Johns Hopkins University

Triptolide sensitizes cancer cells to nucleoside DNA methyltransferase inhibitors through inhibition of DCTPP1-mediated cell-intrinsic resistance

SUMMARY While nucleoside DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) such as decitabine and azacitidine are effective in treating myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS)/leukemia, they have had limited utility for the majority of other cancers. Through a chemical library screen, we identified...

Association of prenatal exposure to opioids, cannabis, and polysubstance use with cord blood DNA methylation patterns in a multiancestry cohort

Abstract Background: Blood DNA methylation patterns are highly predictive of prenatal exposure to smoking and differential methylation has been associated with maternal alcohol use. We extended this to determine whether DNA methylation patterns in cord blood are associated with p...

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Importance Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic autonomic disorder characterized by excessive orthostatic tachycardia and multisystem symptoms that affects an estimated 0.1% to 1% of the US population. POTS can substantially impair daily functioning and q...

Platelet-derived S100A9 contributes to endotheliopathy in alcohol-associated hepatitis

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a growing global health concern, with alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) leading to the highest morbidity and mortality. Available therapies are limited and often inadequate. Platelets contribute in a variety of ways to liver disease patho...

Divergent complication patterns of type 2 diabetes in African individuals who are lean versus overweight or obese: a multi-cohort analysis

Abstract Aims/hypothesis Nearly 40% of African adults with type 2 diabetes are lean (BMI <25 kg/m 2 ). Emerging evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes in African individuals who are lean may represent a distinct phenotype driven by impaired insulin secretion rather than insulin r...

Repositioning of Vertical Implantable Phakic Contact Lens

ABSTRACT Implantable phakic contact lens (IPCL) V2.0 has a special patterned hole on the leading left corner to ensure correct orientation and positioning. Incorrect orientation is an absolute indication for repositioning. We emphasize that incorrect orientation of a toric IPCL c...

Management of neonates born to mothers with reactive serologic tests for syphilis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The dramatic resurgence of maternal and congenital syphilis in the United States highlights the need for their optimal management as syphilis in pregnancy can result in substantial neonatal morbidity and mortality. This review summarizes current epidemiology an...

Metabolomic profiling reveals distinct and shared biology in COPD and IPF

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) are chronic pulmonary disorders with distinct pathologies but shared risk factors. Metabolomics may provide insights into mechanisms. To identify metabolites associated with COPD and IPF, and to...

Prediagnostic circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and prostate cancer-specific survival: a collaborative pooled analysis of 13 prospective studies

Abstract Background Previous research suggests higher risk of prostate cancer diagnosis in men with high vitamin D serology, but there are limited data related to prostate cancer survival. In this study, we examine the associations between prediagnostic circulating levels of 25-h...

Circulating lipids are associated with PTSD severity and predict symptomatic PTSD in a cohort of veterans and service members

Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by chronic stress, alterations in mood, and avoidance after a traumatic event has occurred. While recovery can occur, many PTSD patients suffer life-long impairments. In combat veterans, high rates of PTSD contribute...

The future of high-dose, high-intensity neurorehabilitation: Consensus-based core recommendations from the fourth Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable

Objective: Convergent evidence indicates that high-dose, high-intensity rehabilitation (HDHI) improves outcomes beyond usual care after stroke, yet implementation remains limited. While questions of optimal dose, timing, and delivery format continue to be refined, the biological...

Why food stays contaminated: a COM-B framework analysis of child feeding practices in Dhaka’s informal settlements

Abstract Background Foodborne diseases are the major public health concerns in low- and middle-income countries, particularly during the complementary feeding period. Children become increasingly exposed to environmental pathogens at this age. Food hygiene during this period is c...

SPINK1-COL18A1 crosstalk shapes epigenome and drives cancer stemness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating cancer with an increasing incidence and extremely dismal prognosis. Discovery and mechanistic understanding of the genetic and epigenetic drivers of PDAC is therefore of critical importance. Here, we uncover serine protease...

Modulation of neuronal excitability and plasticity by BHLHE41 conveys lithium non-responsiveness

Abstract Many bipolar disorder (BD) patients are non-responsive to lithium. The mechanisms underlying lithium (non-)responsiveness are largely unknown. By using gene-set enrichment analysis methods, we found that core clock gene-sets are significantly associated with lithium resp...

Sulforaphane Decreases the Burden of AKT1-Expressing Pre-Neoplastic Cells in a Zebrafish Model of Glioblastoma Initiation

Background: Glioblastoma is a primary aggressive brain tumor, with an average survival rate of ~14.6 months. The low therapeutic benefit of current treatments is in part due to glioblastoma-initiating cells hijacking microglia/macrophages to support tumor growth, prompting the de...

2-arm-PEG-OligocationsTransiently Shield theLiver Sinusoids to Mitigate Off-Target Hepatic Expression of mRNALipid Nanoparticles

ABSTRACT Ionizable lipid nanoparticles (iLNPs) are powerful platforms for mRNA-based vaccines and immunotherapies; however, their intrinsic liver tropism compromises both safety and efficacy. Off-target hepatic protein expression from delivered mRNA raises safety concerns, and he...

Examining Practice and Payment Gaps in Otolaryngology: Evidence from US Medicare Data

Abstract Objective To assess longitudinal differences in Medicare reimbursement, billing patterns, and service composition among US otolaryngologists. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare fee‐for‐service database...

Characterizing the impact of incorporating spatially aggregated human mobility data into infectious disease models

Abstract Models of infectious disease dynamics should align the spatial scale of mobility data to the scale of travel relevant to infer disease introduction events and subsequent local transmission. Despite this, the biases of spatially aggregating mobility data, which are more c...

A Hybrid Transfer Learning Approach for Ambient PM2.5 Exposure Modeling in LMIC Contexts: A Case Study from Lima, Peru

Abstract Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) contributes to millions of premature deaths annually worldwide. While epidemiological studies increasingly rely on geospatial technologies, such as satellite remote sensing, low-cost sensors, and chemical transport models, to q...

Effectiveness of sexual health interventions in reducing risky sexual behaviors among people living with HIV: a network meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract Objectives To assess and rank the effectiveness of different sexual health interventions designed to address risky sexual behaviors in PLWH. Methods We systematically searched studies published between Jan. 2010 and Dec. 2024. Randomized controlled trails (RCTs) were inc...