Featured Recent Publications by UTMB KL2 Scholars

Bowen CM, Ditmars FS, Gupta A, Reems J-A, Fagg WS. Cell-Free Amniotic Fluid and Regenerative Medicine: Current Applications and Future Opportunities. Biomedicines. 2022; 10(11):2960. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10112960

Liu N, Bowen CM, Shoja MM, Castro de Pereira KL, Dongur LP, Saad A, Russell WK, Broderick TC, Fair JH, Fagg WS. Comparative Analysis of Co-Cultured Amniotic Cell-Conditioned Media with Cell-Free Amniotic Fluid Reveals Differential Effects on Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Myofibroblast Activation. Biomedicines. 2022; 10(9):2189. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10092189

Fagg WS, Liu N, Braunschweig U, Pereira de Castro KL, Chen X, Ditmars FS, Widen SG, Donohue JP, Modis K, Russell WK, Fair JH, Weirauch MT, Blencowe BJ, Garcia-Blanco MA. Definition of germ layer cell lineage alternative splicing programs reveals a critical role for Quaking in specifying cardiac cell fate. Nucleic Acids Res, 50(9):5313-5334, 20 May 2022. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac327.

Ditmars FS, Lind RA, Broderick TC, Fagg WS. Safety and efficacy of acellular human amniotic fluid and membrane in the treatment of non-healing wounds in a patient with chronic venous insufficiency. SAGE Open Med Case Rep, 10:2050313X221100882, 21 May 2022. doi: 10.1177/2050313X221100882

Ditmars F, Brondeel K, Fagg WS, Theriot PE. A Double-Header: Dry Eye and Filamentary Keratitis. Modern Optometry March 24 2022

Hirano M, Galarza-Munoz G, Schott G, Wang L, Nagasawa C, Antonia AL, Jain V, Yu X, Widen SG, Briggs FBS, Gregory SG, Ko DC, Fagg WS, Bradrick SS, Garcia-Blanco MA. The RNA helicase DDX39B activates FOXP3 RNA splicing to control T regulatory cell fate. BioRxIV 27 January 2022 (currently under revision at eLife). 

Liao KC, Chuo V, Fagg WS, Modahl CM, Widen S, Garcia-Blanco MA. The RNA binding protein Quaking represses splicing of the Fibronectin EDA exon and downregulates the interferon response. Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 Sep27;49(17):10034-10045. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab732. PMID: 34428287; PMCID: PMC8464043.

Quade BR, Ramírez-Hernández A, Blanton LS. In Vitro Susceptibility of Rickettsia Species to Eravacycline, Omadacycline, and Tigecycline. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021 Jul 16;65(8):e0066521. doi:10.1128/AAC.00665-21. Epub 2021 Jul 16. PMID: 34060898; PMCID: PMC8284447. 

Saldarriaga OA, Dye B, Pham J, Wanninger TG, Millian D, Kueht M, Freiberg B, Utay N, Stevenson HL. Comparison of liver biopsies before and after direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C and correlation with clinical outcome. Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 15;11(1):14506. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-93881-7. PMID:34267267; PMCID: PMC8282660. 

Sampson CM, Dimet AL, Neelakantan H, Ogunseye KO, Stevenson HL, Hommel JD, Watowich SJ. Combined nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition and reduced-calorie diet normalizes body composition and enhances metabolic benefits in obese mice. Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 11;11(1):5637. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85051-6.PMID: 33707534; PMCID: PMC7952898. 

Okereke IC, Miller AL, Jupiter DC, Hamilton CF, Reep GL, Krill T, Andersen CR, Pyles RB. Microbiota Detection Patterns Correlate With Presence and Severity of Barrett's Esophagus. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Feb 23;11:555072. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.555072. PMID: 33708643; PMCID: PMC7942024. 

Fagg WS, Liu N, Patrikeev I, Saldarriaga OA, Motamedi M, Popov VL, Stevenson HL, Fair JH. Endoderm and Hepatic Progenitor Cells Engraft in the Quiescent Liver Concurrent with Intrinsically Activated Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition. Cell Transplant. 2021 Jan-Dec;30:963689721993780. doi:10.1177/0963689721993780. PMID: 33657866; PMCID: PMC7940740. 

Bhattarai N, Rontoyanni VG, Ross E, Ogunbileje JO, Murton AJ, Porter C. Brown adipose tissue recruitment in a rodent model of severe burns. Burns. 2020Nov;46(7):1653-1659. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2020.04.034. Epub 2020 May 19. PMID:32507534; PMCID: PMC7732029. 

Blanton LS, Berman MA, Afrouzian M. Case Report: Renal Failure due to Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in a Patient with Murine Typhus. Am J Trop Med Hyg.2020 Sep;103(3):1017-1019. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0116. PMID: 32588799; PMCID: PMC7470532. 

Saldarriaga OA, Freiberg B, Krishnan S, Rao A, Burks J, Booth AL, Dye B, Utay N, Ferguson M, Akil A, Yi M, Beretta L, Stevenson HL. Multispectral Imaging Enables Characterization of Intrahepatic Macrophages in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease. Hepatol Commun. 2020 Mar 3;4(5):708-723. doi: 10.1002/hep4.1494.PMID: 32363321; PMCID: PMC7193134. 

Ruiz K, Valcin R, Keiser P, Blanton LS. Rise in Murine Typhus in Galveston County, Texas, USA, 2018. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 May;26(5):1044-1046. doi:10.3201/eid2605.191505. PMID: 32310080; PMCID: PMC7181902. 

Sallam HS, Tuvdendorj DR, Jialal I, Chandalia M, Abate N. Therapeutic lifestyle change intervention improved metabolic syndrome criteria and is complementary to amlodipine/atorvastatin. J Diabetes Complications. 2020 Mar;34(3):107480. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2019.107480. Epub 2019 Nov 9. PMID:31902653. 

Lowry JE, Tumurbaatar B, D'Agostino C, Main E, Wright TJ, Dillon EL, Saito TB, Porter C, Andersen CR, Brining DL, Endsley JJ, Sheffield-Moore M, Volpi E, Fang R, Abate N, Tuvdendorj DR. Effect of high-fat diet on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and adipose tissue in early stages of diet-induced weight gain. Br J Nutr. 2019 Dec 28;122(12):1359-1367. doi: 10.1017/S0007114519002472.PMID: 31554524; PMCID: PMC6908754. 

Blanton LS, Wilson NM, Quade BR, Walker DH. Susceptibility of Rickettsia rickettsii to Tigecycline in a Cell Culture Assay and Animal Model for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Nov;101(5):1091-1095. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.19-0445. PMID: 31516114; PMCID: PMC6838591. 

Anastasio NC, Stutz SJ, Price AE, Davis-Reyes BD, Sholler DJ, Ferguson SM, Neumaier JF, Moeller FG, Hommel JD, Cunningham KA. Convergent neural connectivity in motor impulsivity and high-fat food binge-like eating in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2019 Sep;44(10):1752-1761. doi: 10.1038/s41386-019-0394-8. Epub 2019 Apr 19. PubMed PMID: 31003231.

Blanton LS, Vohra RF, Fistein L, Quade B, Walker DH, Bouyer DH. Rickettsiae Within the Fleas of Feral Cats in Galveston, Texas. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis.2019 Sep;19(9):647-651. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2402. Epub 2019 Mar 5. PMID:30835649; PMCID: PMC6716191. 

Okereke I, Hamilton C, Wenholz A, Jala V, Giang T, Reynolds S, Miller A, Pyles R. Associations of the microbiome and esophageal disease. J Thorac Dis.2019 Aug;11(Suppl 12):S1588-S1593. doi: 10.21037/jtd.2019.05.82. PMID: 31489225; PMCID: PMC6702393. 

Okereke I. The changing landscape of esophageal disease. J Thorac Dis. 2019 Aug;11(Suppl 12):S1579-S1580. doi: 10.21037/jtd.2019.08.47. PubMed PMID: 31489223; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6702395.

Okereke I, Hamilton C, Reep G, Krill T, Booth A, Ghouri Y, Jala V, Andersen C, Pyles R. Microflora composition in the gastrointestinal tract in patients with Barrett's esophagus. J Thorac Dis. 2019 Aug;11(Suppl 12):S1581-S1587. doi:10.21037/jtd.2019.06.15. PMID: 31489224; PMCID: PMC6702394. 

Simoes CC, Saldarriaga OA, Utay NS, Stueck AE, Merwat SK, Merwat SN, Schiano TD, Fiel MI, Stevenson HL. Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment of Patients with Hepatitis C Resolves Serologic and Histopathologic Features of Autoimmune Hepatitis. Hepatol Commun. 2019 Jun 8;3(8):1113-1123. doi: 10.1002/hep4.1388.PMID: 31388631; PMCID: PMC6671831. 

Williams SB, Shan Y, Ray-Zack MD, Hudgins HK, Jazzar U, Tyler DS, Freedland SJ, Swanson TA, Baillargeon JG, Hu JC, Kaul S, Kamat AM, Gore JL, Mehta HB. Comparison of Costs of Radical Cystectomy vs Trimodal Therapy for Patients With Localized Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. JAMA Surg. 2019 Aug 1;154(8):e191629.doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.1629. Epub 2019 Aug 21. PMID: 31166593; PMCID: PMC6551585. 

Boom K, Lopez M, Daheri M, Gowen R, Milbourne A, Toscano P, Carey C, Guerra L, Carvajal JM, Marin E, Baker E, Fisher-Hoch S, Rodriguez AM, Burkalter N, Cavazos B, Gasca M, Cuellar MM, Robles E, Lopez E, Schmeler K. Perspectives on cervical cancer screening and prevention: challenges faced by providers and patients along the Texas-Mexico border. Perspect Public Health. 2019 Jul;139(4):199-205. doi: 10.1177/1757913918793443. Epub 2018 Aug 17. PubMed PMID: 30117782.

Blanton LS, Quade BR, Bouyer DH. Differentiation of Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia felis-Like Organisms via Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2019 Aug;19(8):637-639. doi:10.1089/vbz.2018.2428. Epub 2019 Apr 25. PMID: 31021302; PMCID: PMC7366258. 

Okereke IC, Miller AL, Hamilton CF, Booth AL, Reep GL, Andersen CL, Reynolds ST, Pyles RB. Microbiota of the Oropharynx and Endoscope Compared to the Esophagus. Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 15;9(1):10201. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-46747-y.PMID: 31308485; PMCID: PMC6629626. 

Ayub A, Nunez Lopez O, Booth A, Okereke I. Pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2019 Jun 20. pii: S0022-5223(19)31297-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.06.023. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31358339.

Malagaris I, Herndon DN, Polychronopoulou E, Rontoyanni VG, Andersen CR, Suman OE, Porter C, Sidossis LS. Determinants of skeletal muscle protein turnover following severe burn trauma in children. Clin Nutr. 2019Jun;38(3):1348-1354. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2018.05.027. Epub 2018 Jun 4. PMID:29907353; PMCID: PMC6279601. 

Graber TG, Fry CS, Brightwell CR, Moro T, Maroto R, Bhattarai N, Porter C, Wakamiya M, Rasmussen BB. Skeletal muscle-specific knockout of DEP domain containing 5 protein increases mTORC1 signaling, muscle cell hypertrophy, and mitochondrial respiration. J Biol Chem. 2019 Mar 15;294(11):4091-4102. doi:10.1074/jbc.RA118.005970. Epub 2019 Jan 11. PMID: 30635399; PMCID: PMC6422100. 

Brightwell CR, Markofski MM, Moro T, Fry CS, Porter C, Volpi E, Rasmussen BB. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves skeletal muscle quality in older adults. Transl Sports Med. 2019 Apr;2(3):109-119. doi: 10.1002/tsm2.70. Epub 2019 Feb 20. PubMed PMID: 31123725; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6518946.

Walser E, Nance A, Ynalvez L, Yong S, Aoughsten JS, Eyzaguirre EJ, Williams SB. Focal Laser Ablation of Prostate Cancer: Results in 120 Patients with Low-to Intermediate-Risk Disease. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2019 Mar;30(3):401-409.e2.doi: 10.1016/j.jvir.2018.09.016. PMID: 30819483; PMCID: PMC8503805. 

Girer NG, Carter D, Bhattarai N, Mustafa M, Denner L, Porter C, Elferink CJ. Inducible Loss of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activates Perigonadal White Fat Respiration and Brown Fat Thermogenesis via Fibroblast Growth Factor 21. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Feb 22;20(4). pii: E950. doi: 10.3390/ijms20040950. PubMed PMID: 30813227; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6412252.

Blanton LS. The Rickettsioses: A Practical Update. Infect Dis Clin North Am.2019 Mar;33(1):213-229. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2018.10.010. PMID: 30712763; PMCID: PMC6364315. 

Kosarek CD, Mahmoud AM, Eyzaguirre EJ, Shan Y, Walser EM, Horn GL, Williams SB. Initial series of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-fusion targeted prostate biopsy using the first transperineal targeted platform available in the USA. BJUInt. 2018 Nov;122(5):909-912. doi: 10.1111/bju.14206. Epub 2018 Apr 14. PMID:29569311; PMCID: PMC6151177. 

Polychronopoulou E, Herndon DN, Porter C. The Long-Term Impact of SevereBurn Trauma on Musculoskeletal Health. J Burn Care Res. 2018 Oct23;39(6):869-880. doi: 10.1093/jbcr/iry035. PMID: 30010999; PMCID: PMC6198740. 

Sampson CM, Kasper JM, Felsing DE, Raval SR, Ye N, Wang P, Patrikeev I,Rytting E, Zhou J, Allen JA, Hommel JD. Small-Molecule Neuromedin U Receptor 2Agonists Suppress Food Intake and Decrease Visceral Fat in Animal Models. Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2018 Aug 23;6(5):e00425. doi: 10.1002/prp2.425. PMID:30151213; PMCID: PMC6106167. 

Asghar R, Chondronikola M, Dillon EL, Durham WJ, Porter C, Wu Z, Camacho-Hughes M, Andersen CR, Spratt H, Volpi E, Sheffield-Moore M, Sidossis L, WolfeRR, Abate N, Tuvdendorj DR. Quantification of muscle triglyceride synthesis rate requires an adjustment for total triglyceride content. J Lipid Res. 2018Oct;59(10):2018-2024. doi: 10.1194/jlr.D082321. Epub 2018 Aug 21. PMID:30131344; PMCID: PMC6168308. 

Phinney BB, Ray AL, Peretti AS, Jerman SJ, Grim C, Pinchuk IV, Beswick EJ. MK2 Regulates Macrophage Chemokine Activity and Recruitment to Promote Colon Tumor Growth. Front Immunol. 2018 Sep 21;9:1857. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01857. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 30298062; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6160543.

Avila JC, Livingston JA, Rodriguez AM, Kirchhoff AC, Kuo YF, Kaul S. Disparities in Adolescent and Young Adult Sarcoma Survival: Analyses of the Texas Cancer Registry and the National SEER Data. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2018 Dec;7(6):681-687. doi: 10.1089/jayao.2018.0034. Epub 2018 Aug 10. PubMed PMID: 30096005.

Bytautiene Prewit E, Porter C, La Rosa M, Bhattarai N, Yin H, Gamble P, Kechichian T, Sidossis LS. Adipose tissue uncoupling protein 1 levels and function are increased in a mouse model of developmental obesity induced by maternal exposure to high-fat diet. J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2018 Aug;9(4):401-408. doi: 10.1017/S2040174418000107. Epub 2018 May 17. PubMed PMID: 29769150; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6070410.

Jazzar U, Yong S, Klaassen Z, Huo J, Hughes BD, Esparza E, Mehta HB, Kim SP, Tyler DS, Freedland SJ, Kamat AM, Wolf DV, Williams SB. Impact of psychiatric illness on decreased survival in elderly patients with bladder cancer in the United States. Cancer. 2018 Aug 1;124(15):3127-3135. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31404.Epub 2018 Apr 16. PMID: 29660813; PMCID: PMC6097900. 

Tabayoyong WB, Kamat AM, O'Donnell MA, McKiernan JM, Ray-Zack MD, Palou J, Brausi M, Black PC, Williams SB. Systematic Review on the Utilization of Maintenance Intravesical Chemotherapy in the Management of Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer. Eur Urol Focus. 2018 Jul;4(4):512-521. doi:10.1016/j.euf.2018.08.019. Epub 2018 Sep 3. PMID: 30190111; PMCID: PMC7810510. 

Williams SB, Kamat AM, Chamie K, Froehner M, Wirth MP, Wiklund PN, Black PC, Steinberg GD, Boorjian SA, Daneshmand S, Goebell PJ, Pohar KS, Shariat SF, Thalmann GN. Systematic Review of Comorbidity and Competing-risks Assessments for Bladder Cancer Patients. Eur Urol Oncol. 2018 Jun;1(2):91-100. doi:10.1016/j.euo.2018.03.005. Epub 2018 Jun 6. PMID: 30345422; PMCID: PMC6190914. 

Beswick EJ, Grim C, Singh A, Aguirre JE, Tafoya M, Qiu S, Rogler G, McKee R, Samedi V, Ma TY, Reyes VE, Powell DW, Pinchuk IV. Expression of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 by Human Colonic CD90(+) Stromal Cells Differs Between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease and Determines Their Capacity to Suppress Th1 Cells. Front Immunol. 2018 May 30;9:1125. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01125. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 29910803; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5992387.

Mehta HB, Sura SD, Adhikari D, Andersen CR, Williams SB, Senagore AJ, Kuo YF, Goodwin JS. Adapting the Elixhauser comorbidity index for cancer patients. Cancer. 2018 May 1;124(9):2018-2025. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31269. Epub 2018 Feb 1. PMID: 29390174; PMCID: PMC5910176. 

Scala F, Nenov MN, Crofton EJ, Singh AK, Folorunso O, Zhang Y, Chesson BC,Wildburger NC, James TF, Alshammari MA, Alshammari TK, Elfrink H, Grassi C,Kasper JM, Smith AE, Hommel JD, Lichti CF, Rudra JS, D'Ascenzo M, Green TA, Laezza F. Environmental Enrichment and Social Isolation Mediate Neuroplasticity of Medium Spiny Neurons through the GSK3 Pathway. Cell Rep. 2018 Apr10;23(2):555-567. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.062. PMID: 29642012; PMCID: PMC6150488. 

Iqbal F, Durham WJ, Melhem A, Raslan S, Tran TT, Wright TJ, Asghar R, FujiseK, Volpi E, Sidossis L, Abate N, Sheffield-Moore M, Tuvdendorj D. Sex-dependent difference in the relationship between adipose-tissue cholesterol efflux andestradiol concentrations in young healthy humans. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2018Feb;64:59-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.07.001. Epub 2017 Jul 12. PMID:28709820; PMCID: PMC5766437. 

Kasper JM, Milton AJ, Smith AE, Laezza F, Taglialatela G, Hommel JD, Abate N. Cognitive deficits associated with a high-fat diet and insulin resistance are potentiated by overexpression of ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatasephosphodiesterase-1. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2018 Feb;64:48-53. doi:10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.03.011. Epub 2017 Mar 31. PMID: 28373023; PMCID: PMC5893149. 

Ynalvez LA, Kosarek CD, Kerr PS, Mahmoud AM, Eyzaguirre EJ, Orihuela E, Sonstein JN, Williams SB. Atypical small acinar proliferation at index prostate biopsy: rethinking the re-biopsy paradigm. Int Urol Nephrol. 2018 Jan;50(1):1-6.doi: 10.1007/s11255-017-1714-8. Epub 2017 Oct 24. PMID: 29064003; PMCID: PMC5760352.