Medical Specialties Commons^™

Research Career Intentions Among Non-Native English-Speaking Graduate And Postdoctoral Trainees In Stem-Results From Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Studies, Hwa Young Lee, Shine Chang, Cheryl B Anderson, Erin K Dahlstrom, Carrie Cameron

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

International graduate trainees, many of whom are non-native English-speaking (L2) trainees, comprise more than half of graduate-level trainees in STEM, but little is known regarding factors that influence their career intentions, especially those that foster their growth as scientists to achieve their full potential in research. Thus, the purpose of our studies was to examine the relationship between L2 status and contextual factors that help shape the learning experiences and plans for research-focused careers. Study 1 collected cross-sectional survey data from doctoral and postdoctoral trainees (N=510) from research institutes in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. We examined which factors …

Transcriptomic-Assisted Immune And Neoantigen Profiling In Premalignancy, Kyle Chang, Florencia Mcallister, Eduardo Vilar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immune-based cancer therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) and vaccines have been increasingly studied across different cancer types. Response to such therapies depends on a number of factors such as mutational burden, neoantigen load, presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, among others. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are particularly attractive to interrogate the immune response compared to traditional assays such as qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) because they enable the discovery of neoantigens and simultaneous profiling of immune infiltration using gene expression on a large scale. Current approaches in immune profiling utilizes whole-exome sequencing (WES) for human leukocyte allele (HLA) typing and neoantigen …

Cancer Prevention Behaviors In Workers Of A Referral Cancer Center In Mexico City: A Pilot Study On Early Detection Awareness For Cancer, Nancy Reynoso-Noverón, Shine Chang, Luis Alonso Herrera-Montalvo, Abelardo Meneses-García

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Prevention strategies for cancer are necessary. Health workers who often serve as role models bear responsibility for prevention counseling and programs. However, whether their habits and behaviors reflect prevention goals are unknown. We describe the prevalence of cancer risk factors and prevention behaviors in health workers of a referral cancer center in Mexico City.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in which workers of the National Cancer Institute were invited to participate in a prevention program, risk factor survey, and nutrition, psychological, and genetic counseling were included. The likelihood of cancer was calculated based on the presence of risk factors. Factors associated …

Expanding Our Knowledge Of Menstrual Irregularities Reported By Females With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Kate Mowrey, Hope Northrup, Syed Shahrukh Hashmi, David Rodriguez-Buritica

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study is to expand the knowledge regarding intrinsic reproductive dysfunction in females with TSC and to explore the impact of mTOR inhibitors (mTORi) on menstrual irregularity in the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) community.

METHODS: An electronic survey composed of author-designed questions set out to evaluate reproductive history, presence of menstrual irregularities, mTORi use, as well as maternal reproductive history among females with TSC.

RESULTS: Of the 68 responses from females with TSC regarding age of menarche, the average age was 12.3 years. 56.5% (

CONCLUSIONS: Our data expands the knowledge regarding intrinsic menstrual dysregulation present …

Use Of Modeling To Inform Decision Making In North Carolina During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study, Karl Johnson, Caitlin B Biddell, Kristen Hassmiller Lich, Julie Swann, Paul Delamater, Maria Mayorga, Julie Ivy, Raymond L Smith, Mehul D Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has popularized computer-based decision-support models, which are commonly used to inform decision making amidst complexity. Understanding what organizational decision makers prefer from these models is needed to inform model development during this and future crises. Methods. We recruited and interviewed decision makers from North Carolina across 9 sectors to understand organizational decision-making processes during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 44). For this study, we identified and analyzed a subset of responses from interviewees (n = 19) who reported using modeling to inform decision making. We used conventional content analysis to …

Editorial: How Can Wearable Robotic And Sensor Technology Advance Neurorehabilitation?, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Shih-Chiao Tseng, Hao Su, Gerard E Francisco

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Peer Support In Curbing Moral Injury: A Resident’S Perspective, May W Chen, Jennifer K Lee, Gilbert Vezina, Aylin Tekes, Jamie Perin, Ruoying Li, Alexandra O'Kane, Meaghan Mcgowan, Taeun Chang, Charlamaine Parkinson, Colleen Krein, Tareq Al-Shargabi, Frances J Northington, Ken M Brady, An N Massaro, Rathinaswamy B Govindan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Identifying the hemodynamic range that best supports cerebral perfusion using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) autoregulation monitoring is a potential physiologic marker for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) during therapeutic hypothermia. However, an optimal autoregulation monitoring algorithm has not been identified for neonatal clinical medicine. We tested whether the hemoglobin volume phase (HVP), hemoglobin volume (HVx), and pressure passivity index (PPI) identify changes in autoregulation that are associated with brain injury on MRI or death. The HVP measures the phase difference between a NIRS metric of cerebral blood volume, the total hemoglobin (THb), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) at the frequency …

Novel Oppositional Defiant Disorder 6 Months After Traumatic Brain Injury In Children And Adolescents, Daniel S Lowet, Anish Kolan, Florin Vaida, John R Hesselink, Harvey S Levin, Linda Ewing-Cobbs, Russell J Schachar, Sandra B Chapman, Erin D Bigler, Elisabeth A Wilde, Ann E Saunders, Tony T Yang, Olga Tymofiyeva, Hattan Arif, Jeffrey E Max

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The investigators aimed to assess predictive factors of novel oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) among children and adolescents in the first 6 months following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS: Children ages 5-14 years who experienced a TBI were recruited from consecutive admissions to five hospitals. Testing of a biopsychosocial model that may elucidate the development of novel ODD included assessment soon after injury (baseline) of preinjury characteristics, including psychiatric disorders, adaptive function, family function, psychosocial adversity, family psychiatric history, socioeconomic status, injury severity, and postinjury processing speed (which may be a proxy for brain injury). MRI analyses were also conducted …

Effective Connectivity In The Default Mode Network After Paediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Kelly A Vaughn, Dana Demaster, Jeong Hwan Kook, Marina Vannucci, Linda Ewing-Cobbs

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Children who experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at elevated risk for a range of negative cognitive and neuropsychological outcomes. Identifying which children are at greatest risk for negative outcomes can be difficult due to the heterogeneity of TBI. To address this barrier, the current study applied a novel method of characterizing brain connectivity networks, Bayesian multi-subject vector autoregressive modelling (BVAR-connect), which used white matter integrity as priors to evaluate effective connectivity-the time-dependent relationship in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity between two brain regions-within the default mode network (DMN). In a prospective longitudinal study, children ages 8-15 years …

Complete Corpus Callosotomy Using A Frameless Navigation Probe Through A Minicraniotomy In Children With Medically Refractory Epilepsy: A Case Series And Technical Note, Ahmed Belal, Gretchen Von Allmen, Indira Kommuru, Jeremy Lankford, John C Mosher, Manish Shah, Michael Funke, Michael Watkins, Rajan Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Medically refractory epilepsy constitutes up to one-third of the epilepsy pediatric patients. Corpus callosotomy (CC) has been used for the treatment of medically refractory epilepsy in children with atonic seizures and generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizures. In this case series study, we are describing a novel technique for CC using the frameless navigation probe through a minicraniotomy.

METHODS: Thirteen pediatric patients with the diagnosis of medically refractory epilepsy predominantly GTC with drop attack who underwent extensive Phase I. An L-shape was done, then through a 4 × 3 cm craniotomy, we were able to open the interhemispheric fissure until the …

Cerebral Infarctions In An Infant With Covid-19 Delta Variant Infection And Disseminated Tuberculosis, Stuart Fraser, Misti Ellsworth, Norma Perez, Hunter Hamilton, Stephen Fletcher, Deborah Brown, Lakshmi Srivaths

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Neurology Resident Eeg Training In Europe, Fábio A Nascimento, Jay R Gavvala, Hatice Tankisi, Sándor Beniczky

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To detail current European EEG education practices and compare European and U.S. EEG teaching systems.

METHODS: A 19-question online survey focused on EEG clinical practices and residency training was emailed to all 47 European Academy of Neurology Societies.

RESULTS: Thirty-two (68 %) out of the 47 Societies completed the survey. In half of countries, general neurologists are either among the providers or the only providers who typically read EEGs. The number of weeks devoted to EEG learning required to graduate ranged from none to 26, and it was expected to be continuous in one country. In most countries (n …

A T-Cell Engaging Bispecific Antibody With A Tumor-Selective Bivalent Folate Receptor Alpha Binding Arm For The Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer, Brian C Avanzino, Kirthana Prabhakar, Pranjali Dalvi, Sharon Hartstein, Hannes Kehm, Aarti Balasubramani, Andrew A Boudreau, Ben Buelow, Karen Chang, Laura M Davison, Suhasini Iyer, Vidyut Kalwit, Kristin Lewis Wilson, Harbani K Malik-Chaudhry, Will Pierson, Geovanni Pineda, Udaya S Rangaswamy, Sowmya Saiganesh, Ute Schellenberger, Harshad S Ugamraj, Rodolfovan D Yabut, Roland Buelow, Jocelyn Chapman, Nathan D Trinklein, Katherine E Harris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The use of T-cell engagers (TCEs) to treat solid tumors is challenging, and several have been limited by narrow therapeutic windows due to substantial on-target, off-tumor toxicities due to the expression of low levels of target antigens on healthy tissues. Here, we describe TNB-928B, a fully human TCE that has a bivalent binding arm for folate receptor alpha (FRα) to selectively target FRα overexpressing tumor cells while avoiding the lysis of cells with low levels of FRα expression. The bivalent design of the FRα binding arm confers tumor selectivity due to low-affinity but high-avidity binding to high FRα antigen density …

A Hybrid Unsupervised And Supervised Learning Approach For Postictal Generalized Eeg Suppression Detection, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Samden D Lhatoo, Shiqiang Tao, Laura Vilella Bertran, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Licong Cui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sudden unexpected death of epilepsy (SUDEP) is a catastrophic and fatal complication of epilepsy and is the primary cause of mortality in those who have uncontrolled seizures. While several multifactorial processes have been implicated including cardiac, respiratory, autonomic dysfunction leading to arrhythmia, hypoxia, and cessation of cerebral and brainstem function, the mechanisms underlying SUDEP are not completely understood. Postictal generalized electroencephalogram (EEG) suppression (PGES) is a potential risk marker for SUDEP, as studies have shown that prolonged PGES was significantly associated with a higher risk of SUDEP. Automated PGES detection techniques have been developed to efficiently obtain PGES durations for …

Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Inflammatory Response Induced By Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury And Protects The Retina Through The Dor-Bdnf/Trkb Pathway, Runjie Guo, Yongjie Zhang, Yue Geng, Ping Chen, Tiantian Fu, Yong Xia, Ren Zhang, Yuan Zhu, Jingling Jin, Nange Jin, Hong Xu, Xuesong Tian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) is the common pathological basis of many ophthalmic diseases in the later stages, and inflammation is the primary damage mechanism of RIRI. Our study aimed to assess whether electroacupuncture (EA) has a protective effect against RIRI and to elucidate its related mechanisms.

Methods: A high-intraocular pressure (HIOP) model was used to simulate RIRI in Wistar rats. EA was applied to the EA1 group [Jingming (BL1) + Shuigou (GV26)] and the EA2 group [Jingming (BL1) + Hegu (LI4)] respectively for 30 min starting immediately after the onset of reperfusion and repeated (30 min/time) at 12 h …

Interictal Localization Of The Epileptogenic Zone: Utilizing The Observed Resonance Behavior In The Spectral Band Of Surrounding Inhibition, Omar A Alamoudi, Adeel Ilyas, Sandipan Pati, Leon Iasemidis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

The gold standard for identification of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) continues to be the visual inspection of electrographic changes around seizures’ onset by experienced electroencephalography (EEG) readers. Development of an epileptogenic focus localization tool that can delineate the EZ from analysis of interictal (seizure-free) periods is still an open question of great significance for improved diagnosis (e.g., presurgical evaluation) and treatment of epilepsy (e.g., surgical outcome).

Methods

We developed an EZ interictal localization algorithm (EZILA) based on novel analysis of intracranial EEG (iEEG) using a univariate periodogram-type power measure, a straight-forward ranking approach, a robust dimensional reduction method and …

A Multicenter Study Of Icu Resource Utilization In Pediatric, Adolescent And Young Adult Patients Post Car-T Therapy, Dristhi Ragoonanan, Saleh Bhar, Gopi Mohan, Fernando Beltramo, Sajad J Khazal, Caitlin Hurley, Clark Andersen, Steven Margossian, Sattva S Neelapu, Elizabeth Shpall, Cristina Gutierrez, Priti Tewari, Basirat Shoberu, Aimee Talleur, David Mccall, Cesar Nunez, Branko Cuglievan, Francesco Paolo Tambaro, Demetrios Petropoulos, Hisham Abdel-Azim, Kris M Mahadeo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tisagenlecleucel is associated with remarkable outcomes in treating patients up to the age of 25 years with refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Yet, due to unique and potentially life-threatening complications, access remains limited to higher-resource and certified centers. Reports of inequity and related disparities in care are emerging. In this multicenter study of ALL patients admitted for anti-leukemia therapy, who required pediatric intensive care (ICU) support (n = 205), patients receiving tisagenlecleucel (n = 39) were compared to those receiving conventional chemotherapy (n = 166). The median time to ICU transfer was 6 (0-43) versus 1 (0-116) days, respectively …

Endovascular Treatment And Outcomes For Femoropopliteal In-Stent Restenosis: Insights From The Xlpad Registry, Michael H Vu, Glaiza-Mae Sande-Docor, Yulun Liu, Shirling Tsai, Mitul Patel, Chris Metzger, Mehdi H Shishehbor, Emmanouil S Brilakis, Nicolas W Shammas, Peter Monteleone, Subhash Banerjee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: There is limited "real-world" evidence examining treatment modalities and outcomes in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease undergoing endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal (FP) in-stent restenosis (ISR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared outcomes in 2,895 patients from the XLPAD registry (NCT01904851) between 2006 and 2019 treated for FP ISR (

RESULTS: ISR patients were more frequently on antiplatelet (94.5% vs 89.4%,

CONCLUSION: Atherectomy and DCB are more frequently used to treat FP ISR lesions. Patients with FP ISR have more intraprocedural distal embolization, higher repeat revascularization procedures, and lower freedom from MALE at 1 year.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Gastrointestinal Toxicity In Patients With Malignancy Involving The Luminal Gastrointestinal Tract And Its Impact On Cancer Outcomes, Kevin Yu, Antony Mathew, Fiyinfoluwa Abraham, Rajan Amin, Miho Kono, Michael Overman, Dan Zhao, Anam Khan, Muhammad A Khan, Anusha S Thomas, Yinghong Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are known to cause immune-related adverse events (irAE) with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract among the most affected. Our knowledge of GI irAE in patients with luminal GI malignancies is poor. We aimed to characterize the incidence, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of these GI irAEs.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with malignancies involving the luminal GI tract and GI irAEs at MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2010 to June 2020. Clinical data were collected and analyzed.

Results: Eighteen patients with luminal GI tract malignancies treated with ICIs had evidence of GI …

Decontamination Of Geobacillus Stearothermophilus Using The Arca Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination System, Loren Benjamin Mead, Tanner Mathison, Garry Osborne, Anne Marie Richards

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: In response to the limited supply of personal protective equipment during the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, recent studies demonstrate that gaseous H2O2 is an effective decontaminant of N95 filtering facepiece respirators to enable reuse of these items in a clinical setting. This paper evaluates the efficacy of the Arca Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination System (Arca), a novel aerosolized H2O2 decontamination system, using biologic indicator testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Arca produces and circulates H2O2 aerosol inside of a sealed stainless steel chamber. The Arca's decontamination efficacy was evaluated in 8 decontamination trials with 2 H2O2 concentrations (3% and 12%) …

Functional Mri Correlates Of Carbon Dioxide Chemosensing In Persons With Epilepsy, Johnson P Hampson, Nuria Lacuey, Mrs Sandhya Rani, Jaison S Hampson, Kristina A Simeone, Timothy A Simeone, Ponnada A Narayana, Louis Lemieux, Samden D Lhatoo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a catastrophic epilepsy outcome for which there are no reliable premortem imaging biomarkers of risk. Percival respiratory depression is seen in monitored SUDEP and near SUDEP cases, and abnormal chemosensing of raised blood carbon dioxide (CO

METHODS: We analyzed fMRI BOLD activation and brain connectivity in 10 PWE and 10 age- and sex-matched HCs during precisely metered iso-oxic, hypercapnic breathing challenges. Segmented brainstem responses were of particular interest, along with characterization of functional connectivity metrics between these structures. Regional BOLD activations during hypercapnic challenges were convolved with hemodynamic responses, and the resulting …

Somatic And Cognitive Domains Of Depression In An Underserved Region Of Ecuador: Some Cultural Considerations, Gang Wu, Iraida Sharina, Emil Martin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), oxygen (O2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are gaseous molecules that play important roles in the physiology and pathophysiology of eukaryotes. Tissue concentrations of these physiologically relevant gases vary remarkable from nM range for NO to high μM range of O2. Various hemoproteins play a significant role in sensing and transducing cellular signals encoded by gaseous molecules or in transporting them. Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is a hemoprotein that plays vital roles in a wide range of physiological functions and combines the functions of gaseous sensor and signal transducer. sGC uniquely evolved to sense low non-toxic …

Radiographic Findings And Association With Clinical Severity And Outcomes In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Wei Wu, Pavan K Bhatraju, Natalie Cobb, Neha A Sathe, Kevin I Duan, Kevin P Seitz, Matthew R Thau, Clifford C Sung, Daniel S Hippe, Gautham Reddy, Sudhakar Pipavath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: To describe evolution and severity of radiographic findings and assess association with disease severity and outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 62 COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical data was obtained from electronic medical records. A total of 270 chest radiographs were reviewed and qualitatively scored (CXR score) using a severity scale of 0-30. Radiographic findings were correlated with clinical severity and outcome.

RESULTS: The CXR score increases from a median initial score of 10 at hospital presentation to the median peak CXR score of 18 within a …

Alternative Adenosine Receptor Activation: The Netrin-Adora2b Link, Xiaoyi Yuan, Tingting Mills, Marie-Francoise Doursout, Scott E Evans, Marcos F Vidal Melo, Holger K Eltzschig

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

During hypoxia or inflammation, extracellular adenosine levels are elevated. Studies using pharmacologic approaches or genetic animal models pertinent to extracellular adenosine signaling implicate this pathway in attenuating hypoxia-associated inflammation. There are four distinct adenosine receptors. Of these, it is not surprising that the Adora2b adenosine receptor functions as an endogenous feedback loop to control hypoxia-associated inflammation. First, Adora2b activation requires higher adenosine concentrations compared to other adenosine receptors, similar to those achieved during hypoxic inflammation. Second, Adora2b is transcriptionally induced during hypoxia or inflammation by hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF1A. Studies seeking an alternative adenosine receptor activation mechanism have linked netrin-1 …

Myeloid Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Hif1a Provides Cardio-Protection During Ischemia And Reperfusion, Ka Lin Heck-Swain, Jiwen Li, Wei Ruan, Xiaoyi Yuan, Yanyu Wang, Michael Koeppen, Holger K Eltzschig

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor HIF1A induces cardioprotection from ischemia and reperfusion injury. Here, we investigate tissue-specific pathways that are critical for HIF1A-elicited tissue protection. Initial studies showed that mice with induced global Hif1a deletion (Hif1aloxP/loxP UbiquitinCre+) have exaggerated myocardial injury during in situ ischemia and reperfusion. Surprisingly, this phenotype was mirrored only in mice with myeloid-specific Hif1a deletion (Hif1aloxP/loxP LysM Cre+). In contrast, mice with myocardial specific (Hif1aloxP/loxP Myosin Cre+), or vascular Hif1a deletion (Hif1aloxP/loxP VEcadherin Cre+) experienced similar levels of injury as controls. Subsequent studies using adoptive transfer of Hif1a-deficient polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) …

Association Of Adenotonsillar Disease And Adenotonsillectomy With The Development Of Vitiligo: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study, Jong Seung Kim, Min Gyu Lee, Sang-Kyung Lee, Sang-Woo Yeom, Min-Gu Kang, Jong Hwan Lee, Il-Jae Lee, Jin Park, Seok-Kweon Yun, Kyung-Hwa Nam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a common acquired skin depigmentation disorder and is associated with various other autoimmune diseases which include thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Similarly, adenotonsillar disease (ATD) may induce inflammatory or autoimmune diseases in other organs which include the skin. However, the influence of ATD on the development of vitiligo has not been studied.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between ATD and adenotonsillectomy, and the development of vitiligo.

DESIGN AND METHODS: Using data from the National Health Insurance Service database, patients diagnosed with ATD between 2008 and 2010 were included in the study. We performed two rounds of 1:1 …

Exploiting Induced Vulnerability To Overcome Parpi Resistance And Clonal Heterogeneity In Brca Mutant Triple-Negative Inflammatory Breast Cancer, David J H Shih, Mei-Kuang Chen, Jun Yin, Daniel J Mcgrail, Hui Dai, Rongbin Wei, Jing Zhang, Wenjin Jim Zheng, Kim-Anh Do, Liuqing Yang, Mien-Chie Hung, Shiaw-Yih Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acquired resistance and clonal heterogeneity are critical challenges in cancer treatment, and the lack of effective computational tools hampers the discovery of new treatments to overcome resistance. Using high-throughput transcriptomic databases of compound perturbation profiles, we have developed a bioinformatic strategy for identifying candidate drugs to overcome resistance with combinatorial therapy. We devised this strategy during an investigation into the acquired resistance against PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in a triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer cell line. In this study, we derived multiple PARPi-resistant clones and characterized their transcriptomic adaptations compared to the parental clone. The transcriptomes of the resistant clones showed substantial …

Pld1 Promotes Reactive Oxygen Species Production In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells And Injury-Induced Neointima Formation, Ming Cai, Ziqing Wang, Thi Thu Trang Luu, Dakai Zhang, Brian Finke, Jingquan He, Li Wei Rachel Tay, Gilbert Di Paolo, Guangwei Du

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phospholipase D (PLD) generates the signaling lipid phosphatidic acid (PA) and has been known to mediate proliferation signal in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, it remains unclear how PLD contributes to vascular diseases. VSMC proliferation directly contributes to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. Using the mouse carotid artery ligation model, we find that deletion of Pld1 gene inhibits neointima formation of the injuried blood vessels. PLD1 deficiency reduces the proliferation of VSMCs in both injured artery and primary cultures through the inhibition of ERK1/2 and AKT signals. Immunohistochemical staining of …

Granuloma Annulare: An Updated Review Of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, And Treatment Options, Tejas P Joshi, Madeleine Duvic

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Granuloma annulare (GA) is an inflammatory granulomatous skin disease that can be localized (localized GA) or disseminated (generalized GA), with patch, perforating, and subcutaneous subtypes being less common variants of this benign condition. Recently, new research has emerged that further elucidates GA epidemiology and etiopathogenesis; importantly, new therapeutic options for GA have also been described, although there remains a paucity of randomized controlled studies. In this review, we summarize recent updates on GA epidemiology and etiopathogenesis and offer an updated review of the therapeutic options for GA currently reported in the literature. We hope that the current review galvanizes randomized …

The Current Status And Shortcomings Of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Hunter Mehrens, Trang Nguyen, Sharbacha Edward, Shannon Hartzell, Mallory Glenn, Daniela Branco, Nadia Hernandez, Paola Alvarez, Andrea Molineu, Paige Taylor, Stephen Kry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a common treatment for intracranial lesions. This work explores the state of SRS treatment delivery to characterize current treatment accuracy based on treatment parameters.

Methods: NCI clinical trials involving SRS rely on an end-to-end treatment delivery on a patient surrogate (credentialing phantom) from the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) to test their treatment accuracy. The results of 1072 SRS phantom irradiations between 2012 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate analysis and random forest models were used to associate irradiation conditions with phantom performance. The following categories were evaluated in terms of how they predicted …