All Publications


  • A phase II randomized trial of Observation versus stereotactic ablative RadiatIon for OLigometastatic prostate CancEr (ORIOLE) Tran, P. T., Phillips, R., Shi, W., Lim, S., Antonarakis, E. S., Rowe, S. P., Ross, A., Gorin, M. A., Deville, C., Greco, S. C., Paller, C., DeWeese, T. L., Song, D. Y., Wang, H., Carducci, M., Pienta, K. J., Pomper, M., Dicker, A. P., Eisenberger, M. A., Diehn, M. AMER SOC CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. 2020
  • Outcomes of Observation vs Stereotactic Ablative Radiation for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: The ORIOLE Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA oncology Phillips, R. n., Shi, W. Y., Deek, M. n., Radwan, N. n., Lim, S. J., Antonarakis, E. S., Rowe, S. P., Ross, A. E., Gorin, M. A., Deville, C. n., Greco, S. C., Wang, H. n., Denmeade, S. R., Paller, C. J., Dipasquale, S. n., DeWeese, T. L., Song, D. Y., Wang, H. n., Carducci, M. A., Pienta, K. J., Pomper, M. G., Dicker, A. P., Eisenberger, M. A., Alizadeh, A. A., Diehn, M. n., Tran, P. T. 2020

    Abstract

    Complete metastatic ablation of oligometastatic prostate cancer may provide an alternative to early initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).To determine if stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) improves oncologic outcomes in men with oligometastatic prostate cancer.The Observation vs Stereotactic Ablative Radiation for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer (ORIOLE) phase 2 randomized study accrued participants from 3 US radiation treatment facilities affiliated with a university hospital from May 2016 to March 2018 with a data cutoff date of May 20, 2019, for analysis. Of 80 men screened, 54 men with recurrent hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and 1 to 3 metastases detectable by conventional imaging who had not received ADT within 6 months of enrollment or 3 or more years total were randomized.Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive SABR or observation.The primary outcome was progression at 6 months by prostate-specific antigen level increase, progression detected by conventional imaging, symptomatic progression, ADT initiation for any reason, or death. Predefined secondary outcomes were toxic effects of SABR, local control at 6 months with SABR, progression-free survival, Brief Pain Inventory (Short Form)-measured quality of life, and concordance between conventional imaging and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted positron emission tomography in the identification of metastatic disease.In the 54 men randomized, the median (range) age was 68 (61-70) years for patients allocated to SABR and 68 (64-76) years for those allocated to observation. Progression at 6 months occurred in 7 of 36 patients (19%) receiving SABR and 11 of 18 patients (61%) undergoing observation (P = .005). Treatment with SABR improved median progression-free survival (not reached vs 5.8 months; hazard ratio, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11-0.81; P = .002). Total consolidation of PSMA radiotracer-avid disease decreased the risk of new lesions at 6 months (16% vs 63%; P = .006). No toxic effects of grade 3 or greater were observed. T-cell receptor sequencing identified significant increased clonotypic expansion following SABR and correlation between baseline clonality and progression with SABR only (0.082085 vs 0.026051; P = .03).Treatment with SABR for oligometastatic prostate cancer improved outcomes and was enhanced by total consolidation of disease identified by PSMA-targeted positron emission tomography. SABR induced a systemic immune response, and baseline immune phenotype and tumor mutation status may predict the benefit from SABR. These results underline the importance of prospective randomized investigation of the oligometastatic state with integrated imaging and biological correlates.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02680587.

    View details for DOI 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.0147

    View details for PubMedID 32215577

  • Primary Outcomes of a Phase II Randomized Trial of Observation Versus Stereotactic Ablative RadiatIon for OLigometastatic Prostate CancEr (ORIOLE) Phillips, R., Lim, S. J., Shi, W. Y., Antonarakis, E. S., Rowe, S., Gorin, M., Deville, C., Greco, S. C., Denmeade, S., Paller, C., DeWeese, T. L., Song, D., Wang, H., Carducci, M., Pienta, K., Pomper, M. G., Dicker, A. P., Eisenberger, M., Diehn, M., Tran, P. T. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2019: 681
  • Detection and Surveillance of Bladder Cancer Using Urine Tumor DNA CANCER DISCOVERY Dudley, J. C., Schroers-Martin, J., Lazzareschi, D., Shi, W., Chen, S. B., Esfahani, M. S., Trivedi, D., Chabon, J. J., Chaudhuri, A. A., Stehr, H., Liu, C., Lim, H., Costa, H. A., Nabet, B. Y., Sin, M. Y., Liao, J. C., Alizadeh, A. A., Diehn, M. 2019; 9 (4): 500–509
  • Analysis of Urinary Cell-free DNA for Early Detection and Surveillance of Bladder Cancer Dudley, J., Schroers-Martin, J., Lazzareschi, D., Shi, W., Chen, S., Liao, J., Alizadeh, A., Diehn, M. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2018: 968
  • Identifying Medical Diagnoses and Treatable Diseases by Image-Based Deep Learning. Cell Kermany, D. S., Goldbaum, M. n., Cai, W. n., Valentim, C. C., Liang, H. n., Baxter, S. L., McKeown, A. n., Yang, G. n., Wu, X. n., Yan, F. n., Dong, J. n., Prasadha, M. K., Pei, J. n., Ting, M. n., Zhu, J. n., Li, C. n., Hewett, S. n., Dong, J. n., Ziyar, I. n., Shi, A. n., Zhang, R. n., Zheng, L. n., Hou, R. n., Shi, W. n., Fu, X. n., Duan, Y. n., Huu, V. A., Wen, C. n., Zhang, E. D., Zhang, C. L., Li, O. n., Wang, X. n., Singer, M. A., Sun, X. n., Xu, J. n., Tafreshi, A. n., Lewis, M. A., Xia, H. n., Zhang, K. n. 2018; 172 (5): 1122–31.e9

    Abstract

    The implementation of clinical-decision support algorithms for medical imaging faces challenges with reliability and interpretability. Here, we establish a diagnostic tool based on a deep-learning framework for the screening of patients with common treatable blinding retinal diseases. Our framework utilizes transfer learning, which trains a neural network with a fraction of the data of conventional approaches. Applying this approach to a dataset of optical coherence tomography images, we demonstrate performance comparable to that of human experts in classifying age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. We also provide a more transparent and interpretable diagnosis by highlighting the regions recognized by the neural network. We further demonstrate the general applicability of our AI system for diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia using chest X-ray images. This tool may ultimately aid in expediting the diagnosis and referral of these treatable conditions, thereby facilitating earlier treatment, resulting in improved clinical outcomes. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

    View details for PubMedID 29474911

  • Detection and surveillance of bladder cancer using urine tumor DNA. Cancer discovery Dudley, J. C., Schroers-Martin, J. n., Lazzareschi, D. V., Shi, W. Y., Chen, S. B., Esfahani, M. S., Trivedi, D. n., Chabon, J. J., Chaudhuri, A. A., Stehr, H. n., Liu, C. L., Lim, H. n., Costa, H. A., Nabet, B. Y., Sin, M. L., Liao, J. C., Alizadeh, A. A., Diehn, M. n. 2018

    Abstract

    Current regimens for the detection and surveillance of bladder cancer (BLCA) are invasive and have suboptimal sensitivity. Here, we present a novel high-throughput sequencing (HTS) method for detection of urine tumor DNA (utDNA) called utDNA CAPP-Seq (uCAPP-Seq) and apply it to 67 healthy adults and 118 patients with early-stage BLCA who either had urine collected prior to treatment or during surveillance. Using this targeted sequencing approach, we detected a median of 6 mutations per BLCA patient and observed surprisingly frequent mutations of the PLEKHS1 promoter (46%), suggesting these mutations represent a useful biomarker for detection of BLCA. We detected utDNA pre-treatment in 93% of cases using a tumor mutation-informed approach and in 84% when blinded to tumor mutation status, with 96-100% specificity. In the surveillance setting, we detected utDNA in 91% of patients who ultimately recurred, with utDNA detection preceding clinical progression in 92% of cases. uCAPP-Seq outperformed a commonly used ancillary test (UroVysion, p=0.02) and cytology and cystoscopy combined (p is less than or equal to 0.006), detecting 100% of BLCA cases detected by cytology and 82% that cytology missed. Our results indicate that uCAPP-Seq is a promising approach for early detection and surveillance of BLCA.

    View details for PubMedID 30578357

  • Circulating tumour DNA methylation markers for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Nature materials Xu, R. H., Wei, W., Krawczyk, M., Wang, W., Luo, H., Flagg, K., Yi, S., Shi, W., Quan, Q., Li, K., Zheng, L., Zhang, H., Caughey, B. A., Zhao, Q., Hou, J., Zhang, R., Xu, Y., Cai, H., Li, G., Hou, R., Zhong, Z., Lin, D., Fu, X., Zhu, J., Duan, Y., Yu, M., Ying, B., Zhang, W., Wang, J., Zhang, E., Zhang, C., Li, O., Guo, R., Carter, H., Zhu, J. K., Hao, X., Zhang, K. 2017; 16 (11): 1155-1161

    Abstract

    An effective blood-based method for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been developed. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) carrying cancer-specific genetic and epigenetic aberrations may enable a noninvasive 'liquid biopsy' for diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. Here, we identified an HCC-specific methylation marker panel by comparing HCC tissue and normal blood leukocytes and showed that methylation profiles of HCC tumour DNA and matched plasma ctDNA are highly correlated. Using cfDNA samples from a large cohort of 1,098 HCC patients and 835 normal controls, we constructed a diagnostic prediction model that showed high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity (P < 0.001) and was highly correlated with tumour burden, treatment response, and stage. Additionally, we constructed a prognostic prediction model that effectively predicted prognosis and survival (P < 0.001). Together, these findings demonstrate in a large clinical cohort the utility of ctDNA methylation markers in the diagnosis, surveillance, and prognosis of HCC.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/nmat4997

    View details for PubMedID 29035356

  • Optimization of urinary dipstick pH: Are multiple dipstick pH readings reliably comparable to commercial 24-hour urinary pH? Investigative and clinical urology Abbott, J. E., Miller, D. L., Shi, W., Wenzler, D., Elkhoury, F. F., Patel, N. D., Sur, R. L. 2017; 58 (5): 378-382

    Abstract

    Accurate measurement of pH is necessary to guide medical management of nephrolithiasis. Urinary dipsticks offer a convenient method to measure pH, but prior studies have only assessed the accuracy of a single, spot dipstick. Given the known diurnal variation in pH, a single dipstick pH is unlikely to reflect the average daily urinary pH. Our goal was to determine whether multiple dipstick pH readings would be reliably comparable to pH from a 24-hour urine analysis.Kidney stone patients undergoing a 24-hour urine collection were enrolled and took images of dipsticks from their first 3 voids concurrently with the 24-hour collection. Images were sent to and read by a study investigator. The individual and mean pH from the dipsticks were compared to the 24-hour urine pH and considered to be accurate if the dipstick readings were within 0.5 of the 24-hour urine pH. The Bland-Altman test of agreement was used to further compare dipstick pH relative to 24-hour urine pH.Fifty-nine percent of patients had mean urinary pH values within 0.5 pH units of their 24-hour urine pH. Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference between dipstick pH and 24-hour urine pH of -0.22, with an upper limit of agreement of 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-1.59) and a lower limit of agreement of -1.47 (95% CI, -2.04 to -0.90).We concluded that urinary dipstick based pH measurement lacks the precision required to guide medical management of nephrolithiasis and physicians should use 24-hour urine analysis to base their metabolic therapy.

    View details for DOI 10.4111/icu.2017.58.5.378

    View details for PubMedID 28868511

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5577336

  • DNA methylation markers for diagnosis and prognosis of common cancers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Hao, X., Luo, H., Krawczyk, M., Wei, W., Wang, W., Wang, J., Flagg, K., Hou, J., Zhang, H., Yi, S., Jafari, M., Lin, D., Chung, C., Caughey, B. A., Li, G., Dhar, D., Shi, W., Zheng, L., Hou, R., Zhu, J., Zhao, L., Fu, X., Zhang, E., Zhang, C., Zhu, J. K., Karin, M., Xu, R. H., Zhang, K. 2017; 114 (28): 7414-7419

    Abstract

    The ability to identify a specific cancer using minimally invasive biopsy holds great promise for improving the diagnosis, treatment selection, and prediction of prognosis in cancer. Using whole-genome methylation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and machine learning methods, we evaluated the utility of DNA methylation for differentiating tumor tissue and normal tissue for four common cancers (breast, colon, liver, and lung). We identified cancer markers in a training cohort of 1,619 tumor samples and 173 matched adjacent normal tissue samples. We replicated our findings in a separate TCGA cohort of 791 tumor samples and 93 matched adjacent normal tissue samples, as well as an independent Chinese cohort of 394 tumor samples and 324 matched adjacent normal tissue samples. The DNA methylation analysis could predict cancer versus normal tissue with more than 95% accuracy in these three cohorts, demonstrating accuracy comparable to typical diagnostic methods. This analysis also correctly identified 29 of 30 colorectal cancer metastases to the liver and 32 of 34 colorectal cancer metastases to the lung. We also found that methylation patterns can predict prognosis and survival. We correlated differential methylation of CpG sites predictive of cancer with expression of associated genes known to be important in cancer biology, showing decreased expression with increased methylation, as expected. We verified gene expression profiles in a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the utility of methylation biomarkers for the molecular characterization of cancer, with implications for diagnosis and prognosis.

    View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.1703577114

    View details for PubMedID 28652331

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5514741

  • Copy number variations with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly. Current molecular medicine Hu, P., Wang, Y., Sun, R., Cao, L., Chen, X., Liu, C., Luo, C., Ma, D., Wang, W., Fu, X., Shi, W., Yi, S., Zhang, K., Liu, H., Xu, Z. 2017

    Abstract

    Copy Number Variations (CNVs) are an important genetic cause of a number of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs). However, the association between CNVs and the development and prognosis of isolated fetal ventriculomegaly (IMV) is unclear.To investigate possible associations between CNVs and the development of fetal IMV.This retrospective study recruited 154 subjects with ultrasound-confirmed fetal IMV and 190 subjects in a control cohort who underwent a high-risk prenatal serum screening program. The exclusion criteria included fetus G-banding chromosomal abnormality or positive fetus TORCH infection. DNA samples from all 344 fetuses were examined by an SNP-array. Developmental outcomes were assessed during postnatal follow-up.Fourteen pathogenic CNVs (pCNVs) were identified in 13 out of 154 IMV fetuses. Three pCNVs were found in 3 out of 190 subjects in the prenatal screening high-risk cohort, with a significant difference (P value=0.016, X2 test). Notably, the 14 pCNVs detected in the IMV cohort were all associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs), including autism, intellectual disability. Among the 13 IMV fetuses carrying pCNVs, five subjects were found in the postnatal follow-up to manifest NDs, including two with autism and three with mild neurodevelopmental delay. The other 8 subjects consisted of three normal infants younger than 12-months old, two lost in the follow-up, and three with the termination of pregnancy. Out of 141 IMV subjects without detectable pCNVs, 123 subjects showed normal development, 16 were lost in the follow-up, 2 subjects terminated the pregnancy due to fetal hydrocephalus or congenital heart disease in the late fetus development.This study suggests an association between pCNVs and fetal IMV. pCNVs may be involved in the pathological process of fetal IMV and postnatal NDs. Identifying specific genomic alterations may provide an insight into pathogenetic mechanism and aid better diagnosis and prognosis of neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetal IMV.

    View details for DOI 10.2174/1566524017666170303125529

    View details for PubMedID 28260505

  • Predictors of radiation exposure to providers during percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Urology annals Wenzler, D. L., Abbott, J. E., Su, J. J., Shi, W., Slater, R., Miller, D., Siemens, M. J., Sur, R. L. 2017; 9 (1): 55-60

    Abstract

    Limited studies have reported on radiation risks of increased ionizing radiation exposure to medical personnel in the urologic community. Fluoroscopy is readily used in many urologic surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to determine radiation exposure to all operating room personnel during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL), commonly performed for large renal or complex stones.We prospectively collected personnel exposure data for all PNL cases at two academic institutions. This was collected using the Instadose™ dosimeter and reported both continuously and categorically as high and low dose using a 10 mrem dose threshold, the approximate amount of radiation received from one single chest X-ray. Predictors of increased radiation exposure were determined using multivariate analysis.A total of 91 PNL cases in 66 patients were reviewed. Median surgery duration and fluoroscopy time were 142 (38-368) min and 263 (19-1809) sec, respectively. Median attending urologist, urology resident, anesthesia, and nurse radiation exposure per case was 4 (0-111), 4 (0-21), 0 (0-5), and 0 (0-5) mrem, respectively. On univariate analysis, stone area, partial or staghorn calculi, surgery duration, and fluoroscopy time were associated with high attending urologist and resident radiation exposure. Preexisting access that was utilized was negatively associated with resident radiation exposure. However, on multivariate analysis, only fluoroscopy duration remained significant for attending urologist radiation exposure.Increased stone burden, partial or staghorn calculi, surgery and fluoroscopy duration, and absence of preexisting access were associated with high provider radiation exposure. Radiation safety awareness is essential to minimize exposure and to protect the patient and all providers from potential radiation injury.

    View details for DOI 10.4103/0974-7796.198903

    View details for PubMedID 28216931

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5308040

  • Joint Antiangiogenic Effect of ATN-161 and Anti-VEGF Antibody in a Rat Model of Early Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS Wang, W., Wang, F., Qin, W., Liu, H., Lu, B., Chung, C., Zhu, J., Gu, Q., Shi, W., Wen, C., Wu, F., Zhang, K., Sun, X. 2016; 13 (9): 2881-2890

    Abstract

    The wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness among elderly Americans and is characterized by abnormal vessel growth, termed choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Integrin α5β1 is a transmembrane receptor that binds matrix macromolecules and proteinases to stimulate angiogenesis. We recently demonstrated that integrin α5β1 plays a critical role in the development of choroidal neovascularization. In this study, we determined the role and underlying mechanisms of integrin α5β1 in angiogenesis in human choroidal endothelial cells and evaluated the antiangiogenic effects of delivering a combination therapy of ATN-161, an integrin α5β1 inhibitor, and an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody to rats with laser-induced CNV. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signaling protein that stimulates vasculogenesis and angiogenesis through a pathway that is distinct from the integrin α5β1 signaling pathway. Our results indicate that fibronectin binds to integrin α5β1 and synergizes VEGF-induced angiogenesis via two independent signaling pathways, FN/integrin α5β1/FAK/ERK1/2 and FN/integrin α5β1/FAK/AKT. Integrin α5 knockdown by shRNA inhibits endothelial cell migration, tube formation, and proliferation, while ATN-161 only partially decreases integrin α5 function. Treatment with ATN-161 combined with anti-VEGF antibody showed joint effects in attenuating angiogenesis. In summary, our results provide the first evidence for the mechanisms by which integrin α5β1 is involved in ocular pathological neovascularization in vivo, suggesting that dual inhibition of integrin α5β1 and VEGF may be a promising novel therapeutic strategy for CNV in wet AMD.

    View details for DOI 10.1021/acsmolpharmaceut.6b00056

    View details for Web of Science ID 000382713700003

    View details for PubMedID 27089240

  • Lens regeneration using endogenous stem cells with gain of visual function NATURE Lin, H., Ouyang, H., Zhu, J., Huang, S., Liu, Z., Chen, S., Cao, G., Li, G., Signer, R. A., Xu, Y., Chung, C., Zhang, Y., Lin, D., Patel, S., Wu, F., Cai, H., Hou, J., Wen, C., Jafari, M., Liu, X., Luo, L., Zhu, J., Qiu, A., Hou, R., Chen, B., Chen, J., Granet, D., Heichel, C., Shang, F., Li, X., Krawczyk, M., Skowronska-Krawczyk, D., Wang, Y., Shi, W., Chen, D., Zhong, Z., Zhong, S., Zhang, L., Chen, S., Morrison, S. J., Maas, R. L., Zhang, K., Liu, Y. 2016; 531 (7594): 323-?

    Abstract

    The repair and regeneration of tissues using endogenous stem cells represents an ultimate goal in regenerative medicine. To our knowledge, human lens regeneration has not yet been demonstrated. Currently, the only treatment for cataracts, the leading cause of blindness worldwide, is to extract the cataractous lens and implant an artificial intraocular lens. However, this procedure poses notable risks of complications. Here we isolate lens epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LECs) in mammals and show that Pax6 and Bmi1 are required for LEC renewal. We design a surgical method of cataract removal that preserves endogenous LECs and achieves functional lens regeneration in rabbits and macaques, as well as in human infants with cataracts. Our method differs conceptually from current practice, as it preserves endogenous LECs and their natural environment maximally, and regenerates lenses with visual function. Our approach demonstrates a novel treatment strategy for cataracts and provides a new paradigm for tissue regeneration using endogenous stem cells.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/nature17181

    View details for PubMedID 26958831

  • Genetic and environmental factors strongly influence risk, severity and progression of age-related macular degeneration Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy Wang, W., Gawlik, K., Lopez, J., Wen, C., Zhu, J., Wu, F., Shi, W., Scheibler, S., Cai, H., Vairavan, R., Shi, A., Haw, W., Ferreyra, H., Zhang, M., Chang, S., Zhang, K. 2016; 1

    View details for DOI 10.1038/sigtrans.2016.16

  • Nanoparticle biointerfacing by platelet membrane cloaking NATURE Hu, C. J., Fang, R. H., Wang, K., Luk, B. T., Thamphiwatana, S., Dehaini, D., Phu Nguyen, P., Angsantikul, P., Wen, C. H., Kroll, A. V., Carpenter, C., Ramesh, M., Qu, V., Patel, S. H., Zhu, J., Shi, W., Hofman, F. M., Chen, T. C., Gao, W., Zhang, K., Chien, S., Zhang, L. 2015; 526 (7571): 118-?

    Abstract

    Development of functional nanoparticles can be encumbered by unanticipated material properties and biological events, which can affect nanoparticle effectiveness in complex, physiologically relevant systems. Despite the advances in bottom-up nanoengineering and surface chemistry, reductionist functionalization approaches remain inadequate in replicating the complex interfaces present in nature and cannot avoid exposure of foreign materials. Here we report on the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles enclosed in the plasma membrane of human platelets, which are a unique population of cellular fragments that adhere to a variety of disease-relevant substrates. The resulting nanoparticles possess a right-side-out unilamellar membrane coating functionalized with immunomodulatory and adhesion antigens associated with platelets. Compared to uncoated particles, the platelet membrane-cloaked nanoparticles have reduced cellular uptake by macrophage-like cells and lack particle-induced complement activation in autologous human plasma. The cloaked nanoparticles also display platelet-mimicking properties such as selective adhesion to damaged human and rodent vasculatures as well as enhanced binding to platelet-adhering pathogens. In an experimental rat model of coronary restenosis and a mouse model of systemic bacterial infection, docetaxel and vancomycin, respectively, show enhanced therapeutic efficacy when delivered by the platelet-mimetic nanoparticles. The multifaceted biointerfacing enabled by the platelet membrane cloaking method provides a new approach in developing functional nanoparticles for disease-targeted delivery.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/nature15373

    View details for Web of Science ID 000362095100045

    View details for PubMedID 26374997

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4871317

  • P16INK4a Upregulation Mediated by SIX6 Defines Retinal Ganglion Cell Pathogenesis in Glaucoma MOLECULAR CELL Skowronska-Krawczyk, D., Zhao, L., Zhu, J., Weinreb, R. N., Cao, G., Luo, J., Flagg, K., Patel, S., Wen, C., Krupa, M., Luo, H., Ouyang, H., Lin, D., Wang, W., Li, G., Xu, Y., Li, O., Chung, C., Yeh, E., Jafari, M., Ai, M., Zhong, Z., Shi, W., Zheng, L., Krawczyk, M., Chen, D., Shi, C., Zin, C., Zhu, J., Mellon, P. L., Gao, W., Abagyan, R., Zhang, L., Sun, X., Zhong, S., Zhuo, Y., Rosenfeld, M. G., Liu, Y., Zhang, K. 2015; 59 (6): 931-940

    Abstract

    Glaucoma, a blinding neurodegenerative disease, whose risk factors include elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), age, and genetics, is characterized by accelerated and progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death. Despite decades of research, the mechanism of RGC death in glaucoma is still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the genetic effect of the SIX6 risk variant (rs33912345, His141Asn) is enhanced by another major POAG risk gene, p16INK4a (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A, isoform INK4a). We further show that the upregulation of homozygous SIX6 risk alleles (CC) leads to an increase in p16INK4a expression, with subsequent cellular senescence, as evidenced in a mouse model of elevated IOP and in human POAG eyes. Our data indicate that SIX6 and/or IOP promotes POAG by directly increasing p16INK4a expression, leading to RGC senescence in adult human retinas. Our study provides important insights linking genetic susceptibility to the underlying mechanism of RGC death and provides a unified theory of glaucoma pathogenesis.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.07.027

    View details for Web of Science ID 000365166500007

    View details for PubMedID 26365380

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4648709

  • An evaluation of Tamm-Horsfall protein glycans in kidney stone formers using novel techniques UROLITHIASIS Argade, S., Chen, T., Shaw, T., Berecz, Z., Shi, W., Choudhury, B., Parsons, C. L., Sur, R. L. 2015; 43 (4): 303-312

    Abstract

    Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is theorized to play a critical role in preventing kidney stone formation. There is conflicting literature on THP analysis in kidney stone patients; therefore, this study was conducted using sensitive and specific bio-analytical techniques to better understand differences in THP, which play a potential role in nephrolithiasis pathogenesis. THP was isolated from urine samples of 34 male and 19 female kidney stone patients and 30 male and 24 female control subjects using diatomaceous earth. Protein was quantified by Superdex-200 size-exclusion chromatography. Sialic acid was determined by 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene high-performance liquid chromatography. Neutral and amino sugars were determined by high pH anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection. THP N-glycans were derivatized with 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB) and profiled by HPAEC with fluorescence detection. N-glycan structures were confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Results indicate that kidney stone patients had 32% lower protein content compared to controls, while sialic acid content was lower by 29 and 24% in male and female kidney stone patients, respectively, compared to controls. The neutral and amino sugars were also lower by 18 and 20% for male and female kidney stone patients, respectively, compared to controls. All results were statistically significant (p<0.001). These results are supported by 2-AB profiling of THP N-glycans and by MALDI-TOF MS of highly sialylated N-glycans in the range of m/z 3000-6000. This study demonstrates quantitative and qualitative differences in THP, which can be crucial contributing factors for nephrolithiasis.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s00240-015-0775-3

    View details for Web of Science ID 000358089500002

    View details for PubMedID 25935139

  • Multidrug Resistant Bacteriuria Before Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Predicts for Postoperative Infectious Complications JOURNAL OF ENDOUROLOGY Patel, N., Shi, W., Liss, M., Raheem, O., Wenzler, D., Schallhorn, C., Kiyama, L., Lakin, C., Ritter, M., Sur, R. L. 2015; 29 (5): 531-536

    Abstract

    Multidrug resistant (MDR) uropathogens are increasing in prevalence and may contribute to significant morbidity after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We investigate the presence of MDR bacteriuria and occurrence of postoperative infectious complications in patients who underwent PCNL at our institution.Retrospective review was performed of 81 patients undergoing PCNL by a single surgeon (RLS) between 2009 and 2013. Patient demographics, comorbidities, stone parameters on imaging, and microbial data were compiled. MDR organisms were defined as resistant to three or more of the American Urological Association Best Practice Statement antimicrobial classes for PCNL. Postoperative complications were graded by Clavien score and European Association of Urology infection grade. Univariate comparisons were analyzed between patients with and without a postoperative infectious complication. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine significant predictor variables for postoperative infectious complications.Of the 81 patients undergoing PCNL, 41/81 (51%) had positive preoperative urine culture, 24/81 (30%) had positive MDR urine culture, and 16/81 (19%) had a postoperative infectious complication. Multivariate analysis revealed a positive preoperative MDR urine culture significantly increased the risk of postoperative infectious complication (odds ratio [OR]=4.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.134-17.8, P=0.016). The presence of more than one access tract during PCNL also predicted for infectious complications (OR=7.5, 95% CI 2.13-26.4, P=0.003) Of the 16 patients with a postoperative infection 3 (18%) had postoperative urine cultures discordant with the preoperative urine cultures.Our institution demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of MDR bacteriuria in patients undergoing PCNL and that MDR is a significant risk factor for postoperative infectious complications despite appropriate preoperative antibiotics. Further investigations regarding prophylaxis modalities and infection prevention strategies are needed.

    View details for DOI 10.1089/end.2014.0776

    View details for Web of Science ID 000354037000007

    View details for PubMedID 25424241