of combining liquid biopsies and radiomic image analysis has not been demonstrated. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) minimal residual disease after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is highly prognostic, but on-treatment biomarkers are needed to enable response-adapted therapies. Here, we analyzed 418 patients with NSCLC undergoing CRT to develop and validate a novel dynamic risk model that accurately predicts ultimate progression-free survival during treatment. We optimize tissue-free variant calling from plasma samples to facilitate ctDNA monitoring and demonstrate the importance of accounting for persistent clonal hematopoiesis variants. We show that mid-CRT ctDNA concentration …

Car-Macrophage Cell Therapy: A New Era Of Hope For Pancreatic Cancer, Daoyan Wei, Liang Wang, Yi Liu, Xiangsheng Zuo, Xiling Shen, Robert S Bresalier

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest malignancies, characterized by late diagnosis, early metastasis, and resistance to conventional therapies. A major barrier to effective treatment is its desmoplastic and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which restricts T cell infiltration and dampens responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). These features highlight the urgent need for innovative immunotherapeutic strategies capable of overcoming PDAC's immunologic and physical barriers. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophage (CAR-M) therapy has emerged as a promising approach to address these challenges. Unlike CAR-T or CAR-NK cells, CAR-Ms can efficiently infiltrate tumors, remodel the TME, phagocytose tumor cells, and stimulate …

Depletion Of Effector Regulatory T Cells Associates With Major Response To Induction Dual Immune Checkpoint Blockade, Xianli Jiang, Nils-Petter Rudqvist, Bo Jiang, Shengbin Ye, Shan He, Qingnan Liang, Jinzhuang Dou, Michelle D Williams, Joe Dan Dunn, Jason M Johnson, Keiko Akagi, Weihong Xiao, Shaoheng Liang, Satvik Elayavalli, Baohua Sun, Edwin R Parra, Renata Ferrarotto, Adam S Garden, Clifton David Fuller, Jay Reddy, Neil D Gross, Miriam N Lango, Cheuk Hong Leung, Suyu Liu, Diane D Liu, Meng Li, J Jack Lee, Michael A Curran, Jack Phan, Ken Chen, Maura L Gillison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In a phase II trial, patients with local-regionally advanced human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma (n = 35) received ipilimumab (anti-CTLA4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) as induction immunotherapy and concurrently with radiotherapy (NCT03799445). Coprimary endpoints included 6-month complete metabolic response rate (94%) and 2-year progression-free survival (84%). Induction yielded a 46% major histopathologic response rate. Single-cell profiling revealed responders had higher baseline intratumoral CD8+ T cells with a tumor-reactive, tissue-resident memory (TRM) phenotype and a treatment-related decrease in effector regulatory T (eTreg) cells. The eTreg decrease correlated with CD8+ T-cell clonotype transitioning from TRM to effector memory and IFNG+ effector cells. …

Enhancing Patient Positioning Accuracy: Evaluating Daily Cone Beam Computed Tomography In The Halcyon System., Duong Thanh Tai, Luong Tien Phat, Tran Trung Kien, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Xuan Hai, Peter Sandwall, David Bradley, James C L Chow

Oncology Articles

BACKGROUND: Precise patient positioning is crucial for successful radiotherapy, ensuring accurate delivery of radiation to tumors while minimizing exposure to healthy tissues. Positional errors can significantly impact treatment efficacy and increase side effects. This study evaluates the effectiveness of daily cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging in the Halcyon system for detecting and correcting patient misalignments across various cancer types and treatment sites.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 411 patients treated with the Varian Halcyon linear accelerator from August 2022 to August 2024. Patients were grouped based on tumor location: Head and Neck (118 patients), Chest (188 patients), …

Evaluation Of Mrcat As A Surrogate For Traditional Ct Simulation In Proton Prostate Radiotherapy Planning, Karen Weeks

Masters Projects

Purpose:

This study evaluated whether Philips MRCAT-generated synthetic CT (sCT) can serve as a clinically viable substitute for traditional CT (CT) simulation in proton therapy planning for prostate radiotherapy using a double-scatter technique.

Methods:

Ten prostate cancer patients treated with proton therapy between 2024 and 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. Each patient underwent both CT and MRI in the treatment position. MRCAT sCT images were generated using atlas-based and segmentation algorithms. The original proton treatment plan was transferred onto the MRCAT dataset. Dosimetric parameters, target coverage, organ-at-risk (OAR) doses, and Hounsfield Unit (HU) values were compared. The sign(M) test …

Partial Cystectomy For Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer, Peter S Palencia, Nethusan Sivanesan, Syed Rahman, Fady Ghali, David Hesse, John Colberg, Ashwin Sridhar, John D Kelly, Byron H Lee, Ashish M Kamat, Wei-Shen Tan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Partial cystectomy is a surgical bladder-sparing option for selected patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), urachal adenocarcinoma and diverticular bladder tumors. Partial cystectomy hold several advantages. It allows for definite pathology and accurate staging while avoiding side effects from radiation therapy and preserves the option for salvage radical therapy (radical cystectomy or radical radiotherapy). Patients should have a CT urogram, prostatic urethral biopsy and mapping biopsies or blue light cystoscopy to rule out multifocal disease or CIS. Small solitary MIBC patients without carcinoma in situ in an area of the bladder where resection can be performed with negative margin would …

Bcl-2/Bcl-Xl Dual Inhibition Triggers Gasdermin D-Mediated Pyroptosis In Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Yijing Li, Joseph Mcintosh, Vivian Jiang, Fangfang Yan, Jovanny Vargas, Yuxuan Che, Wei Wang, Ching-Fei Li, Yue Fei, Celeste Lee, Lei Nie, Yixin Yao, Michael Wang, Heng-Huan Lee, Yang Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Rna Sequencing And Immunohistochemistry Jointly Improve Tumor Biomarker Interpretation, Vladimir Kushnarev, Danil Stupichev, Suren Davitavyan, Kirill Kriukov, Basavaraja U Shanthappa, Anna Butusova, Sofia Menshikova, Anna Belozerova, Anastasia Shvyrkova, Arina Tkachuk, Olga Khatenkova, Linda Balabanian, Ekaterina Postovalova, Jochen K Lennerz, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Alexander Bagaev

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to assess the correlation between RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in detecting key cancer biomarkers across solid tumors, and then, to establish RNA-seq thresholds that accurately reflect clinical IHC classifications. Expression levels of nine biomarkers-ESR1, PGR, AR, MKI67, ERBB2, CD274, CDX2, KRT7, and KRT20-were analyzed in 365 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from breast, lung, gastrointestinal, and other solid carcinomas. Correlations between RNA-seq data and IHC scores were determined using Spearman's correlation coefficients, with RNA-seq cut-offs established to distinguish positive from negative IHC scores. The results revealed strong correlations for most biomarkers, with coefficients ranging from 0.53 to …

A Phase 2 Trial Of Niraparib Plus Bevacizumab Maintenance Therapy Following First-Line Platinum-Based Chemotherapy With Bevacizumab In Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Final Analysis And Overall Survival Results From Ovario., Melissa M Hardesty, Thomas C Krivak, Gail S Wright, Erika Hamilton, Evelyn L Fleming, Jimmy Belotte, Shelby Gorman, Natalie Compton, Aine Clements, Heidi J Gray, Gottfried E Konecny, Richard G Moore, Debra L Richardson

Oncology Articles

OBJECTIVE: To report long-term outcomes from the OVARIO trial of niraparib plus bevacizumab maintenance following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy with bevacizumab in advanced ovarian cancer.

METHODS: The phase 2, single-arm, open-label trial enrolled adult patients with stage IIIB-IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer (NCT03326193). Patients were required to have attempted debulking surgery and have a complete or partial response or no evidence of disease following first-line, platinum-based chemotherapy with ≥3 cycles of bevacizumab. The primary endpoint was 18-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate, per RECIST. Secondary endpoints included PFS, overall survival (OS), safety, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) …

Strength Beyond Cancer: An Occupational Therapy Guidebook For African American Breast Cancer Survivors, Taihia A. Wilson

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project aims to explore the nuanced and often underrepresented experiences of African American women (AAW) who have survived breast cancer (BC), with a specific focus on the recovery phase. By examining the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial obstacles encountered during survivorship, the project seeks to highlight significant gaps in care and support. The primary goal of this project is to develop an accessible and culturally responsive guidebook that provides healthy strategies to enhance quality of life (QoL), promote occupational wellbeing, and empower AAW to manage their overall health beyond treatment. This paper will begin by presenting the background and …

Therapeutic Potential Of Sglt2 Inhibitors In A Repeated Love Dose Cisplatin Model., Dianet C. Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cisplatin is a potent chemotherapeutic, thirty percent of patients develop Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). These patients are ten times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2-inhibitors (SGLT2i), FDA approved for diabetes, has shown protection in multiple mouse models of AKI-CKD. We hypothesize SGLT2i can protect the kidney in a model of repeated low dose cisplatin with/without cancer. B6:129 mice with/without lung adenocarcinoma (Lung-adeno) were treated daily with SGLT2i dapagliflozin (10mg/kg)/vehicle control. After seven days, weekly cisplatin (7mg/kg)/vehicle control was initiated for 3-4 weeks. Following final cisplatin dose, kidney function, injury, fibrosis, inflammation was assessed. SGLT2i treatment attenuated alterations …

Outcomes And Microbiological Patterns Of Bacteremia In Chemotherapy-Related Febrile Neutropenia At A Tertiary Facility In Kenya, Abhijit Ghose, Jasmit Shah, Anne Mwirigi, Charles Makasa, Felix Riunga

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with malignancy post-chmotherapy. Current guidelines for managing FN recommend starting empiric antibiotic therapy (EAT) promptly. The choice of antibiotic is based on the patient’s condition, local data on common microorganisms isolated, and their resistance patterns. Of note, there is a growing trend of isolating multi-drug–resistant gram-negative bacteria in these patients. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are insufficient data on the mortality rates of FN. There is also a lack of local epidemiologic data on the frequently isolated microorganisms and their antibiotic resistance patterns. This makes it challenging …

Radiation Induced Vaporization Of Exoskeletal Droplets As Potential X-Ray Acoustic Contrast Agents, Mohamed E. Eldib, William N. Frantz, Mark A. Borden, Ryan Lanning, Moyed Miften, David H. Thomas

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: In vivo dosimetry is a crucial component of ensuring accurate and safe radiation therapy (RT) delivery, but many existing techniques face challenges such as low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which can limit their clinical applicability.

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigate a novel contrast agent sensitive to megavoltage (MV) radiation in vitro, ultimately aiming for in vivo dosimetry.

METHODS: Vaporizable exoskeletal droplets were engineered to phase-change into ultrasound-responsive microbubbles upon exposure to MV photon radiation. These droplets comprised a hydrocarbon (HC) exoskeleton doped with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) surrounding a liquid fluorocarbon (FC) core. Radiation absorbed by the GNPs induced localized …

Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein L3 (Mrpl3): An Early Diagnostic Biomarker And Potential Molecular Target In Pancreatic Cancer, Mudassier Ahmad, Sahir Sultan Alvi, Anupam Dhasmana, Jasmine Benavidez, Murali Yallapu, Dae Joon Kim, Subhash Chauhan, Bilal Hafeez

School of Medicine Publications

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is projected to become the second major cause of cancer-related mortality by 2030. The current diagnostic and treatment strategies offer only marginal benefits in overall survival. This highlights the need to discover new biomarkers and targets for the treatment of PanCa. Dysregulated mitochondrial ribosome biogenesis occurs in PanCa and can be utilized as a potential biomarker and molecular target for its management. In this study, we established MRPL3 (Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein L3) as a potential biomarker and its role in expression of ETC (Electron Transport Chain) components. We employed an integrated approach combining the in silico and …

Isolation And Functional Properties Of Highly-Purified N-Terminal Domain Of Human Napi2b By Scalable “Resin Overload” Technique, Daria Savenkova, Irina Makarenko, Daria Nedorezova, Ramziya Kiyamova, Mikhail Bogdanov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite the enthusiasm and advances in the purification of native and engineered full-length membrane proteins, little attention has been paid to their fragments which could serve as attractive inspiration for function, regulation, or targeting of full-length membrane protein with therapeutic antibodies (Abs). Production of recombinant fragments of "therapeutic" membrane proteins for early-stage discovery research requires their purification to near homogeneity. It is important not only for the production of biotherapeutic antibodies but also for structural and functional studies of competitive protein-Abs, protein-protein, and lipid-protein interactions which heavily rely on the purity and quality of the isolated protein fragment of interest. …

2025 European Leukemianet Recommendations For The Management Of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Jane F Apperley, Dragana Milojkovic, Nicholas C P Cross, Henrik Hjorth-Hansen, Andreas Hochhaus, Hagop Kantarjian, Jeffrey H Lipton, Hemant Malhotra, Dietger Niederwieser, Jerald Radich, Philippe Rousselot, Susanne Saussele, Charles A Schiffer, Richard Silver, Simona Soverini, Leif Stenke, Anna Turkina, Luis Felipe Casado, Fausto Castagnetti, Francisco Cervantes, Richard E Clark, Jorge Cortes, Michael Deininger, Timothy P Hughes, Jeroen Janssen, Qian Jiang, Dong-Wook Kim, Richard A Larson, Francois X Mahon, Michael Mauro, Jiri Mayer, Franck E Nicolini, Fabrizio Pane, Delphine Rea, Johan Richter, Gianantonio Rosti, Giuseppe Saglio, Rüdiger Hehlmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this 5th version of the European LeukemiaNet guidance for adult patients, there are important changes in several areas of management based on evidence available since 2020, including the World Health Organisation's reclassification of CML as a biphasic disease. Previous advice to switch the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) on failure of molecular milestones, is modified to better account for individual patient circumstances. Our recommendations are summarized in tables designed to be read in conjunction with the text which offers justification and additional advice. We describe decision-making for first-line treatment, both in available drugs and their initial dosing. Similarly we elaborate …