Publications by authors named "Erin Shannon"

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by recurrent somatic mutations in epigenetic regulators, which stratify patients into clinically significant subgroups with distinct prognoses and treatment responses. However, the cell type-specific epigenetic landscape of RCC-broadly and in the context of these mutations-is incompletely understood. To investigate these open questions, we integrated single nucleus ATAC sequencing data from RCC tumors across four independent cohorts.

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Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a highly lethal cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract with rising incidence in western populations. To decipher EAC disease progression and therapeutic response, we performed multiomic analyses of a cohort of primary and metastatic EAC tumors, incorporating single-nuclei transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility sequencing, along with spatial profiling. We identified tumor microenvironmental features previously described to associate with therapy response.

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Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is used to guide lipid-lowering therapy after a myocardial infarction (MI). Lack of LDL-C testing represents a missed opportunity for optimizing therapy and reducing cardiovascular risk.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries who had their LDL-C measured within 90 days following MI hospital discharge.

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Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare cancers that most often arise in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. The fundamental mechanisms driving gastroenteropancreatic (GEP)-NET growth remain incompletely elucidated; however, the heterogeneous clinical behavior of GEP-NETs suggests that both cellular lineage dynamics and tumor microenvironment influence tumor pathophysiology. Here, we investigated the single-cell transcriptomes of tumor and immune cells from patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs.

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Activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway promotes antitumor immunity but STING agonists have yet to achieve clinical success. Increased understanding of the mechanism of action of STING agonists in human tumors is key to developing therapeutic combinations that activate effective innate antitumor immunity. Here, we report that malignant pleural mesothelioma cells robustly express STING and are responsive to STING agonist treatment ex vivo.

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Article Synopsis
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show limited effectiveness for treating hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer, as evidenced by final overall survival results from a trial involving 88 patients.
  • The study compared eribulin with pembrolizumab, revealing no significant improvement in overall survival rates, despite some tumors showing immune response correlations.
  • Key findings suggest that immune infiltration and antigen presentation are linked to positive responses, while tumor heterogeneity and estrogen signaling contribute to treatment resistance, indicating a need for further research and validation in clinical settings.
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Purpose: There are limited data on trastuzumab-pertuzumab (HP)-based treatments beyond the first-line, HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) setting. We conducted a phase II study of eribulin mesylate, which extends survival in MBC, with HP in patients with previously treated HER2+ MBC to evaluate efficacy, toxicity, and genomic alterations driving therapeutic response.

Methods: After a run-in phase for eribulin dosing, two cohorts were enrolled (Cohort A-no prior pertuzumab; Cohort B-prior pertuzumab).

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Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is associated with heightened risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE) in peripheral artery disease (PAD). Lipid-lowering therapies (LLT) that reduce LDL-C decrease this risk.

Objectives: The authors examined LLT use and actual achieved LDL-C in PAD.

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Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) results in durable disease control in a subset of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but mechanisms driving resistance are poorly understood. We characterize the single-cell transcriptomes of cancer and immune cells from metastatic RCC patients before or after ICB exposure. In responders, subsets of cytotoxic T cells express higher levels of co-inhibitory receptors and effector molecules.

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Purpose: The 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) cholesterol guideline defines very high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk as a history of ≥ 2 major ASCVD events or 1 major ASCVD event and multiple high-risk conditions. We tested if a simplified approach, having a history of a major ASCVD event, would identify a high proportion of patients that meet the 2018 AHA/ACC cholesterol guideline criteria for very high risk.

Methods: We analyzed data from US adults with health insurance in the MarketScan database who had experienced an acute coronary syndrome in the past year (recent ACS, n = 3626), a myocardial infarction (MI) other than a recent ACS (n = 7572), an ischemic stroke (n = 3551), or symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD, n = 5919).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated the effectiveness of the WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib combined with cisplatin in treating metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) in patients with limited prior chemotherapy.
  • - Out of 34 patients, the objective response rate (ORR) was 26%, with a median progression-free survival of 4.9 months, but the treatment didn't meet the predefined success benchmark of an ORR greater than 30%.
  • - Some patients showed signs of clinical benefit, demonstrating immune gene expression and T-cell activity in their tumors, suggesting potential for further research despite high treatment-related side effects.
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Background: The 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) cholesterol guideline includes recommendations for intensive lipid-lowering therapy in patients at very high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events.

Objectives: This study sought to estimate event rates among adults with a history of ASCVD who met and did not meet the definition of very high risk in the 2018 AHA/ACC cholesterol guideline.

Methods: Data from U.

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Background: Exposure to various types of stress can elevate craving for cocaine and hasten relapse among substance dependent individuals. This investigation evaluated the effects of social exclusion on brain activity in cocaine dependent individuals.

Method: Forty three individuals (18 crack-cocaine users, 25 controls) were recruited from the community to participate in functional neuroimaging study in which they performed a simulated 3 person ball-tossing game (Cyberball).

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The current study evaluated the relationships among trait anxiety, subjective response to alcohol, and simulated driving following a simulated alcohol binge. Sixty drinkers with a binge history completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Alcohol Use Questionnaire, and subsequently completed a driving simulation. Participants were then administered 0.

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Rationale: Marijuana is a popular drug of abuse among adolescents, and they may be uniquely vulnerable to resulting cognitive and behavioral impairments. Previous studies have found impairments among adolescent marijuana users. However, the majority of this research has examined measures individually rather than multiple domains in a single cohesive analysis.

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This study used disk diffusion assays to evaluate the effectiveness of cold-pressed terpeneless Valencia oil (CPTVO) and its primary components (linalool, citral, and decanal) at inhibiting Listeria via direct contact or exposure to vapors. In general, all Listeria strains tested responded similarly to CPTVO and its components. Direct contact with linalool produced zones of inhibition that were significantly smaller (P < 0.

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Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen and its control in foods is a significant challenge. This study evaluated the effectiveness of nisin and cold-pressed terpeneless Valencia oil (CPTVO) on limiting L. monocytogenes growth.

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This study was designed to evaluate the ability of cold pressed terpeneless Valencia orange oil (CPTVO) to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics against 10 strains of Listeria monocytogenes. Disc diffusion assays were performed to determine the effects of CPTVO and two antibiotics with different mechanisms of action (i.e.

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Objective: Compared with non‐bingers, binge drinkers are more likely to drive while intoxicated. The extent to which binge frequency impacts confidence in driving and subsequent driving impairment is unknown. This study compared the effects of an experimenter‐delivered alcohol binge on subjective impairment and simulated driving ability in female high‐frequency and low‐frequency bingers.

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Aims: The aim of this study was to probe the relationship between the subjective effects of alcohol and impulsive behavior in social drinkers.

Methods: Fifty social drinkers performed a response-inhibition task before consuming alcohol. A 0.

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Because of the widespread use of drugs by adolescents, there is demand for scientific rigor in sampling and accuracy in methods for ascertaining drug use patterns. The present study: (1) characterized adolescents who responded to advertisements for marijuana users; (2) compared rates of drug use reported on the telephone versus an on-site interview; and (3) examined drug use patterns as a function of parental awareness of drug use. Adolescents, identifying themselves as marijuana users during telephone interviews, reported more use of other drugs than those denying marijuana use.

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Neurosteroids represent a class of endogenous compounds that exert rapid, nongenomic effects through neurotransmitter receptor systems such as gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)). Two neurosteroids, allopregnanolone (3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one) and pregnanolone (3alpha-hydroxy-5beta-pregnan-20-one), possess anxiolytic and sedative properties and show substitution for ethanol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates in drug discrimination assays. A previous study examining the discriminative stimulus effects of 10 mg/kg pregnanolone in DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice showed pregnanolone's discriminative stimulus to be mediated primarily through GABA(A) positive modulation.

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Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that regulate how the brain perceives the intoxicating effects of alcohol is highly relevant to understanding the development and maintenance of alcohol addiction. The basis for the subjective effects of intoxication can be studied in drug discrimination procedures in which animals are trained to differentiate the presence of internal stimulus effects of a given dose of ethanol (EtOH) from its absence. Research on the discriminative stimulus effects of psychoactive drugs has shown that these effects are mediated by specific receptor systems.

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