Integrative Medicine Commons^™

Mettl14-Mediated Epitranscriptome Modification Of Mn1 Mrna Promote Tumorigenicity And All-Trans-Retinoic Acid Resistance In Osteosarcoma, Hong-Bo Li, Gang Huang, Jian Tu, Dong-Ming Lv, Qing-Lin Jin, Jun-Kai Chen, Yu-Tong Zou, Dung-Fang Lee, Jing-Nan Shen, Xian-Biao Xie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in adolescents. The molecular mechanism behind OS progression and metastasis remains poorly understood, which limits the effectiveness of current therapies. RNA N

METHODS: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), dot blotting, and colorimetric ELISA were used to detect m

FINDINGS: We observed the abundance of m

INTERPRETATION: Our study revealed that METTL14 contributes to OS progression and ATRA resistance as an m

FUNDING: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 81972510 and 81772864).

Unexpected Movement Of The Esophagus Across The Aorta, Hyun Ho Choi, Soo-Yoon Sung, Yoon Ho Ko

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor regression throughout treatment would induce organ movement, but little is known of this in the esophagus. To achieve successful tumor regression, radiation therapy requires several weeks of radiation to be delivered accurately to the tumor. Usually, a 5-10 mm margin is allowed for set-up error and internal organ motion. Our case exhibited an unexpectedly large movement of the esophagus across the aorta with tumor regression that extended outside the margin and thus outside the radiotherapy field. These movements may affect subsequent invasive procedures or treatment during cancer therapy. After the unexpected large movement of the esophagus due to tumor …

The Use Of Second-Generation Antipsychotics And The Changes In Physical Growth In Children And Adolescents With Perinatally Acquired Hiv, Nan Xin, Jenni Durieux, Chunxia Yang, Suzanne Wolff, Hyun-Eui Kim, Andrew Dillin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is dedicated to promoting mitochondrial proteostasis and is linked to extreme longevity. The key regulator of this process is the transcription factor ATFS-1, which, upon UPRmt activation, is excluded from the mitochondria and enters the nucleus to regulate UPRmt genes. However, the repair proteins synthesized as a direct result of UPRmt activation must be transported into damaged mitochondria that had previously excluded ATFS-1 owing to reduced import efficiency. To address this conundrum, we analyzed the role of the import machinery when the UPRmt was induced. Using in vitro and in vivo analysis of mitochondrial …

Obscurin Regulates Ankyrin Macromolecular Complex Formation, Janani Subramaniam, Gokay Yamankurt, Shane R Cunha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obscurin is a large scaffolding protein in striated muscle that maintains sarcolemmal integrity and aligns the sarcoplasmic reticulum with the underlying contractile machinery. Ankyrins are a family of adaptor proteins with some isoforms that interact with obscurin. Previous studies have examined obscurin interacting with individual ankyrins. In this study, we demonstrate that two different ankyrins interact with obscurin's carboxyl terminus via independent ankyrin-binding domains (ABDs). Using in-vitro binding assays, co-precipitation assays, and FLIM-FRET analysis, we show that obscurin interacts with small ankyrin 1.5 (sAnk1.5) and the muscle-specific ankyrin-G isoform (AnkG107). While there is no direct interaction between sAnk1.5 and AnkG107, …

Phosphatidylserine And Phosphatidylethanolamine Asymmetry Have A Negligible Effect On The Global Structure, Dynamics, And Interactions Of The Kras Lipid Anchor, Mussie K Araya, Alemayehu A Gorfe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The intrinsically disordered C-terminus of the prominent oncogenic protein KRAS-4B (KRAS) selectively interacts and clusters with phosphatidylserine (PS) lipids in the plasma membrane (PM). This 11-residue segment, called tK, contains a polybasic domain (PBD) of six contiguous lysine residues and a farnesylated cysteine. Previous molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies of tK in phosphatidylcholine (PC)/PS bilayers have suggested that backbone conformational dynamics modulate tK-PS interactions. These simulations have been conducted in symmetric membranes whereas the PM is compositionally asymmetric, with the inner leaflet, where KRAS is localized, being enriched with PS and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids. To examine if bilayer asymmetry affects …

A Telehealth-Delivered Tai Chi Intervention (Taichi4joint) For Managing Aromatase Inhibitor-Induced Arthralgia In Patients With Breast Cancer During Covid-19: Longitudinal Pilot Study, Sameh Gomaa, Carly West, Ana Maria Lopez, Tingting Zhan, Max Schnoll, Maysa Abu-Khalaf, Andrew B. Newberg, Kuang-Yi Wen

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are the endocrine therapy of choice recommended for these patients. Up to 50% of those treated with an AI develop arthralgia, often resulting in poor adherence and decreased quality of life.

Objective: The study is a single-arm longitudinal pilot study aiming to evaluate the safety, feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of TaiChi4Joint, a remotely delivered 12-week tai chi intervention designed to relieve AI-induced joint pain.

Methods: Women diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer who received an AI for at least 2 …

Variants In Asph Cause Exertional Heat Illness And Are Associated With Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptibility, Yukari Endo, Linda Groom, Alper Celik, Natalia Kraeva, Chang Seok Lee, Sung Yun Jung, Lois Gardner, Marie-Anne Shaw, Susan L Hamilton, Philip M Hopkins, Robert T Dirksen, Sheila Riazi, James J Dowling

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Exertional heat illness (EHI) and malignant hyperthermia (MH) are life threatening conditions associated with muscle breakdown in the setting of triggering factors including volatile anesthetics, exercise, and high environmental temperature. To identify new genetic variants that predispose to EHI and/or MH, we performed genomic sequencing on a cohort with EHI/MH and/or abnormal caffeine-halothane contracture test. In five individuals, we identified rare, pathogenic heterozygous variants in ASPH, a gene encoding junctin, a regulator of excitation-contraction coupling. We validated the pathogenicity of these variants using orthogonal pre-clinical models, CRISPR-edited C2C12 myotubes and transgenic zebrafish. In total, we demonstrate that ASPH variants represent …

Alterations Of The Gut Microbial Community Structure And Function With Aging In The Spontaneously Hypertensive Stroke Prone Rat, Huanan Shi, James W Nelson, Sharon Phillips, Joseph F Petrosino, Robert M Bryan, David J Durgan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Gut dysbiosis, a pathological imbalance of bacteria, has been shown to contribute to the development of hypertension (HT), systemic- and neuro-inflammation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rats (SHRSP). However, to date individual species that contribute to HT in the SHRSP model have not been identified. One potential reason, is that nearly all studies of the SHRSP gut microbiota have analyzed samples from rats with established HT. The goal of this study was to examine the SHRSP gut microbiota before, during, and after the onset of hypertension, and in normotensive WKY control rats over the same …

Interventional Radiology Procedures Without Sedation: The Nurse Experience, Catherine De Leon

Dissertations

Background: Many IR procedures offer a less invasive and economical alternative to some open or laparoscopic surgeries. Patients undergoing a procedure without moderate sedation are awake, alert, with heightened sensory perceptions, and vulnerable to their surroundings. There is a gap in the current body of literature relating to the IR nurse’s experience of caring for patients during procedures without the use of moderate sedation.

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Interventional Radiology (IR) nurses caring for conscious patients undergoing a procedure without the use of sedation. This phenomenological study aimed to describe the …

Higher Efficacy In The Treatment Of Fibromyalgia With Duloxetine And Pregabalin Combination Than Monotherapy, Joel Rose-Kamprath

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

Gilron I, Chaparro LE, Tu D, et al. Combination of pregabalin with duloxetine for fibromyalgia. Pain. 2016;157(7):1532–1540. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000558

for a patient with chronic pain due to fibromyalgia

Downward Spiral, Meghan Hickey

Akesis

There are still moments when I find myself folding inwards: sinking, spiraling, struggling. I become attacked by my own intrusive thoughts. I’ve been my own monster all along.

It took me a long time to understand that progress is never linear. And I bring that idea into my PT practice. I want my patients to understand that set backs, both mental and physical, can occur throughout the healing journey. I often tell my patients expressing anxieties and concerns to observe the way they speak to themselves. Our self talk is influenced by our subconscious mind, and it reveals our thoughts, …

Deeply Rooted, Maryam Nahidian

Akesis

I captured this photo on my first solo hike, a very memorable moment for me. I was tired and questioning why I was putting myself in this position. No one would know if I turned back, but I would. Right at that moment, I stopped looking down at my feet and looked up at this scene. “Oh wow,” I said. The trees, strong and tall, but that was not what captured my attention. It was the roots. Exposed, intricate, and vulnerable and I realized at that moment that this scene portrayed me. The journey has been an uphill climb that …

Healing In The Himalayas: Mustangi Medical Practitioners’ Perspectives On Integrative Approaches To Chronic Illness, Lucia Morey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this Independent Study Project is to capture a snapshot of the opinions and experiences of 13 health practitioners from 7 villages and towns in Mustang. Specifically, I asked independent healers (IH), amchis and health post workers about their practices and perspectives on chronic illness, integrative medicine and the intersection of the two. I found that there is a flow of information in one general direction, with practitioners along a continuum of most to least globally recognized. Understandably, the least well known (independent healers) are aware of Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) and conventional Western medicine (CWM). Subcategories of …

Medical Norm Of Psychiatric Misdiagnoses In Rare Disease Patients, Rachel Han

Publications and Research

Spring 2022 ENG 120 Student Final Research Paper on the medical norm of psychiatric misdiagnosis throughout the diagnostic journeys of rare disease patients. The idea of a norm was taken from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Tedx Talk "The Danger of a Single Story". Paper discusses prevalence, harmful effects, and origin of this medical norm. Includes discussion of statistical data quoted relating to prevalence of rare diseases as well as anecdotal evidence of the severe ramifications of this norm. Discussion of how medically unexplained symptoms such as mysterious chronic pain often lead to the phenomenon of the psychogenic inference. Origins of this …

Pharmacologic Ascorbic Acid As Early Therapy For Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Dagan Coppock, Pierre-Christian Violet, Gustavo Vasquez, Katherine Belden, Michael Foster, Bret Mullin, Devon Magee, Isabelle Mikell, Lokesh Shah, Victoria Powers, Brian Curcio, Daniel A. Monti, Mark Levine

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Despite the widespread availability of effective vaccines, new cases of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), remain a concern in the settings of vaccine hesitancy and vaccine breakthrough. In this randomized, controlled, phase 2 trial, we hypothesized that high-dose ascorbic acid delivered intravenously to achieve pharmacologic concentrations may target the high viral phase of COVID-19 and thus improve early clinical outcomes. Sixty-six patients admitted with COVID-19 and requiring supplemental oxygen were randomized to receive either escalating doses of intravenous ascorbic acid plus standard of care or standard of care alone. The demographic …

Syndecan-2 Regulates Pad2 To Exert Antifibrotic Effects On Ra-Ild Fibroblasts, Konstantin Tsoyi, Anthony J Esposito, Bo Sun, Ryan G Bowen, Kevin Xiong, Fernando Poli, Rafael Cardenas, Sarah G Chu, Xiaoliang Liang, Stefan W Ryter, Christine Beeton, Tracy J Doyle, Matthew J Robertson, Lindsay J Celada, Freddy Romero, Souheil Y El-Chemaly, Mark A Perrella, I-Cheng Ho, Ivan O Rosas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is the most common pulmonary complication of RA, increasing morbidity and mortality. Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies have been associated with the development and progression of both RA and fibrotic lung disease; however, the role of protein citrullination in RA-ILD remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the expression of peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2), an enzyme that catalyzes protein citrullination, is increased in lung homogenates from subjects with RA-ILD and their lung fibroblasts. Chemical inhibition or genetic knockdown of PAD2 in RA-ILD fibroblasts attenuated their activation, marked by decreased myofibroblast differentiation, gel contraction, and extracellular matrix …

Cerebral Blood Flow And Brain Functional Connectivity Changes In Older Adults Participating In A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, Aleeze Sattar Moss, Diane K. Reibel, Nancy Wintering, Faezeh Vedaei, Hannah Porter, Mohsen Khosravi, Justin Heholt, M. Alizadeh, Feroze Mohamed, Andrew B. Newberg

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

There is a growing interest in the potential beneficial effects of mindfulness meditation training in protecting against age-related physical, emotional, and cognitive decline. The current prospective, single-center, single-arm study investigated if functional magnetic resonance imaging-based changes in cerebral blood flow and brain functional connectivity could be observed in 11 elderly adults (mean age 79) after participation in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. The results showed significantly (p < 0.05) altered cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity in the cingulate gyrus, limbic structures, and subregions of the temporal and frontal lobes, similar to findings of other meditation-related studies in younger populations. Furthermore, these changes were also associated with significant improvements in depression symptoms. This study suggests that the MBSR program can potentially modify cerebral blood flow and connectivity in this population.

Diabetes: Risk Factor And Translational Therapeutic Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, Jeffrey Cummings, Andrew Ortiz, Janelle Castellino, Jefferson Kinney

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) commonly co-occur. T2DM increases the risk for AD by approximately twofold. Animal models provide one means of interrogating the relationship of T2DM to AD and investigating brain insulin resistance in the pathophysiology of AD. Animal models show that persistent hyperglycaemia results in chronic low-grade inflammation that may contribute to the development of neuroinflammation and accelerate the pathobiology of AD. Epidemiological studies suggest that patients with T2DM who received treatment with specific anti-diabetic agents have a decreased risk for the occurrence of AD and all-cause dementia. Agents such as metformin ameliorate T2DM …

Identification Of Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using Resting State Functional Mri And Machine Learning Techniques, Faezeh Vedaei, Najmeh Mashhadi, George Zabrecky, Daniel A. Monti, Emily Navarreto, Chloe Hriso, Nancy Wintering, Andrew B. Newberg, Feroze Mohamed

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a major public health concern that can result in a broad spectrum of short-term and long-term symptoms. Recently, machine learning (ML) algorithms have been used in neuroscience research for diagnostics and prognostic assessment of brain disorders. The present study aimed to develop an automatic classifier to distinguish patients suffering from chronic mTBI from healthy controls (HCs) utilizing multilevel metrics of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Sixty mTBI patients and forty HCs were enrolled and allocated to training and testing datasets with a ratio of 80:20. Several rs-fMRI metrics including fractional amplitude of low-frequency …

Spect Functional Neuroimaging Distinguishes Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder From Healthy Controls In Big Data Imaging Cohorts, Daniel G Amen, Theodore A Henderson, Andrew Newberg

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

Background: The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) relies on history and observation, as no reliable biomarkers have been identified. In this study, we compared a large single diagnosis group of patients with ADHD (combined, inattentive, and hyperactive) to healthy controls using brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging to determine specific brain regions which could serve as potential biomarkers to reliably distinguish ADHD. Methods: In a retrospective analysis, subjects (n = 1,135) were obtained from a large multisite psychiatric database, where resting state (baseline) and on-task SPECT scans were obtained. Only baseline scans were analyzed in …