Medical Specialties Commons^™

A Multimodal Approach To Assess A Liposomal Carrier’S Biodistribution, Stability, And Clearance, Cayla A Wood, Claire E Jones, Ananthakrishnan Soundaram Jeevarathinam, Riley Watson, Sangheon Han, Jennifer Meyer, Konstantin V Sokolov, Richard R Bouchard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Liposomal carriers, used for site-specific drug delivery, are being investigated for diagnostic approaches by replacing the therapeutic with an imaging contrast agent, exploring potential for selective treatment planning. There remains a critical need to improve in vivo assessment of biodistribution, stability, and clearance kinetics of liposomal carriers. This pilot study presents a multimodal approach in which liposome-encapsulated J-aggregated indocyanine green (ICG) dye (Lipo-JICG) is imaged with high spatial resolution using both in vivo photoacoustic (PA) imaging, to assess the absorbance characteristics of JICG and monomeric ICG, and ex vivo cryofluorescence tomography (CFT), to measure ICG fluorescence. An in vitro assay …

Prefrontal Cortex Astrocytes Modulate Distinct Neuronal Populations To Control Anxiety-Like Behavior, Eunyoung Kim, Hairuo Du, Yanqi Tan, Brandon L Brown, Yaowen Chang, Blanca Díaz-Castro, Jonathan V Sweedler, Xinzhu Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accumulating evidence has supported diverse regulatory functions of astrocytes in different neural circuits as well as various aspects of complex behaviors. However, little is known about how astrocytes regulate different neuronal subpopulations that are linked to specific behavioral aspects within a single brain region. Here, we show that astrocytes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) encode anxiogenic environmental cues in freely behaving mice. Silencing mPFC astrocyte Ca

Phase 1/2 Trial Of Encorafenib, Cetuximab, And Nivolumab In Microsatellite Stable Brafv600e Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Van K Morris, Christine M Parseghian, Vahid Bahrambeigi, Nourhan Abdelfattah, Lianchun Xiao, Anjali Agrawal, Kangyu Lin, Kanwal P S Raghav, Robert A Wolff, Arvind Dasari, Ryan W Huey, Bryan K Kee, Michael J Overman, Jason A Willis, Phat H Le, Michelle Escano, Yunyu C Baig, Kelsey Pan, David Menter, Alda L Tam, Wai C Foo, Li Shen, Hey Min Lee, Thomas D Gallup, Cori Margain, Dave Gallup, Kimal I Rajapakshe, Paola A Guerrero, Jing Wang, Ryan B Corcoran, Anirban Maitra, Kyuson Yun, Scott Kopetz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The BRAF inhibitor encorafenib and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody cetuximab modestly improve survival for patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) BRAFV600E metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), characterized by higher immune activation than MSS BRAFwild-type colorectal cancer (CRC). In this phase 1/2 study (NCT04017650) of 26 participants with MSS BRAFV600E mCRC who received encorafenib, cetuximab, and anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab, we report an overall response rate of 50% (95% confidence interval [CI] 29–71) and median progression-free survival of 7.4 months (95% CI, 5.6–9.6). Transcriptomic profiling of pretreatment biopsies and extracellular vesicle RNA (evRNA) isolated from plasma show …

Circzfr/Ythdf3 Axis Drives Lymph Node Metastasis In Cervical Cancer Via Fasn Translation, Mingyi Zhou, Yan Gao, Yong Zhang, Lian He, Bo Gao, Yue Zhang, Francois X Claret, George A Calin, Danbo Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Lymph node metastasis is a key driver of poor outcomes in cervical cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of circular RNAs (circRNAs) driving cervical cancer lymph node metastasis remain unclear.

Methods: We identified circZFR, fatty acid synthase (FASN) and YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein F3 (YTHDF3) protein expression in the cervical cancer patients with long and short disease-free survival (DFS). Functional experiments were performed to investigate the function of circZFR, FASN and YTHDF3 on cell migration and invasion. MeRIP-qPCR, RNA pulldown, RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP), and Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays were executed to investigate the mechanism of circZFR regulating FASN protein expression. …

Human Interpretable Grammar Encodes Multicellular Systems Biology Models To Democratize Virtual Cell Laboratories, Jeanette A I Johnson, Daniel R Bergman, Heber L Rocha, David L Zhou, Eric Cramer, Ian C Mclean, Yoseph W Dance, Max Booth, Zachary Nicholas, Tamara Lopez-Vidal, Atul Deshpande, Randy Heiland, Elmar Bucher, Fatemeh Shojaeian, Matthew Dunworth, André Forjaz, Michael Getz, Inês Godet, Furkan Kurtoglu, Melissa Lyman, John Metzcar, Jacob T Mitchell, Andrew Raddatz, Jacobo Solorzano, Aneequa Sundus, Yafei Wang, David G Denardo, Andrew J Ewald, Daniele M Gilkes, Luciane T Kagohara, Ashley L Kiemen, Elizabeth D Thompson, Denis Wirtz, Laura D Wood, Pei-Hsun Wu, Neeha Zaidi, Lei Zheng, Jacquelyn W Zimmerman, Jude M Phillip, Elizabeth M Jaffee, Joe W Gray, Lisa M Coussens, Young Hwan Chang, Laura M Heiser, Genevieve L Stein-O'Brien, Elana J Fertig, Paul Macklin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cells interact as dynamically evolving ecosystems. While recent single-cell and spatial multi-omics technologies quantify individual cell characteristics, predicting their evolution requires mathematical modeling. We propose a conceptual framework-a cell behavior hypothesis grammar-that uses natural language statements (cell rules) to create mathematical models. This enables systematic integration of biological knowledge and multi-omics data to generate in silico models, enabling virtual "thought experiments" that test and expand our understanding of multicellular systems and generate new testable hypotheses. This paper motivates and describes the grammar, offers a reference implementation, and demonstrates its use in developing both de novo mechanistic models and those informed …

Targeted Proteomic Analysis Identifies Acvrl1 As A Marker Of Cerebral Edema In Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Bosco Seong Kyu Yang, Lena O'Keefe, Sarah Hinds, Hua Chen, Athziry Paz, Jude Savarraj, Han-Gil Jeong, Moon-Ku Han, Aaron Gusdon, Xuefang Sophie Ren, Spiros Blackburn, Huimahn Alex Choi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cerebral edema (CE) is a major component of early brain injury from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Despite the utility of blood-based protein markers, biomarkers targeting cerebral edema have yet to be developed. We performed a targeted proteomic search analyzing 141 proteins in plasma samples taken from 80 adult patients within 48 hours after aneurysmal rupture to identify plasma biomarkers of cerebral edema. The protein expression profiles were analyzed for associations with a higher level of the subarachnoid hemorrhage early brain edema score measured in admission computed tomography scans. Five differentially expressed proteins-brorin, ectodysplasin A2 receptor, layilin, scavenger receptor class A …

Clinical Validity Of Foundationone Liquid Cdx For Detection Of Braf V600e In Colorectal Cancer, Rona Yaeger, Jean-François Martini, Lincoln Pasquina, Brian Tunquist, Xiaosong Zhang, Fatima Khaiser, Norberto Panoja Galicia, Shibing Deng, Siliang Gong, Cui Guo, Jimmy Kiely, Ta-Chou Vincent Ng, Graham Ferrier, Josep Tabernero, Scott Kopetz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The BRAF inhibitor encorafenib plus the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab improved overall survival, objective response rate, and progression-free survival in previously treated BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer in BEACON, a phase 3 randomized trial, leading to regulatory approval for this indication. To support rapid, plasma-based testing for BRAF V600E identification, clinical validity of a circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based assay, FoundationOne®Liquid CDx (F1LCDx) was assessed, versus the reference tumor-based clinical trial assay (CTA) in liquid biopsy-evaluable samples from BEACON and commercially-obtained tissue-matched plasma samples.

Methods: Pre-treatment tissue samples were collected in BEACON to confirm BRAF mutational status using the central single …

First-Line Pd-1 +/- Ctla-4 Blockade In Patients With Deficient Mismatch Repair And/Or Microsatellite Instability-High Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Vincenzo Nasca, Gabriele Tinè, Julien Taieb, Sara Lonardi, Ben Boursi, Ofer Margalit, Lisa Salvatore, Romain Cohen, Javier Ros, Margherita Ambrosini, Koen Zwart, Jeanine Roodhart, Priya Jayachandran, Michael J Overman, Maria Elena Elez, Chiara Cremolini, David Tougeron, Miriam Koopman, Thierry André, Rosalba Miceli, Filippo Pietrantonio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) and/or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) show marked sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Dual PD-1/CTLA-4 blockade with nivolumab and ipilimumab showed superior progression-free survival (PFS) over chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 monotherapy, but data on treatment-naïve patients is not available yet.

Methods: This international multicenter study included patients with dMMR/MSI-H mCRC receiving either chemotherapy with or without biologics, or anti-PD-1 monotherapy, or dual PD-1/CTLA-4 blockade as a first-line treatment. Data were adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to account for baseline imbalances. IPTW-adjusted survival and subgroup analyses were conducted.

Results: …

Lipid-Laden Microglia: Characterization And Roles In Diseases, Jiani Xing, Takese Mckenzie, Jian Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Microglia are resident phagocytes of the central nervous system that play an essential role in brain development and homeostasis. When the intracellular lipid content exceeds the metabolic capacity of microglia, lipid droplets accumulate, giving rise to a distinct population termed lipid-laden microglia (LLMs). LLMs have been implicated in various neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, functioning as both regulators/indicators of inflammation and potential therapeutic targets. This review summarizes the current research on LLMs, focusing on disease-specific regulators and functions, protective roles, interactions with neighboring cells, and advances in diagnostic and analytical tools. We also discuss the blurred distinction between LLMs and macrophages, …

Therapeutic Targeting Of Syndecan-1 Axis Overcomes Acquired Resistance To Kras-Targeted Therapy In Gastrointestinal Cancers, Madelaine S Theardy, Mitsunobu Takeda, Alexey Sorokin, Shuaitong Chen, Zecheng Yang, Xiaofei Wang, Preeti Kanikarla, Oluwadara Coker, Phuoc Nguyen, Yongkun Wei, Jun Yao, Liang Yan, Yanqing Jin, Yiming Cai, Masakatsu Paku, Ziheng Chen, Kara Z Li, Francesca Citron, Hideo Tomihara, Sisi Gao, Angela K Deem, Jun Zhao, Huamin Wang, Samir Hanash, Ronald A Depinho, Anirban Maitra, Giulio F Draetta, Haoqiang Ying, Scott Kopetz, Wantong Yao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The therapeutic benefit of recently developed mutant KRAS (KRAS∗) inhibitors remains limited by the rapid onset of resistance. Here, we aim to delineate mechanisms underlying acquired resistance and identify actionable targets for overcoming this clinical challenge. Previously, we identified syndecan-1 (SDC1) as a key effector for pancreatic cancer progression whose surface expression is driven by KRAS∗. By leveraging both pancreatic and colorectal cancer models, we show that surface SDC1 expression initially diminishes upon KRAS∗ inhibition but recovers in tumor cells that bypass KRAS∗ dependency. Mechanistically, we reveal that YAP1 activation drives the recovery of SDC1 surface localization to enhance macropinocytosis-mediated …

Optimizing Motion Management And Baseline Shifts In Magnetic Resonance-Guided Spine Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Yao Ding, Travis C Salzillo, Debra N Yeboa, Martin C Tom, Zhiheng Wang, Parmeswaran Diagaradjane, Ergys Subashi, Jinzhong Yang, Todd Swanson, Thomas Beckham, Chenyang Wang, Amol J Ghia, Tina Briere, Jihong Wang, Fabienne Lathuilière, Sneha Cloake, Eun Young Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has proven effective in controlling spinal lesions with minimal toxicity, primarily due to its ability to limit spinal cord dose. Recent advances in MR-linac (MRL) technology offer superior spinal cord visualization and real-time gating, which can facilitate dose escalation in spinal tumor treatment while maintaining safety.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to optimize motion management for spine SBRT on an MRL by analyzing patient-specific motion dynamics and evaluating the most effective registration structures. We hypothesized that baseline shifts (BLS) would improve delivery efficiency while maintaining spinal cord dose constraints. The goal was to establish displacement …

A Brief History Of Circadian Time In The Heart, Martin E Young, Vanya Khanna, Mallory Metcalfe, Niruththaan Rameshkumar, Sarah Harington, Leo H Li, Janan Shoja Doost, Heinrich Taegtmeyer, Tami A Martino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This review tracks the discovery of circadian biology in cardiovascular science, starting with early clinical observations of daily changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiovascular events. These patterns suggested that time of day matters, but it was not until the past two decades that the mechanisms and knowledge translation of these rhythms were uncovered. We describe the heart's intrinsic circadian properties and importantly how this leads to regulation of cardiac gene and protein expression, neuroendocrine and vascular rhythms, metabolism, cellular electrophysiology, and cell signaling pathways. Next, we explore emerging themes, including the impact of circadian timing on ischemic injury, …

Causes Of Symptoms And Symptom Persistence In Long Covid And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Anthony L Komaroff, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Debilitating symptoms for many years can follow acute COVID-19 ("long COVID"), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and various post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs). Together, long COVID and ME/CFS affect 60-400 million individuals, globally. Many similar underlying biological abnormalities have been identified in both conditions including autoantibodies against neural targets, endothelial dysfunction, acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, and a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome. Each of these abnormalities may directly cause some of the symptoms. In addition, the symptoms also may be caused by ancient, evolutionarily conserved symptomatic and metabolic responses to vital threats-sickness behavior and torpor-responses mediated by specific, recently discovered neural circuits. These neural …

Trpc4 Regulates Limbic Behavior And Neuronal Development By Stabilizing Dendrite Branches Through Actomyosin-Driven Integrin Activation, Jaepyo Jeon, Travis I Moore, Insuk So, Marc Freichel, Veit Flockerzi, Lutz Birnbaumer, Michael X Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 4 (TRPC4) channels have been implicated in multiple neurological functions, including anxiety and sociability. TRPC4 variants were also found in patients with autism. However, the contributions of TRPC4 to neurodevelopment remain undefined. Here, we show that neurobehavioral deficits appear early in young TRPC4 knockout (Trpc4^−/−) mice immediately after weaning, manifesting as alterations in multiple, limbic-related behaviors, such as nesting, marble burying, burrowing, self-grooming, and social interactions. Hippocampal neurons of Trpc4−/− mice exhibit reduced dendritic arborization both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that TRPC4 expression in dendrites surged at the …

Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia In Unfit Patients: 2026 Treatment Algorithms, Naseema Gangat, Courtney D Dinardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Management paradigms for newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (ND-AML) in patients considered unfit to receive intensive chemotherapy have evolved with improved understanding of disease biology. In this setting, management requires clear delineation of goals of therapy that should include preservation of quality-of-life (QoL). Combination of venetoclax (Ven) and a hypomethylating agent (HMA) is the current standard-of-care in most circumstances with flexible options in regard to drug dose and duration of treatment as well as the addition (triplet combinations) or alternative use of targeted therapies, such as inhibitors of FLT3, IDH1, IDH2, or menin for patients with NPM1MUT …

Kdm2b Variants In The Cxxc Domain Impair Its Dna-Binding Ability And Cause A Distinct Neurodevelopmental Syndrome, Amber S E Van Oirsouw, Michael A Hadders, Martijn Koetsier, Edith D J Peters, Nurit Assia Batzir, Tahsin Stefan Barakat, Diana Baralle, Adelyn Beil, Marie-Noëlle Bonnet-Dupeyron, Philip M Boone, Arjan Bouman, Deanna Alexis Carere, Benjamin Cogne, Leslie Dunnington, Laura S Farach, Casie A Genetti, Bertrand Isidor, Louis Januel, Aakash Joshi, Nayana Lahiri, Kristen N Lee, Idit Maya, Meriel Mcentagart, Hope Northrup, Mathilde Pujalte, Kate Richardson, Susan Walker, Bobby P C Koeleman, Mariëlle Alders, Richard H Van Jaarsveld, Renske Oegema

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rare variants affecting the epigenetic regulator KDM2B cause a recently delineated neurodevelopmental disorder. Interestingly, we previously identified both a general KDM2B-associated episignature and a subsignature specific to variants in the DNA-binding CxxC domain. In light of the existence of a distinct subsignature, we set out to determine if KDM2B CxxC variants are associated with a unique phenotype and disease mechanism. We recruited individuals with heterozygous CxxC variants and assessed the variants' effect on protein expression and DNA-binding ability. We analyzed clinical data from 19 individuals, including ten previously undescribed individuals with seven novel CxxC variants. The core phenotype of the …

Outcomes Of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Flt3-Tyrosine Kinase Domain Mutations: Prognostic Implications Of Npm1 Co-Mutation, Sankalp Arora, Wei-Ying Jen, Musa Yilmaz, Indraneel Deshmukh, Jayastu Senapati, Sanam Loghavi, Ghayas C Issa, Nicholas J Short, Tapan M Kadia, Courtney D Dinardo, Gautam Borthakur, Joseph Jabbour, Naveen Pemmaraju, Michael Andreeff, Koichi Takahashi, Kapil Bhalla, Uday Popat, Elizabeth J Shpall, Betul Oran, Hussein A Abbas, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Farhad Ravandi, Hagop Kantarjian, Naval Daver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The prognostic impact of Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not well defined. The authors described outcomes of one of the largest cohorts of patients with FLT3-TKD mutated (FLT3-TKDmut) AML to date.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with newly diagnosed AML who received frontline treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2012 to March 2024 divided into two cohorts: FLT3-TKDmut AML and nucleophosmin-mutated (NPM1mut)/FLT3-TKD wild-type (FLT3-TKDwt) AML. Patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication mutations were excluded.

Results: In total, 2922 patients were …

Lipidomic And Proteomic Insights From Extracellular Vesicles In The Postmortem Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reveal Substance Use Disorder-Induced Brain Changes, Chioma M Okeoma, Wasifa Naushad, Bryson C Okeoma, Carlos Gartner, Yulica Santos-Ortega, Calvin Vary, Savio Lima-Bastos, Victor Corasolla Carregari, Martin R Larsen, Alessio Noghero, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Substance use disorder (SUD) significantly increases the risk of neurotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired neuroplasticity. The activation of inflammatory pathways by substances may lead to reactive astrogliosis and chronic neuroinflammation, potentially mediated by the release of extracellular particles (EPs), such as extracellular condensates (ECs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). These particles, which reflect the physiological, pathophysiological, and metabolic states of their cells of origin, might carry molecular signatures indicative of SUD. In particular, our study investigated neuroinflammatory signatures in SUD patients by isolating EVs from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) Brodmann's area 9 (BA9) from postmortem subjects. We isolated BA9-derived …

Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Oral Hymecromone In Adults With Pulmonary Hypertension, Kathryn Czepiel, Nadine Nagy, Tamera Panjalingam, Anissa Kalinowski, Adam R Frymoyer, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Bo Gu, Haley Hedlin, Gernot Kaber, Sylvie Dobrota Lai, Joelle I Rosser, Paul L Bollyky, Vinicio De Jesus Perez, Roham T Zamanian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiopulmonary condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) is linked to vascular remodelling and interstitial fibrosis in PH. We hypothesised that inhibition of HA synthesis with hymecromone could serve as a reverse-remodelling therapy in PH.

Methods: We performed a proof-of-concept phase IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and PH associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). Patients were randomised to a 5:3 ratio and stratified by PH group to receive oral hymecromone or placebo two times per day over 24 weeks. The primary …

Mathematical Modeling And Association Analysis Decipher The Impact Of The Gut Microbiome On Cancer Immunotherapy, Andreas G Hadjigeorgiou, Constantinos Harkos, Aditya K Mishra, Golnaz Morad, Sarah B Johnson, Nadim J Ajami, Jennifer A Wargo, Lance L Munn, Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos, Rakesh K Jain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The gut microbiome has emerged as a key regulator of response to cancer immunotherapy. However, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which the microbiome influences immunotherapy is needed to identify strategies to optimize outcomes. To this end, we developed a mathematical model to obtain insights into the effect of the microbiome on the immune system and immunotherapy response. This model was based on (i) gut microbiome data derived from preclinical studies, (ii) mathematical modeling of the antitumor immune response, (iii) association analysis of microbiome profiles with model-predicted immune profiles, and (iv) statistical models that correlate model parameters with …

Clinical, Tumor, And Product Features Associated With Outcomes After Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Therapy In Follicular Lymphoma, Soumya Poddar, Jiali Yan, Gayatri Tiwari, Darawan Rinchai, Justin Budka, Wangshu Zhang, Weixin Peng, Shruti Salunkhe, Madison Davis, Qinghua Song, Sara Beygi, Harry Miao, Mike Mattie, Rhine S Shen, Caron A Jacobson, Davide Bedognetti, Simone Filosto, Sattva S Neelapu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, demonstrated remarkable efficacy with manageable toxicity in relapsed/refractory indolent B cell lymphomas in the ZUMA-5 trial.

Methods:Here, we report associations of product attributes, serum biomarkers, clinical features, and tumor characteristics with outcome in 124 patients with follicular lymphoma (FL).

Results: In univariate and multivariate analyses, pretreatment inflammatory markers, including TNF-α and IL-12p40, as well as total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV), associated with disease progression. Conversely, T-naive–like product phenotype associated with improved outcome, particularly in patients with high TMTV. These covariates improved risk stratification when combined with the …

Contemporary Outcomes Of Octa-Nonagenarians With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Jayastu Senapati, Hagop M Kantarjian, Tapan M Kadia, Jeannot Kekedjian, Gautam Borthakur, Naval Daver, Courtney D Dinardo, Elias Jabbour, Prithviraj Bose, Nicholas J Short, Musa Yilmaz, Nitin Jain, Naveen Pemmaraju, Hussein A Abbas, Ghayas C Issa, Abhishek Maiti, Guillermo Montalban Bravo, Indraneel Deshmukh, Elizabeth Shpall, Partow Kebriaei, Uday Popat, Sanam Loghavi, Beenu Thakral, Guilin Tang, Fadi G Haddad, Yesid Alvarado, Guillermo Garcia Manero, Farhad Ravandi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Octa-nonagenarians with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a high-risk group due to frequently poor performance status, adverse genomics (e.g., TP53 mutations, complex karyotype), a high incidence of secondary AML, and inability to undergo an allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Evaluating their outcomes with modern treatment approaches is important.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed outcomes of patients ≥80 years old with newly diagnosed AML treated at our center from 2013-2023.

Results: A total of 289 patients (median age, 83 years; range, 80-95 years) were included. Venetoclax containing low-intensity therapy was administered to 107 patients (37.0%). AML subtypes included de novo (123, …

Role Of Immunosuppressive Jnk Pathway In The Tumor Microenvironment Among Tnbc Subtypes In Ibcsg Trial 22–00, Andrea Joaquin Garcia, Takashi Semba, Mattia Rediti, Daniel J Mcgrail, Xuemei Xie, Xiaoping Wang, Dileep R Rampa, David Venet, Laurence Buisseret, Samira Majjaj, Roswitha Kammler, Marco Colleoni, Sherene Loi, Giuseppe Viale, Meredith M Regan, Françoise Rothé, Christos Sotiriou, Naoto T Ueno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phosphorylation of the JNK (pJNK) protein promotes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), enhancing aggressiveness in inflammatory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study evaluated the role of JNK signaling using a gene signature. RNA sequencing was performed on 347 TNBC tumors from the phase 3 International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) 22-00 trial, which evaluated adjuvant low-dose cyclophosphamide and methotrexate (CM). Immune-related tumors were identified by TNBC subtype or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Associations between JNK and outcomes were analyzed using Cox models. Low pJNK levels were associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) in immune-related tumors. These tumors also had lower Treg …

Multidimensional Analysis Of B7 Homolog 3 Rna Expression In Small Cell Lung Cancer Molecular Subtypes, Carl M Gay, Taofeek K Owonikoko, Lauren A Byers, Noura J Choudhury, Sajid Ahmed, Zachary Cain, Xiaozhong Qian, Matthew Brentnall, Simon Heeke, Ming Poi, Sharon Wu, Charles M Rudin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3) is a promising target for antibody-drug conjugates, with ifinatamab deruxtecan demonstrating an objective response rate of 54.8% in previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). This analysis aimed to characterize B7-H3 RNA expression with reference to SCLC molecular subtypes (SCLC-A, SCLC-N, SCLC-P, and SCLC-I) and immune-related parameters.

Experimental design: Tumor RNA expression and mutational burden for 1,721 patients with SCLC were derived from a real-world database (Caris Life Sciences). A predominant molecular subtype was assigned based on RNA expression using a gene-ratio classifier. PD-L1 expression was assessed by IHC (antibody 22C3; positive cutoff: tumor …

Large-Scale Crispr Screening In Primary Human 3d Gastric Organoids Enables Comprehensive Dissection Of Gene-Drug Interactions, Yuan-Hung Lo, Hudson T Horn, Mo-Fan Huang, Wei-Chieh Yu, Chia-Mei Young, Qing Liu, Madeline Tomaske, Martina Towers, Antonia Dominguez, Michael C Bassik, Dung-Fang Lee, Lei S Qi, Jonathan S Weissman, Jin Chen, Calvin J Kuo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding how genes influence drug responses is critical for advancing personalized cancer treatments. However, identifying these gene-drug interactions in a physiologically relevant human system remains a challenge, as it requires a model that reflects the complexity and heterogeneity among individuals. Here we show that large-scale CRISPR-based genetic screens, including knockout, interference (CRISPRi), activation (CRISPRa), and single-cell approaches, can be applied in primary human 3D gastric organoids to systematically identify genes that affect sensitivity to cisplatin. Our screens uncover genes that modulate cisplatin response. By combining CRISPR perturbations with single-cell transcriptomics, we resolve how genetic alterations interact with cisplatin at the …

Iterative Intraoperative 3t Mri (Imri)-Guided Brachytherapy: A Prospective Study On Enhancing Implantation Precision And Dosimetric Gains In Advanced Gynecologic Cancers, Shrikiriti S Rajan, Matthew S Ning, Megan Jacobson, Samantha J Simiele, Teresa Bruno, Ramez Kouzy, Kyoko Yoshida-Court, Tatiana Cisneros-Napravnik, Henry Yu, Jason Stafford, Yusung Kim, Geena Mathew, Rauda Alicia Cordova, Maliah Domingo, Anuja Jhingran, Lilie L Lin, Melissa Joyner, Travis T Sims, Lauren Colbert, Aradhana M Venkatesan, Ann Klopp

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To report on primary outcomes and dosimetric results of a prospective clinical trial and protocol for use of iterative intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) in gynecologic brachytherapy.

Methods: Patients with locally advanced cervical or vaginal cancer (FIGO stages IB2 - IVA, and stage II-IVA, respectively) undergoing pulsed dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial (NCT03634267) using iterative 3T iMRI during brachytherapy implant placement. Applicator and optional interstitial needles were placed under iMRI guidance in a 3T clinical MRI scanner. Imaging, dosimetry and clinical outcomes (local control (LC), recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS)), …

Genome Sequences Of Eight Fusobacterium Watanabei Sp Isolates, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Falk Ponath, Kaitlyn N Lewis, Rutika P Gavate, Floyd E Dewhirst, Junko Tomida, Yoshiaki Kawamura, Kaori Tanaka, Susan Bullman, Christopher D Johnston

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report draft genome sequences of eight Fusobacterium watanabei clinical isolates, ranging from 1.95 to 2.09 Mbp. Analysis against the Genome Taxonomy Database indicates that F. watanabei genomes are part of the "Fusobacterium nucleatum_J" group.

Ribosome Deficiency Induces Salmonella Filamentation Within Host Cells, Zhihui Lyu, Cierra Wilson, Kalyn Weiss, Spencer Lewis, Kurt Fredrick, William Margolin, Jiqiang Ling

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The ribosome is the central hub for protein synthesis and is heavily targeted by antibiotics. Ribosomal mutations, antibiotic treatment, and nutrient starvation can alter translational efficiency and lead to stressed cells. Ribosome deficiency plays a critical role in stress responses and disease progression; yet, how it affects bacteria-host interactions remains poorly understood. In this study, we show that a ribosome-deficient strain exhibits a surprising morphological change from rod shape to filamentous in Salmonella cells growing inside host macrophages. Such filamentation depends on an acidic condition within macrophages and in a defined medium mimicking macrophage conditions. Further genetic analyses revealed that …

Csf-Exosomal Mirnas And Delayed Cerebral Ischemia: Insights Into Pathophysiology But No Definitive Biomarkers, Chathathayil M Shafeeque, Devin W Mcbride, Yuanqing Yan, Hussein A Zeineddine, John P Hagen, H Alex Choi, Jude P Savarraj, Ari Dienel, Spiros L Blackburn, Peeyush Kumar Thankamani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is notoriously known for its high mortality and morbidity. Approximately one-third of the patients who survive aneurysm rupture are reported to develop delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), which contributes to a poor clinical outcome. Currently, there are no biomarkers for identifying which aSAH patients are at risk of developing DCI. We aimed to determine the feasibility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) for predicting DCI post-aSAH.

Methods: aSAH patients were prospectively enrolled, and CSF samples were collected at two time points (< 24 h and 72 h post-aSAH) from individuals undergoing external ventricular drainage. Exosomal miRNAs were isolated from the CSF for analysis. In the initial group of patients (discovery cohort), an exploratory analysis was conducted using a CSF panel containing 84 miRNAs, assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Based on this analysis, 27 miRNAs were selected for further evaluation in a second group of patients (validation cohort). Among these, 10 miRNAs had previously been reported in SAH-related CSF studies, supporting their relevance for continued investigation.

Results: In this study, RT-qPCR analysis of 84 miRNAs in CSF samples from …

Reduced Computed Tomography Scan Speed Improves Alignment Errors For Patients Undergoing Thoracic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Ramaswamy Sadagopan, Rachael M Martin-Paulpeter, Christopher R Peeler, Xiaochun Wang, Paige Nitsch, Julianne M Pollard-Larkin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: We investigated the performance of a slow computed tomography (CT) protocol to reduce alignment errors arising from motion when using CT-on-rail (CTOR) for image guidance for patients receiving thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: A Quasar lung phantom with a moving tumor was programmed with three breathing rates and three motion amplitudes. MIP and average 4DCT images were used for contouring and alignment, respectively. Ten CTOR images were obtained for each of the breathing rates and amplitudes, under both CT protocols. We used in-house CAT software for image guidance, centering the tumor in the lung window …