Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons^™

Protocol For Culturing Patient-Derived Organoids Of Cervical Cancer, Rui Wang, Timothy Harris, Dalissa Negrón-Figueroa, David Lo, Allison Judge, D'Shaunique Walters, Bo Jiang, Lauren E Colbert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Herein, we present a protocol for culturing patient-derived organoids (PDOs) of cervical cancer that includes workflows for tumor biopsy/resection tissue and cytobrush-sampled cells. We describe steps for PDO culture initiation, including rinsing, gentle dissociation, Lymphoprep separation, and cell assessment, as well as seeding cells from surgical and cytobrush tissue digestion. We then provide guidance on PDO maintenance and passage and techniques for producing conditioned medium. Overall, this protocol serves as a valuable guide for establishing and maintaining cervical cancer PDOs. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Colbert et al.

The Camden Study - A Pregnancy Cohort Study Of Pregnancy Complications And Birth Outcomes In Camden, New Jersey, Usa., Stephanie Shiau, Xinhua Chen, Ayana April-Sanders, Ellen C Francis, Shristi Rawal, Megan Hansel, Kehinde Adeyemi, Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, Emily S Barrett

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a unique stage of the life course characterized by trade-offs between the nutritional, immune, and metabolic needs of the mother and fetus. The Camden Study was originally initiated to examine nutritional status, growth, and birth outcomes in adolescent pregnancies and expanded to study dietary and molecular predictors of pregnancy complications and birth outcomes in young women.

METHODS: From 1985-2006, 4765 pregnant participants aged 12 years and older were recruited from Camden, NJ, one of the poorest cities in the US. The cohort reflects a population under-represented in perinatal cohort studies (45% Hispanic, 38% non-Hispanic Black, 17% White …

Do New Mothers In Their First-Year Postpartum Feel Prepared To Return To Daily Occupations?, Kim Rose, Jane L. Donat, Cedrica Durham, Bianca Haddock, Danyl Litumbe, Julia Otoski, Katsia Renaud

Occupational Therapy Annual Research Colloquium

Purpose: Our research aimed to explore if new mothers felt prepared to return to their daily lives and the role occupational therapy could have in helping prepare women to transition into their new role as mothers. Previous literature has found that limits to occupational engagement and occupational balance have adversely affected the well-being of new mothers.

Methods: This sequential, exploratory mixed methods study employed the RedCap survey platform to collect demographic information, information regarding women’s birth experience and to obtain consent. Twenty-two women who filled out the survey met the inclusion criteria, and ten were selected to proceed with the …

Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells: Potential Factories Of Natural And Mimetic Strategies For Congenital Malformations, Cristiane S R Fonteles, Julia Enterria-Rosales, Ying Lin, John W Steele, Ramiro A Villarreal-Leal, Jing Xiao, Daniel I Idowu, Beck Burgelin, Bogdan J Wlodarczyk, Richard H Finnell, Bruna Corradetti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from gestational tissues offer a promising avenue for prenatal intervention in congenital malformations although their application is hampered by concerns related to cellular plasticity and the need for invasive, high-risk surgical procedures. Here, we present naturally occurring exosomes (EXOs) isolated from amniotic fluid-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) and their mimetic analogs (MIMs) as viable, reproducible, and stable alternatives. These nanovesicles present a minimally invasive therapeutic option, addressing the limitations of MSC-based treatments while retaining therapeutic efficacy.

METHODS: MIMs were generated from AF-MSCs by combining sequential filtration steps through filter membranes with different porosity and size exclusion …

Targeted Maternal Chagas Disease Screening Among Individuals Born In A Chagas-Endemic Country., Alvaro Proaño, Neil C Shah, Sneider A Gutierrez Guarnizo, Monica Miranda-Schaeubinger, Michael Z Levy, Robert H Gilman, Dustin D Flannery

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that affects 6 million people worldwide. In the United States, Chagas is estimated to affect 43 000 women of reproductive age. Pregnant persons with Chagas are at risk for congenital transmission to the newborn, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all new cases. In 2022, a US multidisciplinary expert working group4 developed recommendations for increased clinician-directed screening for Chagas. They concluded that women of reproductive age who were born in endemic countries should be tested due to vertical transmission risk. In 2024, Clark and Bern outlined …

Pregnancy Outcomes After Covid-19 Infection, Angela M. Blanco Guertin, Arvinder Singh, Arianna Tapia, Emily Dickinson

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Background: Since the onset of the Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, the medical community has raced to keep up with the continued healthcare sequelae of the virus. During this time, pregnant women and newborns have been of particular concern. A higher incidence of pregnancy-related complications was seen among women during the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the relationship between COVID-19 and pregnancy complications among women. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed records of pregnant women with active COVID-19 or a history of COVID-19 during pregnancy, admitted to a South Florida hospital between March 2020 and December 2021. Patients’ charts …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An Updated Pre-Service Midwifery Curriculum Integrated With Emergency Obstetric And Newborn Care In Kenya: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, Duncan N. Shikuku, Catherine Mwaura, Peter Nandikove, Alphonce Uyara, Helen Allott, Lucy Waweru, Lucy Nyaga, Edna Tallam, Issak Bashir, Eunice Ndirangu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction Quality midwifery education is central to improving midwifery service delivery and maternal and newborn health outcomes. In many settings, midwifery educators insufciently prepared for their teaching role and defcient curriculum compared to international standards afect the quality of healthcare provided by the midwifery graduates. This study assessed the efectiveness of an EmONC enhanced midwifery curriculum delivered by trained and mentored midwifery educators on the quality of education and student performance in Kenya.

Methods A cluster randomised controlled trial in 20 midwifery colleges (12 intervention, 8 control colleges). Educators in both arms received training in teaching/EmONC skills to deliver the …

What Is The Evidence? Updates In The Use Of Antenatal Corticosteroids For Patients At Risk Of Preterm Birth, Moti Gulersen, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Antenatal corticosteroids have long been considered one of the most important antenatal therapies available for pregnant patients at risk of preterm birth based on the associated reduction of neonatal morbidity and mortality following their administration. However, despite decades of research since their incorporation into routine clinical practice, a number of key questions related to antenatal corticosteroid use remain. These include evaluating the impact of antenatal corticosteroids at gestational ages outside of the previously recommended window of 24 0/7–33 6/7 weeks of gestation, determining factors associated with optimal steroid timing in order to reduce unnecessary exposure, alterations in its dosing regimen, …

A Proteome-Wide Association Study Identifies Putative Causal Proteins For Breast Cancer Risk, Tianying Zhao, Shuai Xu, Jie Ping, Guochong Jia, Yongchao Dou, Jill E Henry, Bing Zhang, Xingyi Guo, Michele L Cote, Qiuyin Cai, Xiao-Ou Shu, Wei Zheng, Jirong Long

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 200 breast cancer risk-associated genetic loci, yet the causal genes and biological mechanisms for most loci remain elusive. Proteins, as final gene products, are pivotal in cellular function. In this study, we conducted a proteome-wide association study (PWAS) to identify proteins in breast tissue related to breast cancer risk.

METHODS: We profiled the proteome in fresh frozen breast tissue samples from 120 cancer-free European-ancestry women from the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank (KTB). Protein expression levels were log2-transformed then normalized via quantile and inverse-rank transformations. GWAS data were also generated for …

The Long Road Of Drug Development For Endometriosis – Pains, Gains, And Hopes, Zian Liao, Diana Monsivais, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometriosis, defined by the growth of endometrial tissues outside of the uterine cavity, is a global health burden for ∼200 million women. Patients with endometriosis usually present with chronic pain and are often diagnosed with infertility. The pathogenesis of endometriosis is still an open question; however, tissue stemness and immunological and genetic factors have been extensively discussed in the establishment of endometriotic lesions. Current treatments for endometriosis can be categorized into pharmacological management of hormone levels and surgical removal of the lesions. Both approaches have limited efficacy, with recurrences often encountered; thus, there is no complete cure for the disease …

Maternal Glycemic Status And Longitudinal Fetal Body Composition And Organ Volumes Based On Three-Dimensional Ultrasonography, Kathryn A Wagner, Jessica L Gleason, Zhen Chen, Cuilin Zhang, Stefanie N Hinkle, Dian He, Wesley Lee, Roger B Newman, John Owen, Daniel W Skupski, William A Grobman, Seth Sherman, Fasil Tekola-Ayele, Jagteshwar Grewal, Katherine L Grantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of fetal overgrowth as measured by two-dimensional ultrasonography. Whether fetal three-dimensional (3D) soft tissue and organ volumes provide additional insight into fetal overgrowth is unknown.

Research design and methods: We prospectively evaluated longitudinal 3D fetal body composition and organ volumes in a diverse U.S. singleton pregnancy cohort (2015-2019). Women were diagnosed with GDM, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Up to five 3D ultrasound scans measured fetal body composition and organ volumes; trajectories were modeled using linear mixed models. Overall and weekly mean differences in fetal 3D trajectories were …

A New Ex Vivo Model System To Analyze Factors Affecting The Integrity Of Fetal Membranes In Fetoscopic Surgery, Serjosha Robmann, Raoul Hopf, Costanza Giampietro, Lukas Moser, Alexandra Dolder, Magdalena Sanz Cortes, Martin Ehrbar, Nicole Ochsenbein, Jan Deprest, Edoardo Mazza

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We developed an ex vivo model system to analyze the influence of relevant environmental and mechanical factors potentially affecting the integrity of fetal membranes during fetoscopic surgery. The set-up exposes amniochorion membranes to insufflation at predefined levels of gas pressure, flow, humidity, and temperature. Change in fetal membranes stiffness is quantified during the phase mimicking surgery through measurement of membranes' strain in response to cyclic overpressure. The trocar induced perforation creates a mechanical weakness whose stability is assessed by increasing the insufflation pressure until membrane rupture. Damage of the epithelial cells lining the amnion is assessed through live-dead staining. Initial …

Invited Perspective: Climate Change And Maternal Mental Health-Looking Beyond High-Income Countries, Andrea G Buchwald, Sarah Boudova

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Ultrasound-Indicated Cerclage For The Reduction Of Extreme Preterm Birth In Twin Pregnancies With A Short Cervix: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Lissa Van Gils, Renske Dutilh, Nerissa Denswil, Amanda Roman, Marjon A De Boer, Eva Pajkrt, Martijn A Oudijk

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical cerclage in women with a twin pregnancy and a midpregnancy asymptomatic short cervix (≤25 mm), in preventing preterm birth and improving neonatal outcomes.

DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library up to April 17, 2023, updated in September and February 2024.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Included were randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies comparing cerclage with expectant management in twin pregnancies and an asymptomatic short cervix (≤25 mm).

METHODS: Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale …

Impact Of Vitamin D On Hyperoxic Acute Lung Injury In Neonatal Mice, Thu T Tran, Jonathan Davies, Richard A Johnston, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Huiling Li, Caroline E Crocker, Amir M Khan, Joseph L Alcorn

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Prolonged exposure to hyperoxia can lead to hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI) in preterm neonates. Vitamin D (VitD) stimulates lung maturation and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Our objective was to determine if VitD provides a dose-dependent protective effect against HALI by reducing inflammatory cytokine expression and improving alveolarization and lung function in neonatal mice.

METHODS: C57BL/6 mouse neonates were randomized and placed in room air or hyperoxic (85% O

RESULTS: Neonatal mice treated with VitD in hyperoxic conditions had improved weight gain, reduced pulmonary edema and increased alveolar surface area compared to untreated pups in hyperoxia. No significant …

Maternal Morbidity Associated With Early Preterm Birth In Low-Risk Singleton Pregnancies, Moti Gulersen, Erez Lenchner, Alisha Goyal, Amos Grunebaum, Frank A. Chervenak, Eran Bornstein

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: While neonatal morbidities associated with early preterm birth are known, the risks of maternal morbidities in these births remain unclear. Thus, we set out to assess the risk of maternal morbidities associated with early preterm births. Methods: Retrospective cohort study utilizing the United States (US) Natality Live Birth database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016–2021). Low-risk singleton pregnancies were included. High-risk conditions such as out-of-hospital births, fetal anomalies, pregestational and gestational diabetes, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were excluded. The rates of several maternal morbidities were compared among three gestational age at birth groups: 23 0/7–27 …

A Proteogenomic Analysis Of Cervical Cancer Reveals Therapeutic And Biological Insights, Jing Yu, Xiuqi Gui, Yunhao Zou, Qian Liu, Zhicheng Yang, Jusheng An, Xuan Guo, Kaihua Wang, Jiaming Guo, Manni Huang, Shuhan Zhou, Jing Zuo, Yimin Chen, Lu Deng, Guangwen Yuan, Ning Li, Yan Song, Jia Jia, Jia Zeng, Yuxi Zhao, Xianming Liu, Xiaoxian Du, Yansheng Liu, Pei Wang, Bing Zhang, Li Ding, Ana I Robles, Henry Rodriguez, Hu Zhou, Zhen Shao, Lingying Wu, Daming Gao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Although the incidence of cervical cancer (CC) has been reduced in high-income countries due to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening strategies, it remains a significant public health issue that poses a threat to women's health in low-income countries. Here, we perform a comprehensive proteogenomic profiling of CC tumors obtained from 139 Chinese women. Integrated proteogenomic analysis links genetic aberrations to downstream pathogenesis-related pathways and reveals the landscape of HPV-associated multi-omic changes. EP300 is found to enhance the acetylation of FOSL2-K222, consequently accelerating the malignant proliferation of CC cells. Proteomic stratification identifies three patient subgroups with distinct features in prognosis, …

To Develop/Implement An Evidence Based Order Set For Maternity Patients With Potential Opioid Use Disorder (Oud), Katrina Munoz

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Breastfeeding Education Knowledge, Danielle Sees

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Prenatal Breastfeeding Education To Improve Breastfeeding Rates, Angela Maietta

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.