Publications by authors named "Nagesh Rao"

Background: Group peer telementoring supports interprofessional learning through multi-directional and synchronous engagement where experienced and knowledgeable individuals exchange guidance and support with differently experienced and knowledgeable individuals. A leading example of group peer telementoring among medical specialists and medical generalists is Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO), a rapidly spreading program with demonstrated learning outcomes among community-based medical generalists. Yet the multi-directional exchanges that characterize group peer telementoring interactions suggest that specialists facilitating sessions may also learn from the group experiences.

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Approximately 65% of renal cell carcinomas (RCC) are diagnosed at a localized stage. We investigated the chromosome 5q gain impact on disease-free survival (DFS) in RCC patients. Overall, 676 patients with stages 1-2 RCC and having cytogenetic analysis were included.

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by extensive microvascular hyperproliferation. In addition to supplying blood to the tumor, GBM vessels also provide trophic support to glioma cells and serve as conduits for migration into the surrounding brain, promoting recurrence. Here, we enrich CD31-expressing glioma vascular cells (GVCs) and A2B5-expressing glioma tumor cells (GTCs) from primary GBM and use RNA sequencing to create a comprehensive molecular interaction map of the secreted and extracellular factors elaborated by GVCs that can interact with receptors and membrane molecules on GTCs.

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Aims: To compare the ability of immunohistochemistry (IHC), multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) to detect clonal plasma cells. We also attempted to outline a testing strategy for monitoring multiple myeloma patients.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 278 CD138+sorted FISH studies from November 2019 to December 2020 along with their concurrent IHC and MFC results.

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Unlabelled: Focal amplifications (FA) can mediate targeted therapy resistance in cancer. Understanding the structure and dynamics of FAs is critical for designing treatments that overcome plasticity-mediated resistance. We developed a melanoma model of dual MAPK inhibitor (MAPKi) resistance that bears BRAFV600 amplifications through either extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA)/double minutes (DM) or intrachromosomal homogenously staining regions (HSR).

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Background: Karyotype determination has a central role in the genetic workup of pregnancy loss, as aneuploidy (trisomy and monosomy) and polyploidy (triploidy and tetraploidy) are the cause in at least 50% of first trimester, 25% of second trimester, and 11% of third trimester miscarriages. There are several limitations with the current approaches of obtaining a karyotype using traditional cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization with a limited number of probes, and chromosomal microarray. These include culture failure, incomplete results, lower sensitivity, and longer reporting time.

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Malignant mesotheliomas are rather uncommon neoplasms associated primarily with asbestos exposure; however, they may also arise as second primary malignancies after radiation therapy, with a latency period of 15-25 years. Numerous studies have reported an association between pleural malignant mesothelioma and chest radiation performed for other malignancies; on the other hand, post-irradiation mesotheliomas of the pericardium have been reported in only a few published cases to date, and no homozygous deletion of 9p21 has been described in such cases. We report the case of a 48-year-old man with a history of Hodgkin's lymphoma and no prior asbestos exposure who developed pericardial malignant epithelioid mesothelioma.

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Cross-talk among oncogenic signaling and metabolic pathways may create opportunities for new therapeutic strategies in cancer. Here we show that although acute inhibition of EGFR-driven glucose metabolism induces only minimal cell death, it lowers the apoptotic threshold in a subset of patient-derived glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that after attenuated glucose consumption, Bcl-xL blocks cytoplasmic p53 from triggering intrinsic apoptosis.

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Context: - Chromosome analysis on bone marrow or peripheral blood samples fails in a small proportion of attempts. A method that is more reliable, with similar or better resolution, would be a welcome addition to the armamentarium of the cytogenetics laboratory.

Objective: - To develop a method similar to banded metaphase chromosome analysis that relies only on interphase nuclei.

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The cohesin complex is an evolutionarily conserved multi-subunit protein complex which regulates sister chromatid cohesion during mitosis and meiosis. Additionally, the cohesin complex regulates DNA replication, DNA repair, and transcription. The core of the complex consists of four subunits: SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21, and STAG1/2.

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Article Synopsis
  • Human cells typically have 23 pairs of chromosomes, but in cancer, genes can be found in both chromosomes and circular extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA).
  • A study of 17 cancer types revealed that ecDNA appears in nearly half of all human cancers, often amplifying driver oncogenes, which leads to higher levels of these genes.
  • Mathematical models and quantitative analyses support the idea that ecDNA plays a significant role in cancer evolution by increasing genetic diversity and oncogene copy numbers more effectively than traditional chromosomal changes.
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Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have a great potential as indicators of metastatic disease that may help physicians improve cancer prognostication, treatment and patient outcomes. Heterogeneous marker expression as well as the complexity of current antibody-based isolation and analysis systems highlights the need for alternative methods. In this work, we use a microfluidic Vortex device that can selectively isolate potential tumor cells from blood independent of cell surface expression.

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Pericytes are modified smooth muscle cells that closely enwrap small blood vessels, regulating and supporting the microvasculature through direct endothelial contact. Pericytes demonstrate a distinct immunohistochemical profile, including expression of smooth muscle actin, CD146, platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, and regulator of G-protein signaling 5. Previously, pericyte-related antigens have been observed to be present among a group of soft tissue tumors with a perivascular growth pattern, including glomus tumor, myopericytoma, and angioleiomyoma.

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Vascular leiomyoma are uncommon, clinically benign smooth muscle tumors. Here we report a case of an otherwise typical leiomyoma with unusual cytogenetic changes including t(1;10). Reports from the existing literature suggest that approximately 40-50% of leiomyomas contain nonrandom chromosomal abnormalities of which a subset is tumor specific.

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Background: Warthin tumors presenting concomitantly with a lymphoma is vanishingly rare with only 15 reported cases in English literature. Herein, we report an unusual initial presentation of a mantle cell lymphoma involving the lymphoid stroma of a Warthin tumor.

Case Presentation: A seventy-seven year old otherwise healthy gentleman with a 50-pack year smoking history presents with a slowly enlarging left cheek mass.

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Neonatal intestinal masses with spindle cell morphology have broad differential diagnoses and require a multidisciplinary approach to make the final diagnosis. Spindle cell masses with heterotopic cartilage in the gastrointestinal tract are very rare, and, to our knowledge, have not previously been reported in the neonate. Here we present a case of intestinal primitive spindle cell neoplasm with extensive heterotopic cartilage that manifested initially as acute abdomen in a 6-day-old term infant.

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Background: Rearrangements involving ETV6 (12p13) are among the most common structural abnormalities in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and involve numerous partner genes. Additionally, the t(8;14)(q11.2;q32), which can result in the placement of CEBPD (8q11.

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Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a mature B-cell neoplasm composed of monomorphic small to medium-sized atypical lymphocytes arising from naïve mantle zone B-cells, with a generally aggressive and incurable clinical course. The t(11;14)(q13;q32) between IGH@ and CCND1 is present in almost all cases of MCL. Secondary cytogenetic abnormalities are common, and have been associated in some cases with clinical progression.

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Background: The t(1;19)(q23;p13), which can result in the TCF3-PBX1 chimeric gene, is one of the most frequent translocations in B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and is observed in both adult and pediatric populations at an overall frequency of 6%. It can occur in a balanced or unbalanced form and as a sole abnormality is associated with an intermediate prognosis. Additionally, this translocation is observed in the context of hyperdiploid B-ALL, in which case it is associated with a poor prognosis.

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Immunodeficiency, centromeric instability and facial anomalies type I (ICF1) syndrome is a rare genetic disease caused by mutations in DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3B, a de novo DNA methyltransferase. However, the molecular basis of how DNMT3B deficiency leads to ICF1 pathogenesis is unclear. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology facilitates the study of early human developmental diseases via facile in vitro paradigms.

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Background: Endometriosis is a common condition that is associated with an increased risk of developing ovarian carcinoma. Improved in vitro models of this disease are needed to better understand how endometriosis, a benign disease, can undergo neoplastic transformation, and for the development of novel treatment strategies to prevent this progression.

Methods: We describe the generation and in vitro characterization of novel TERT immortalized ovarian endometriosis epithelial cell lines (EEC16-TERT).

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