Local Control of Pyoderma Gangrenosum Using Human Amniotic Membrane and Transcriptome Analysis.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, chronic, ulcerative disease characterized by non-healing wounds that worsen with debridement, a phenomenon called pathergy. No consensus regarding pathogenesis, diagnosis, or treatment exists for PG. A previous pilot study using dehydrated human amniotic/chorionic membrane (dHACM), following excisional debridement, augmented PG wound healing and allowed for subsequent wound closure through split-thickness skin grafting (STSG).

In Vitro Culture of White Adipose Tissue.

White adipose tissue (WAT) plays a crucial endocrine organ that regulates blood glucose and lipid levels, satiety, and inflammation. Before the described technique, primary white adipocytes could not be stably cultured in vitro. The lack of a reliable primary culture model impeded research in WAT metabolism and drug development.

Targeting CaMKK2 Inhibits Actin Cytoskeletal Assembly to Suppress Cancer Metastasis.

Unlabelled: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) tend to become invasive and metastatic at early stages in their development. Despite some treatment successes in early-stage localized TNBC, the rate of distant recurrence remains high, and long-term survival outcomes remain poor. In a search for new therapeutic targets for this disease, we observed that elevated expression of the serine/threonine kinase calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) is highly correlated with tumor invasiveness.

Ca /Calmodulin Dependent Protein Kinase Kinase-2 (CaMKK2) promotes Protein Kinase G (PKG)-dependent actin cytoskeletal assembly to increase tumor metastasis.

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) tend to become highly invasive early during cancer development. Despite some successes in the initial treatment of patients diagnosed with early-stage localized TNBC, the rate of metastatic recurrence remains high with poor long-term survival outcomes. Here we show that elevated expression of the serine/threonine-kinase, Calcium/Calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase-2 (CaMKK2), is highly correlated with tumor invasiveness.

Epiploic Adipose Tissue (EPAT) in Obese Individuals Promotes Colonic Tumorigenesis: A Novel Model for EPAT-Dependent Colorectal Cancer Progression.

The obesity epidemic is associated with increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and progression, the mechanisms of which remain unclear. In obese individuals, hypertrophic epiploic adipose tissue (EPAT), attached to the colon, has unique characteristics compared to other fats. We hypothesized that this understudied fat could serve as a tumor-promoting tissue and developed a novel microphysiological system (MPS) for human EPAT-dependent colorectal cancer (CRC-MPS).

The Impact of Exogenous Testosterone on Breast Cancer Risk in Transmasculine Individuals.

Background: Exogenous testosterone is vital to gender-affirming therapy for transmasculine individuals. Testosterone may be implicated in breast cancer (BCa) because it can activate androgen and estrogen receptors. To further explore this risk, we performed a systematic review to investigate the impact of exogenous testosterone on BCa risk in transmasculine individuals.

Pilot study of minimally adherent silver dressings for acute surgical wounds.

Background And Aims: Minimally adherent silver dressings (SILVER MASD) are antimicrobial, nonirritating, provide a moist wound healing environment, and low cost. The purpose of this pilot, single-center, non-blinded randomized controlled trial was to quantify the outcomes of acute surgical wounds treated with MASD versus standard of care (SoC) dressings.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with acute wounds were randomized 1:1 to be treated with MASD once weekly or SoC following surgical excision of skin and/or subcutaneous tissue between September 13, 2016 and November 28, 2017.

Treatment of a recurrent ischial ulcer with injected exosomes.

Pressure ulcers (PUs) affect 2.5 million patients per year. Even after successful reconstruction, 50% of PUs recur.

Pilot phase results of a prospective, randomized controlled trial of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 morbidity and mortality are driven by poor immune regulation. Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is standard of care in a number of immune-dysregulated diseases. To assess the efficacy of NB-UVB phototherapy for improving COVID-19 outcomes in high-risk, hospitalized, we developed the Adaptive Photo-Protection Trial.

Expression of the preadipocyte marker ZFP423 is dysregulated between well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

Background: Well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcomas are rare soft tissue tumors originating in adipose tissue that share genetic abnormalities but have significantly different metastatic potential. Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) is highly aggressive and has an overall 5-year survival rate of 30% as compared to 90% for well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS). This discrepancy may be connected to their potential to form adipocytes, where WDLPS is adipogenic but DDLPS is adipogenic-impaired.

A Role for Adipocytes and Adipose Stem Cells in the Breast Tumor Microenvironment and Regenerative Medicine.

Obesity rates are climbing, representing a confounding and contributing factor to many disease states, including cancer. With respect to breast cancer, obesity plays a prominent role in the etiology of this disease, with certain subtypes such as triple-negative breast cancer having a strong correlation between obesity and poor outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to examine the obesity-related alterations to the normal stroma and the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Elevated ATGL in colon cancer cells and cancer stem cells promotes metabolic and tumorigenic reprogramming reinforced by obesity.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic associated with increased risk and progression of colon cancer. Here, we aimed to determine the role of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), responsible for intracellular lipid droplet (LD) utilization, in obesity-driven colonic tumorigenesis. In local colon cancer patients, significantly increased ATGL levels in tumor tissue, compared to controls, were augmented in obese individuals.

Dehydrated Human Amniotic-Chorionic Membrane Reduces Incisional Hernia Formation in an Animal Model.

Background: Currently there are no standard of care treatment strategies for IH prevention (IHP). Dehydrated human amnion-chorion (dHACM) is a healing adjunct that elutes growth factors including several that have reduced IH in animal models. We therefore performed a double-blinded, prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the hypothesis that dHACM significantly reduces IH formation in a well-studied animal model of acute IH.

Modeling Breast Cancer in Human Breast Tissue using a Microphysiological System.

Breast cancer (BC) remains a leading cause of death for women. Despite more than $700 million invested in BC research annually, 97% of candidate BC drugs fail clinical trials. Therefore, new models are needed to improve our understanding of the disease.

Acellular Dermal Matrix-Associated Complications in Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing Two Human Tissues.

Background: Implant-based breast reconstruction accounts for the vast majority of breast reconstruction procedures and is commonly performed with human acellular dermal matrix. There is no consensus as to the optimal human acellular dermal matrix preparation, and high-quality evidence concerning comparative effectiveness is lacking. This study is the first prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial to compare human acellular dermal matrix-related complications of the two most commonly used human acellular dermal matrices in implant-based breast reconstruction.

Quantifying Breast Cancer-Driven Fiber Alignment and Collagen Deposition in Primary Human Breast Tissue.

Solid tumor progression is significantly influenced by interactions between cancer cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Specifically, the cancer cell-driven changes to ECM fiber alignment and collagen deposition impact tumor growth and metastasis. Current methods of quantifying these processes are incomplete, require simple or artificial matrixes, rely on uncommon imaging techniques, preclude the use of biological and technical replicates, require destruction of the tissue, or are prone to segmentation errors.

Patient-Derived Xenografts as an Innovative Surrogate Tumor Model for the Investigation of Health Disparities in Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Despite a decline in overall incidence rates for cancer in the past decade, due in part to impressive advancements in both diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer (BC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. BC alone accounts for ∼30% of all new cancer diagnoses in women worldwide. Triple-negative BC (TNBC), defined as having no expression of the estrogen or progesterone receptors and no amplification of the HER2 receptor, is a subtype of BC that does not benefit from the use of estrogen receptor-targeting or HER2-targeting therapies.

Human Adipose Derived Cells in Two- and Three-Dimensional Cultures: Functional Validation of an In Vitro Fat Construct.

Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m or above, has increased considerably in incidence and frequency within the United States and globally. Associated comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have led to a focus on the mechanisms promoting the prevention and treatment of obesity. Commonly utilized models employ human or mouse preadipocyte cell lines in a 2-dimensional (2D) format.