Medical Specialties Commons^™

Diras3-Derived Cyclic Peptides Disrupt Kras-Raf Interaction And Kras Nanoclustering, Suppressing Kras-Driven Pancreatic And Ovarian Tumors, Joshua P Gray, Gamze Bildik, Ha-Neul Kim, Margie N Sutton, Jing Wang, Amarachi O Osuji, Nefeli Batistatou, Hailing Yang, Weiqun Mao, Zhi Tan, Geneviève M C Gasmi-Seabrook, Junchen Liu, John F Hancock, Christopher B Marshall, Joshua A Kritzer, Mitsuhiko Ikura, Robert C Bast, Steven W Millward, Zhen Lu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mutations in KRAS drive 88% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and up to 40% of low-grade serous ovarian cancers (LGSOC), making KRAS a long-standing therapeutic target. We previously showed that DIRAS3 binds RAS, forming heterodimers that disrupt RAS clustering and downstream MAPK signaling. Building on this, we developed conformationally constrained DIRAS3-derived peptides using two cyclization strategies and characterized them by NMR and biolayer interferometry. These cyclic peptides attenuate the interaction between KRAS and the BRAF RAS-binding domain, penetrate cells efficiently, and inhibit KRAS nanoclustering on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Functionally, they reduce cell viability and suppress PDAC …

Shp2: A Redox-Sensitive Regulator Linking Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy To Cancer Treatment And Vascular Risk, Silvia Fernanda López Moreno, Stefania Assunto Lenz, Bernardo Casso-Chapa, Angelica Paniagua-Bojorges, Jung Hyun Kim, Nicolas L Palaskas, Kevin T Nead, Venkata S K Samanthapudi, Gilbert Mejia, Oanh Hoang, Jonghae Lee, Steven H Lin, Joerg Herrmann, Guangyu Wang, Syed Wamique Yusuf, Cezar A Iliescu, Noah I Beinart, Charlotte Manisty, Masuko Ushio-Fukai, Tohru Fukai, Pietro Ameri, Roza I Nurieva, Michelle A T Hildebrandt, Keri Schadler, Efstratios Koutroumpakis, Sivareddy Kotla, Nhat-Tu Le, Jun-Ichi Abe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Src homology 2-domain containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2), encoded by the Ptpn11 gene (Tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 11), is a key downstream effector of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling and is likely important, in addition to immune modulation, in tumor development and vascular homeostasis. SHP2 conveys PD-1 mediated inhibitory signaling in T cells, and is emerging as a therapeutic target. Importantly, there is an association between immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and cardiovascular complications, underscoring the need to understand SHP2’s role in these processes. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on SHP2/PTPN11 biology, its role in immune …

Semaglutide Use Before Single-Level Lumbar Fusion Associated With Fewer Readmissions And 90-Day Costs, Mitchell K. Ng, Paul G. Mastrokostas, Ariel N. Rodriguez, Abigail Razi, Leonidas E. Mastrokostas, Ahmed K. Emara, Brian T. Ford, Jacquelyn J. Xu, Jonathan Dalton, Rajkishen Narayanan, Christopher K. Kepler, Alan S. Hilibrand, Alex R. Vaccaro, Jad Bou Monsef, Afshin E. Razi

Rothman Institute Papers

CONTEXT: Semaglutide, a glucagon-like protein-1 receptor agonist used in diabetes and obesity management, has demonstrated perioperative benefits in other surgical populations. However, its role in spine surgery remains unclear.

AIMS: This study aims to evaluate whether patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion demonstrate: (1) fewer medical complications; (2) surgical complications; and (3) healthcare utilization as measured by readmissions and costs.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study using a national claims database from 2010 to 2021.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing single‑level lumbar fusion were identified and matched 1:5 using propensity scores based on age, sex, body mass …

Providencia Rettgeri As An Unusual Pathogen In Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis: A Case Report And Literature Review, Stephanie N. Campbell, Madeleine Mehaffey, Nikita Gambhir, Amanda L. Killeen

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Providencia rettgeri is a Gram-negative bacterium, rarely reported as a cause of diabetic wound infections. Its frequent resistance to β-lactams and carbapenems limits treatment options, especially in immunocompromised patients. We present the case of a 59-year-old unhoused male living with diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and prior bilateral transmetatarsal amputations who presented with a University of Texas 3B diabetic foot ulcer. Magnetic resonance imaging showed osteomyelitis of metatarsals 2–4, and bone biopsy grew Providencia rettgeri and Proteus mirabilis. The patient declined further surgery and was treated with 6 weeks of cefepime and metronidazole, with outpatient wound care, achieving wound closure …

Nirsevimab Effectiveness Against Intensive Care Unit Admission For Respiratory Syncytial Virus In Infants - 24 States, December 2024-April 2025., Laura D. Zambrano, Regina M. Simeone, Margaret M. Newhams, Amanda B. Payne, Natasha B. Halasa, Amber O. Orzel-Lockwood, Jemima M. Calixte, Satoshi Kamidani, Hillary Crandall, Melissa A. Cameron, Jennifer E. Schuster, Aline B. Maddux, Kathleen Chiotos, Katherine Irby, Steven L. Shein, Mary Allen Staat, Lora M. Martin, Samina S. Bhumbra, Ryan A. Nofziger, Jigar C. Chauhan, Danielle M. Zerr, Shira J. Gertz, Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill, Michele Kong, Janet R. Hume, Bria M. Coates, Kelly N. Michelson, Emily R. Levy, Tamara T. Bradford, Stephanie P. Schwartz, Tracie C. Walker, Melissa S. Stockwell, Austin Biggs, Alexander H. Hogan, Katherine Lindsey, Angela P. Campbell, Adrienne G. Randolph, Overcoming Rsv Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and respiratory failure among infants (children aged < 1 year) in the United States. In August 2023, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, to protect against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infection among all infants aged < 8 months born during or entering their first RSV season. Following licensure, nirsevimab effectiveness has been demonstrated against RSV-associated infant hospitalization, but evidence regarding effectiveness against RSV-associated critical illness is limited. In a 27-hospital case-control investigation, nirsevimab effectiveness against both RSV-associated infant ICU admission and acute respiratory failure (illness requiring continuous positive airway pressure, bilevel positive airway pressure, or invasive mechanical ventilation) after hospital admission was evaluated during December 1, 2024-April 15, 2025. Among 457 case-patients who received a positive RSV test result and 302 control patients who received a negative RSV test result admitted to an ICU with respiratory symptoms, 14% and 45%, respectively, had received nirsevimab ≥7 days before symptom onset. Nirsevimab was 80% effective (95% CI = 70%-86%) against RSV-associated ICU admission and 83% effective (95% CI = 74%-90%) against acute respiratory failure when received a median of 52 days (IQR = 32-89 days) and 50 days (IQR = 32-86 days) before onset for each respective endpoint. These estimates support the recommendation for use of nirsevimab as a prevention strategy to protect infants against severe outcomes from RSV infection.

Single Cell Long Read Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Somatic Transposon Activity In Human Brain, Michal B Izydorczyk, Ester Kalef-Ezra, Dominic W Horner, Xinchang Zheng, Nadine Holmes, Marco Toffoli, Zeliha Sahin, Yi Han, Heer H Mehta, Sonja W Scholz, Clifton L Dalgard, Donna M Muzny, Adam Ameur, Fritz J Sedlazeck, Christos Proukakis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The advent of single cell DNA sequencing revealed astonishing dynamics of genomic variability, but failed at characterizing smaller to mid size variants that on the germline level have a profound impact. In this work we discover previously uncharacterized genomic dynamics in 18 cells from three human brains utilizing single cell long-read whole genome sequencing. This provides key insights into the dynamic of the genomes of individual cells and further highlights brain specific activity of transposable elements, but requires validation in larger studies.

A Scoping Review Of Breastfeeding Interventions Conducted In The Republic Of Türkiye And The Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus, Suha Ballout, Basil Hassan Aboul-Enein, Ilknur Yesilcinar, Patricia J Kelly

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Objective: Breastfeeding (BF) is essential for maternal and child health, yet disparities persist in initiation, exclusivity, and duration. Despite cultural and policy support in Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, challenges such as inconsistent hospital practices, early formula supplementation, and limited workplace accommodations hinder optimal BF outcomes. Understanding the effectiveness of BF interventions in these regions is key to improving maternal and infant health. This review is aimed to identify and synthesize BF interventions and their outcomes in Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Materials and Methods: A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting …

Genome-Wide Association Study Of 398,238 Women Unveils Seven Loci Associated With High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer, Daniel R Barnes, Jonathan P Tyrer, Joe Dennis, Goska Leslie, Manjeet K Bolla, Michael Lush, Amber M Aeilts, Kristiina Aittomäki, Nadine Andrieu, Irene L Andrulis, Hoda Anton-Culver, Adalgeir Arason, Banu K Arun, Judith Balmaña, Elisa V Bandera, Rosa B Barkardottir, Lieke P V Berger, Amy Berrington De Gonzalez, Pascaline Berthet, Katarzyna Białkowska, Line Bjørge, Amie M Blanco, Marinus J Blok, Kristie A Bobolis, Natalia V Bogdanova, James D Brenton, Henriett Butz, Saundra S Buys, Maria A Caligo, Ian Campbell, Carmen Castillo, Kathleen B M Claes, Sarah V Colonna, Linda S Cook, Mary B Daly, Agnieszka Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Miguel De La Hoya, Anna Defazio, Allison Depersia, Yuan Chun Ding, Jennifer A Doherty, Susan M Domchek, Thilo Dörk, Zakaria Einbeigi, Christoph Engel, D Gareth Evans, Lenka Foretova, Renée T Fortner, Florentia Fostira, Maria Cristina Foti, Eitan Friedman, Megan N Frone, Patricia A Ganz, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Gord Glendon, Andrew K Godwin, Anna González-Neira, Mark H Greene, Jacek Gronwald, Aliana Guerrieri-Gonzaga, Ute Hamann, Thomas V O Hansen, Holly R Harris, Jan Hauke, Florian Heitz, Frans B L Hogervorst, Maartje J Hooning, John L Hopper, Chad D Huff, David G Huntsman, Evgeny N Imyanitov, Louise Izatt, Anna Jakubowska, Paul A James, Ramunas Janavicius, Esther M John, Siddhartha Kar, Beth Y Karlan, Catherine J Kennedy, Lambertus A L M Kiemeney, Irene Konstantopoulou, Jolanta Kupryjanczyk, Yael Laitman, Ofer Lavie, Kate Lawrenson, Jenny Lester, Fabienne Lesueur, Carlos Lopez-Pleguezuelos, Phuong L Mai, Siranoush Manoukian, Taymaa May, Iain A Mcneish, Usha Menon, Roger L Milne, Francesmary Modugno, Jennifer M Mongiovi, Marco Montagna, Kirsten B Moysich, Susan L Neuhausen, Finn C Nielsen, Catherine Noguès, Edit Oláh, Olufunmilayo I Olopade, Ana Osorio, Laura Papi, Harsh Pathak, Celeste L Pearce, Inge S Pedersen, Ana Peixoto, Tanja Pejovic, Pei-Chen Peng, Beth N Peshkin, Paolo Peterlongo, C Bethan Powell, Darya Prokofyeva, Miquel Angel Pujana, Paolo Radice, Muhammad U Rashid, Gad Rennert, George Richenberg, Dale P Sandler, Naoko Sasamoto, Veronica W Setiawan, Priyanka Sharma, Weiva Sieh, Christian F Singer, Katie Snape, Anna P Sokolenko, Penny Soucy, Melissa C Southey, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Rebecca Sutphen, Christian Sutter, Yen Y Tan, Manuel R Teixeira, Kathryn L Terry, Liv Cecilie V Thomsen, Marc Tischkowitz, Amanda E Toland, Toon Van Gorp, Ana Vega, Digna R Velez Edwards, Penelope M Webb, Jeffrey N Weitzel, Nicolas Wentzensen, Alice S Whittemore, Stacey J Winham, Anna H Wu, Siddhartha Yadav, Yao Yu, Argyrios Ziogas, Andrew Berchuck, Fergus J Couch, Ellen L Goode, Marc T Goodman, Alvaro N Monteiro, Kenneth Offit, Susan J Ramus, Harvey A Risch, Joellen M Schildkraut, Mads Thomassen, Jacques Simard, Douglas F Easton, Michelle R Jones, Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Simon A Gayther, Antonis C Antoniou, Paul D P Pharoah

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nineteen genomic regions have been associated with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). We meta-analyzed >22 million variants for 398,238 women from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC), UK Biobank (UKBB) and Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/BRCA2 (CIMBA) to identify novel HGSOC susceptibility loci. Eight novel variants were associated with HGSOC risk. An interesting discovery biologically was TP53 3’-UTR SNP rs78378222-T’s association with HGSOC (per-T-allele relative risk (RR) = 1.44, 95% CI:1.28–1.62, P = 1.76 × 10−9). Polygenic scores (PGS) were developed using OCAC and CIMBA data and trained on FinnGen data. The optimal PGS included 64,518 …

Acute Myeloid Leukemia With T(10; 17)(P15; Q21)/ Zmynd11::Mbtd1: A Subtype With Minimal Differentiation, Cd7/Cd56 Expression, And Generally Poor Outcomes In Adults, Qing Wei, Naveen Pemmaraju, Sa A Wang, Shimin Hu, Courtney Dinardo, Ghayas C Issa, Carlos E Bueso-Ramos, Jie Xu, Shaoying Li, Jeffrey L Medeiros, Guilin Tang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Tca Cycle Mode Switch Determines The Fate Of Pirtobrutinib-Tolerant Persister Cells In Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Wei Wang, Qingsong Cai, Yang Liu, Lei Nie, Heng-Huan Lee, Fangfang Yan, Yue Fei, Yixin Yao, Yijing Li, Lin Tan, Philip L Lorenzi, Ying-Nai Wang, Jun Yao, Zhihong Chen, Joseph Mitchell Mcintosh, Cheng-Tai Yu, Preetesh Jain, Vivian C Jiang, Jovanny Vargas, Xiaolin Li, Tianci Zhang, Shaoying Li, David Santos, Selvi Thirumurthi, Erin Heather Seeley, Lukas Mikolaj Simon, Christopher Flowers, Chi Young Ok, Michael Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis) and cell therapy have successfully been used to treat mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, therapy resistance inevitably emerges. Cancer cells can progressively develop stable resistance by traversing through a transient drug-tolerant persister (DTP) state. The mechanisms enabling DTP cells to reversibly adapt to therapies and evolve to acquire heterogeneity remain poorly understood, and characterizing DTP cells in MCL continues to pose a challenge for clinic translation. Here, using pirtobrutinib, a recently US Food and Drug Administration-approved noncovalent BTKi, we identified pirtobrutinib-tolerant persister cells exhibiting morphological variability by presenting a unique population of enlarged cells (giant …

Five-Year Follow-Up Analysis Of Zuma-5: Axicabtagene Ciloleucel In Relapsed/Refractory Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Sattva S Neelapu, Julio C Chavez, Alison R Sehgal, Narendranath Epperla, Matthew L Ulrickson, Emmanuel Bachy, Pashna N Munshi, Carla Casulo, David G Maloney, Sven De Vos, Ran Reshef, Lori A Leslie, Olalekan O Oluwole, Ibrahim Yakoub-Agha, Rashmi Khanal, Joseph D Rosenblatt, Jacob Wulff, Rhine R Shen, Wangshu Zhang, Soumya Poddar, Harry Miao, Olga Nikolajeva, Caron A Jacobson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL). Here, we report updated clinical outcomes from ZUMA-5 in 159 enrolled patients with R/R indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL; 127 with FL and 31 with marginal zone lymphoma) after a median follow-up of 64.6 months. Patients underwent leukapheresis and received lymphodepleting chemotherapy and axi-cel (2 × 106 CAR T cells/kg). The overall response rate was 90% (75% complete response rate). The median duration of response was 60.4 months, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 62.2 months; median time to next …

Early Tumor Volume Reduction By Breast Dce Mri Predicts Pathologic Complete Response To Neoadjuvant Therapy In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Mary S Guirguis, Beatriz E Adrada, Clinton Yam, Debu Tripathy, Rosalind Candelaria, Wei Yang, Miral Patel, Tanya Moseley, Frances Perez, Gary J Whitman, Jessica W T Leung, Huong Le-Petross, Deanna L Lane, Lei Huo, Jennifer K Litton, Vicente Valero, Kelly K Hunt, Banu Arun, Rania Mohamed, Jia Sun, Anil Korkut, Zhan Xu, Sanaz Pashapoor, Jason White, Jong Bum Son, Alastair Thompson, Peng Wei, Jingfei Ma, Stacy Moulder, Gaiane M Rauch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with variable response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST). Patients with pathologic complete response (pCR) following NAST have improved survival. Our goal was to establish readily accessible imaging biomarker to identify which TNBC patients will have pCR. Building on prior favorable results in the literature, we hypothesized that manually measured tumor volume changes at DCE-MRI may predict pCR early during NAST. This prospective study included 287 stage I-III TNBC patients who underwent DCE-MRI at baseline, after two and four cycles of NAST, with pCR accessed at surgery (NCT02276443). Tumor volume and percentage tumor …

Impact Of Video Laryngoscopy On Pediatric And Neonatal Transport Intubation Success, Brooke A. Shahriary

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Airway management is the primary intervention for halting clinical decompensation in pediatric and neonatal patients. In cases where patients require invasive support, endotracheal intubation (ETI) is the preferred method of airway securement. Unfortunately, ETI is a challenging skill to develop, especially when caring for children and infants, resulting in increased rates of failed ETI attempts which can result in worse outcomes. ETI success rates in the population of interest have fallen in recent years, nationally and among the clinicians in this project. The institution established a goal for first pass success (FPS) and video laryngoscope (VL) was introduced …

Infection And Nonunion Rates In Open Fractures, Roman M. Natoli, Lucas S. Marchand, Sofia Bzovsky, Jennifer E. Hagen, Mark J. Gage, Christina A. Stennett, Nathan N. O’Hara, Kyle J. Jeray, Brad Petrisor, Sheila Sprague, Gerard P. Slobogean, Jeffrey Wells, Mohit Bhandari, Anthony D. Harris, C. Daniel Mullins, Lehana Thabane, Amber Wood, Gregory J. Della Rocca, Joan Hebden, Lyndsay M. O’Hara, Robert Zura, Christopher Lee, Joseph Patterson, Michael J. Gardner, Jenna Blasman, Jonah Davies, Stephen Liang, Monica Taljaard, The Flow Investigators, The Prep-It Investigators

Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Publications

Background: Infection and nonunion are common sequelae of open fractures. Studies have shown infection and nonunion rates ranging from 2% to 52% and 12% to 17%, respectively. The present article describes the rates of surgical site infection (SSI) and delayed union/nonunion following open fractures in a large contemporary series of patients from prospective clinical trials with adjudicated outcomes. Methods: A descriptive analysis was performed with use of patient data from the FLOW, Aqueous-PREP, and PREPARE-Open studies. These studies, published within the past 10 years, included multiple international trauma centers and shared definitions for SSI and delayed union/nonunion. SSI and delayed …

Perioperative Nutrition In Pediatric Patients With Congenital Heart Disease And Heart Failure., Jaime Silva-Gburek, Kelsey May, Bailey Walvoord, Catalina Lozano, Jorge A. Coss-Bu

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Optimal nutritional therapy is important for infants and children with perioperative congenital heart disease and heart failure. Medical providers face physiological and metabolic challenges when administering enteral and parenteral nutrition to these patients. Complications related to enteral nutrition can increase morbidity and mortality, although outcomes are improved in those cases in which caloric and nutrient administration can be achieved. Consensus regarding feeding strategies and timing of nutritive care is lacking. This narrative review aims to summarize, analyze and discuss the most recent literature on nutritional therapy in perioperative congenital heart disease, heart failure and pediatric patients requiring mechanical circulatory support …

Conjunctival Melanoma Genomic Analysis Reveals Intermediate Tumor Mutation Burden And Genomic Overlap With Cutaneous Melanoma, Florentia Dimitriou, Xiaogang Wu, Priyadharsini Nagarajan, Isabella C Glitza, Li Zhao, Jing Ning, Sapna P Patel, Jennifer A Wargo, Andrew Futreal, Scott Woodman, Jennifer L Mcquade, Bita Esmaeli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Conjunctival melanoma (CJM) is a rare and aggressive malignancy. Mainly attributed to its rarity, the genomic features of CJM have not been well characterized. In the present study, we sequenced the exomes of primary and metastatic CJM tumors with the aim to unravel their genomic landscape. The results of the study suggest that CJM is a molecularly distinct melanoma subtype with mixed genotype and targetable mutations. Notably, there were features overlapping with both mucosal, and mainly cutaneous melanoma. Of note, some genetic alterations were found in association with specific subsets of CJM, such as bulbar anatomical localization. CJM tumors had …

A Week-Long Departmental Scholarship Curriculum For Pediatric Subspecialty Fellows, Amy Creel, Amanda Messer, Robin English

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Scholarly activity is a key requirement in pediatric subspecialty fellowship training. However, clear guidance on how to effectively support fellows in their scholarly endeavors remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the impact of a week-long departmental scholarship curriculum designed to enhance fellows' research competencies. METHODS: In 2024, a curriculum was designed and delivered to first-year pediatric subspecialty fellows over 5 days, combining group learning sessions with individualized tasks. Pre- and post-curriculum surveys assessed fellows' confidence and knowledge across key scholarly domains. Daily session evaluations provided additional feedback. Fourteen fellows from 9 pediatric subspecialty programs participated. RESULTS: All first-year fellows …

Unveiling Humility In Emergency Medicine Chief Residents: A Thematic Exploration Of Standard Letters Of Evaluation, Abagayle Bierowski, Ridhima Ghei, Casey Morrone, Xiao C. Zhang, Dimitrios Papanagnou

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Although humility is a key leadership trait linked to collaboration and trust, current residency application processes lack methods to identify it. By examining whether themes of humility appear in the Standardized Letters of Evaluation (SLOE) of medical students who later became emergency medicine (EM) chief residents, we sought to determine the presence of humility-related traits in SLOEs and explore their potential to inform the identification of applicants with leadership potential during residency selection.

METHODS: Two independent reviewers examined 104 SLOEs (52 chief, 52 non-chief) from 2015-2021, representing 43 students (21 who later assumed chief resident positions and 22 who …

Improved Technical Outcomes With Converting Thrombectomy Techniques After Failed First Pass Recanalization, Hidetoshi Matsukawa, Charles Matouk, Kazutaka Uchida, Sami Al Kasab, Mohammad-Mahdi Sowlat, Sameh Samir Elawady, Ilko Maier, Pascal Jabbour, Joon-Tae Kim, Stacey Q Wolfe, Ansaar T Rai, Robert M Starke, Marios-Nikos Psychogios, Edgar A Samaniego, Adam S Arthur, Hugo Cuellar, Brain M Howard, Daniele G Romano, Omar Tanweer, Justin R Mascitelli, Isabel Fragata, Adam Polifka, Joshua W Osbun, Roberto Javier Crosa, Min S Park, Michael R Levitt, Waleed Brinjikji, Mark Moss, Richard Williamson, Pedro Navia, Peter Kan, Reade Andrew De Leacy, Shakeel A Chowdhry, Mohamad Ezzeldin, Alejandro M Spiotta, Shinichi Yoshimura, Ali M Alawieh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: A higher number of recanalization attempts reduces the efficacy of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion (LVO). We assessed the impact of switching EVT techniques after a failed first pass on procedural and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This multicenter international study, conducted between January 2013 and December 2022, included patients undergoing EVT for anterior circulation LVO (internal carotid artery or M1 segments) with failed first pass recanalization. Propensity score matching identified a 1:1 matched cohort of patients in whom EVT technique was changed after a failed first pass and those with the same technique …

Be Faster Community Of Practice To Increase Rapid Initiation Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Houston, Texas: A Pre-Post Intervention Study, Naomi Sequeira, Bich N Dang, Melanie Goebel, Monisha Arya, Avishek Ghosh-Hajra, Kathryn Fergus, Shital M Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (Rapid ART) is a key strategy of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. The Baylor College of Medicine Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Facilitating Antiretroviral Start Earlier (BE FASTER) program was developed to address this call-to-action. The program uses the ProjectECHO tele-mentoring model as an implementation tool in Harris County, a priority EHE jurisdiction. The authors present results on the acceptability and feasibility of the BE FASTER program.

Methods: Multidisciplinary health professionals from 5 Ryan White Part A funded agencies formed the community of practice. The BE FASTER program included 9 monthly …

Ultra-Low-Field Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging Feasibility And Safety In Pediatric And Neonatal Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Single-Center Year-Long Experience., Jessica S. Wallisch, Asdis Finnsdottir Wagner, John M. Daniel Iv, Allison Taber, Maura Sien, Sarah Foster, Nathan S. Artz, Timothy Zinkus, Hung-Wen Yeh, Jose A. Pineda, Patrick M. Kochanek, Sherwin S. Chan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite improving outcomes, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) remains associated with high rates of acute brain injury, impacting survival and outcomes. Clinical imaging modalities, including computed tomography and standard-field magnetic resonance imaging (≥1.5 Tesla), have either limited early detection of ischemic-type injuries or are incompatible with ECMO, causing diagnostic delays. A Food and Drug Administration-cleared ultra-low-field portable magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI; 0.064 Tesla) has shown promise in acute brain injury detection and use with MRI-unsafe equipment, but pediatric ECMO data are limited.

METHODS: This institutional review board-approved, single-center study was conducted at a quaternary children's hospital. Neonatal and pediatric patients …

Hypertensive Remodelling: When Bigger Body Means Bigger Problems, Eric Lazartigues

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Retinol Tracing Within Murine Neural Retina Reveals Cell Type-Specific Retinol Transport And Distribution, Zachary J Engfer, Grazyna Palczewska, Samuel W Du, Jianye Zhang, Zhiqian Dong, Carolline Rodrigues Menezes, Jun Wang, Jianming Shao, Budd A Tucker, Robert F Mullins, Rui Chen, Philip D Kiser, Krzysztof Palczewski

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

11-cis-Retinal is essential for light perception in mammalian photoreceptors (PRs), and aberrations in retinoid transformations cause severe retinal diseases. Understanding these processes is crucial for combating blinding diseases. The visual cycle, operating within PRs and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), regenerates 11-cis-retinal to sustain light sensitivity. Retinoids are also present in Müller glia (MG), hypothesized to supply 11-cis-retinol to cone PRs and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To trace retinoid movement through retinal cell types, we used cell-specific knock-in of lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), which converts retinols into stable retinyl esters (REs). Ectopic LRAT expression in murine PRs, MG, and RGCs resulted …

Apathy Self-Awareness And Its Neural Correlates In Parkinson’S Disease, Hannah Conn, Hideo Suzuki, Zekai Jin, Ana Marin, Xi Zhu, Seonjoo Lee, Edward Huey, Ratko Radakovic, Sarah R Heilbronner, Nora Vanegas-Arroyave

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Apathy is a prevalent non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) that negatively impacts quality of life. Impaired self-awareness of apathy (ISA-a) further impacts patient care by limiting engagement. While apathy has been associated with reduced fronto-striatal functional connectivity (FC), the neural basis of ISA-a remains unclear. We examined ISA-a in 52 individuals and the neural basis of ISA-a in 35 individuals with PD using a dimensional approach (i.e., initiation, executive, and emotional apathy) and resting-state fMRI (3T scanner). Apathetic PD patients (42%) showed poorer self-awareness than non-apathetic peers. Apathetic PD patients showed a trend towards reduced FC between the left …

Elastic Cytomatrix Dynamics Influences Metabolic Rate And Tumor Microenvironment Formation, Tattym E Shaiken, Tulendy T Nurkenov, Meruyert S Kurmanbayeva, David Y Graham

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In healthy cells, the cytomatrix mechanics utilize mitochondrial respiration to control cytosolic motion and fine-tune the chemical processes. In cancer, the cytosolic motion is energized by glycolytic fermentation (the Warburg effect), which provides additional energy to supply the needs of the cytomatrix. Here, we describe the physical and chemical processes of the integrated and cooperative cytomatrix cytoarchitecture, in which structure and function are inseparable. The extracellular matrix is interconnected with the intracellular cytomatrix and functions as two integrated elastic solid phases. This finding led us to propose mechanisms of tumor microenvironment formation resulting from the mutational burden, in which altered …

Insights Into The Relevance Of Targeting Fibroblasts To Control Cancer, Viktoria Boeker, Raghu Kalluri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) have garnered significant research attention in the last decade. As key stromal cells of the TME, studies have explored them as a potential target for controlling cancer. Using high-throughput technologies like single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with proteomics, the classification of different CAF subgroups reveals a complex system that varies by cancer type. Unraveling novel big data, potentially through AI platforms, will be key to identifying the role of CAFs in tumor progression and therapy escape mechanisms, enabling new therapies that manipulate CAFs to increase patients' survival. We summarize and discuss new developments …

Voices: Future Directions In Targeting The Tumor Microenvironment, Tanja De Gruijl, Catherine Sautès-Fridman, Daniela S Thommen, Michael A Curran

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

What do you envision as the most promising future directions for therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating the tumor microenvironment?

Prognosis And Treatment Response Stratification According To Loss Of Proofreading (Lop), Giulia Maddalena, Fadl A Zeineddine, Saikat Chowdhury, Mohammad A Zeineddine, Abdelrahman M Yousef, Francesca Bergamo, Sara Lonardi, Timothy A Yap, Michael Geoffrey White, Michael J Overman, Scott Kopetz, John Paul Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Only a subset of polymerase epsilon (POLE) mutations is associated with hypermutant phenotype; we hypothesized that only loss-of-proofreading (LOP) POLE mutations are associated with favorable immunotherapy response.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a pan-cancer cohort of 69,223 patients from cBioPortal and a cohort of patients with 41 POLE mutant metastatic colorectal (CRC) treated with immunotherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between January 2017 and May 2023. We evaluated prognosis according to POLE mutation functionality.

Results: In the pan-cancer cBioPortal cohort (n=69,223) POLE was mutated in 2.8% (1,965) of tumors; of these, only 7.5% (n=148) had …

Identification Of Therapeutic Targets For Renal Medullary Carcinoma Via Integrated Genomic And Transcriptomic Profiling, Pavlos Msaouel, Nizar M Tannir, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Jennifer M King, Martin H Voss, Jessica P Cheng, Susan S Thomas, Zita D Lim, Menuka Karki, Rong He, Giannicola Genovese, Rahul A Sheth, Davis R Ingram, Diana Shamsutdinova, Khalida M Wani, Wei-Lien Wang, Alexander J Lazar, Dominique Knipper-Davis, Amber Berlinski, Tayla Soares, Danil Stupichev, Kirill Kryukov, Suren Davitavyan, Anna Novokreshchenova, Dmitry Lebedev, Stanislav Kurpe, Andrey Kravets, Dmitrii Belousov, Michael Hensley, Alexander Bagaev, Francesca Paradiso, Vladimir Kushnarev

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare but highly aggressive kidney cancer that resists conventional therapies. To identify therapeutic targets, this study employs histopathologic, genomic, and transcriptomic profiling of 25 RMC samples. TROP2, EPCAM, CLDN6, and CDH6 are significantly overexpressed compared with other renal and solid tumors. Pathway analyses indicate Hippo pathway upregulation and a tumor microenvironment rich in fibroblasts and neutrophils. We subsequently explore treatment of four heavily pretreated patients, all with high TROP2 expression, using sacituzumab govitecan, a TROP2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate. Of these four patients, one patient achieves a partial response with symptom improvement, two patients maintain stable …

From Nicu To Neighborhood: Supporting Premature Patients Beyond The Hospital, Bob Underwood, Jermine Harriet Romald

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

In this episode, we chat with neonatologist Harriet Romald, MD, FAAP, to explore the critical role pediatricians play in the long-term care of premature infants. From NICU discharge to developmental milestones, we discuss how pediatricians and neonatologists collaborate to ensure continuity of care, monitor common health challenges and navigate social determinants that impact outcomes. Whether you're new to caring for former NICU patients or looking to deepen your understanding, this conversation offers practical insights and the latest updates in neonatal follow-up care.

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