Publications by authors named "Michael Shaughnessy"

Lentigo Maligna (LM) arises on chronically-sun damaged skin and can have extensive subclinical spread, often in functionally and cosmetically challenging areas. This two-part continuing medical education (CME) series reviews LM. Part I reviews epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnostic tools, biopsy technique, and histopathology of LM.

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Lentigo maligna (LM) is an increasingly common subtype of melanoma, presenting as a slow-growing tan-brown macule or patch with irregular borders arising on chronically solar-damaged skin. This two-part continuing medical education (CME) series provides an overview of LM. Part I reviews LM's epidemiology, risk factors, and clinical presentation.

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Several observational studies have demonstrated a consistent pattern of decreased melanoma risk among patients with vitiligo. More recently, this finding has been supported by a suggested genetic relationship between the two entities, with certain variants significantly associated with an increased risk of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma but a decreased risk of vitiligo. We compared 48 associated variants from a recently published GWAS and identified three variants-located in the , , and loci- that correlated with an increased risk for melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma and a decreased risk for vitiligo.

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Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer although surgery is often curative when combined with early screening and prevention. In recurrent or advanced cancer, the emergence of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors has demonstrated promising clinical outcomes. Such approaches can remarkably halt the progression of disease for many years, although are limited by the acquisition of resistance.

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Approximately half of melanoma tumors lack a druggable target and are unresponsive to current targeted therapeutics. One proposed approach for treating these therapeutically orphaned tumors is by targeting transcriptional dependencies (oncogene starvation), whereby survival factors are depleted through inhibition of transcriptional regulators. A drug screen identified a CDK9 inhibitor (SNS-032) to have therapeutic selectivity against wild-type (wt) BRAF/NRAS melanomas compared with BRAF/NRAS mutated melanomas.

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Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the results of studies that have determined the effect of injectable and inhalant drugs used in anesthesia on intraocular pressure (IOP) in dogs.

Databases Used: A comprehensive search of research literature was performed without language restriction. The search utilized the PubMed, CAB Abstracts and the University of Georgia's Galileo electronic databases using a combination of free text terms 'Ophthalmology', 'Intraocular Pressure', 'Anesthetic', 'Anesthesia', 'Canine' or 'Dog'.

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Uveal malignant melanoma (UMM), the most common primary adult intraocular tumor with a marked metastatic potential, is genetically unique and has unfortunately had few treatment breakthroughs. In this study, we subjected a UMM cell line to high‑throughput library screening with 1,018 FDA‑approved compounds to identify potential UMM‑selective cytotoxic agents. Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB), ranked no.

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Although TERT promoter mutations have been associated with a worsened prognosis in melanoma, the relationship between mutation status and downstream telomerase activity and telomere length remains convoluted. Using Sanger sequencing and techniques based on quantitative reverse transcriptase in real time, we evaluated 60 melanoma cell lines for TERT promoter mutational status, copy number, gene expression, and telomere length to provide a comprehensive analysis of the TERT/telomere pathway and establish a classification system whereby the associations between TERT mutations and their downstream molecular manifestations can more easily be ascertained. Mutations at positions -124/125 and -146 were associated with the highest levels of TERT gene expression but had no appreciable impact on absolute telomere length.

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Importance: Shared gene variants in benign-malignant process pairs, such as BRAF mutations common to benign nevi and melanoma, are associated with differing phenotypic manifestations. Study of gene mechanisms underlying cherry angioma may uncover previously unknown disease relationships.

Objective: To identify somatic mutations present in cherry angioma specimens by using targeted next-generation sequencing.

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Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) often requires surgical intervention. An increasingly common cause of IE is injection drug use (IDU-IE). There is conflicting evidence on whether postoperative mortality differs between people with IDU-IE and people with IE from etiologies other than injection drug use (non-IDU-IE).

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We present the case report of a 49-year-old gentleman with a history of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the left nare status post curative bifrontal craniotomy, left lateral rhinotomy and medial maxillectomy, adjuvant radiotherapy, and orbital exenteration for optic neuropathy, complicated by medial wall dehiscence. His course was also complicated by severe radiation trismus, for which he was scheduled to undergo bilateral mandibular coronoidectomies. Given his limited mouth opening, the surgeon requested a nasal endotracheal tube.

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Electronic and optoelectronic devices based on thin films of carbon nanotubes are currently limited by the presence of metallic nanotubes. Here we present a novel approach based on nanotube alkyl functionalization to physically remove the metallic nanotubes from such network devices. The process relies on preferential thermal desorption of the alkyls from the semiconducting nanotubes and the subsequent dissolution and selective removal of the metallic nanotubes in chloroform.

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Objective: To determine effects of duration and type of anesthetic on tear production in dogs.

Animals: 8 female Beagles.

Procedures: Each dog was randomly allocated into 1 of 4 groups according to a Latin square design to receive anesthesia as follows: 1 hour with isoflurane, 1 hour with desflurane, 4 hours with isoflurane, and 4 hours with desflurane.

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While short-term surface energy effects on cell adhesion are relatively well known, little is revealed as regards its later stage effects on cell behavior. We examined surface energy effects on osteoblastic cell growth and mineralization by using human fetal osteoblastic (hFOB) cells cultured on plasma-treated quartz (contact angle, theta=0 degrees) and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)-treated quartz (theta=113 degrees). hFOB cells formed a homogeneous cell layer on plasma-treated quartz, while those cultured on OTS-treated quartz produced randomly distributed clump-like structures that were filled with cells (confirmed by confocal microscopy).

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Michael Shaughnessy"

  • - Michael Shaughnessy's recent research primarily focuses on skin cancers, particularly melanoma and its classifications, management strategies, and associated genetic factors, as evidenced by his two-part series on Lentigo Maligna and studies on molecular medicine's role in melanoma treatment.
  • - His work delves into the genetic correlations between skin cancers and conditions like vitiligo, highlighting the complex interrelationships and risk factors involved, using Mendelian randomization to uncover such genetic risks.
  • - Additionally, Shaughnessy explores innovative therapeutic approaches, including targeting transcriptional dependencies in treatment-resistant melanoma and assessing the effects of anesthetic drugs in veterinary care, showcasing a diverse range of applications in his dermatology-centric research.