July 2025 Member Publications

  1. Lü L, Bai M, Wang X, Liu J, Wu X, Zhang HG, Feng W, Chen SY. Ethanol exposure impaired mitotic division in apical radial glial cells and disrupted early cortical development in human forebrain organoids: Implications for ethanol-induced microcephaly. Toxicology. 2025 Nov;517:154244. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2025.154244. Epub 2025 Jul 28. PMID: 40729939; PMCID: PMC12340778.
    Impact Statement: This study demonstrates that prenatal alcohol exposure disrupts mitotic division in apical radial glial cells, leading to fewer outer radial glial cells and impaired cortical development in human forebrain organoids. These findings reveal a key cellular mechanism underlying ethanol-induced microcephaly and point to potential targets for therapeutic intervention. 
  2. Xie Z, Conklin DJ, Jin L, Miller A, Stowers H, Gallagher J, Keith RJ, Chen JY, Lorkiewicz P. Characterizing Oxidative Metabolites of 6-Methylnicotine (6MN; aka metatine™): Divergent Metabolism from Nicotine and Identification of Urinary Biomarkers of Exposure. Toxicol Sci. 2025 Jul 21:kfaf107. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaf107. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40690396.
    Impact Statement: This study identifies unique metabolic pathways and biomarkers of exposure for the synthetic nicotine analog 6-methylnicotine, detected in both animal models and human users of “tobacco-free” products. By uncovering its distinct metabolism and demonstrating acute neurotoxic effects, these findings highlight the urgent need for compound-specific monitoring to inform regulatory oversight and protect public health. 
  3. Endo T, Tran K, Goodin DA, Katsaros G, Xie Z, Fu XA, Pantalos G, Frieboes HB, van Berkel V. Predicting and diagnosing pneumonia in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery via machine learning analysis of exhaled volatile carbonyl compounds. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025 Jul 3:S0022-5223(25)00548-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2025.06.028. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40615109.
    Impact Statement: This study shows that volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath can be analyzed with machine learning to accurately diagnose and predict pneumonia in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. These findings highlight the potential for a noninvasive tool to guide early intervention and improve postoperative outcomes. 
  4. Wells CK, Nguyen DC, Brainard RE, McNally LA, De Silva M, Brittian KR, Garrett L, Taylor MS, Martinez-Ondaro Y, Howard C, Suluru S, Dassanayaka S, Mohamed TMA, Singhal R, Gibb AA, Lorkiewicz PK, Moore JB 4th, Jones SP, Hill BG. Pyruvate kinase splice variants in fibroblasts influence cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in male mice. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2025 Jul 10;206:11-26. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2025.07.005. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40651593; PMCID: PMC12344556.
    Impact Statement: This study shows that switching fibroblast PKM2 to PKM1 improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction by enhancing contractile activity and reshaping fibroblast metabolism, without altering fibrosis. These findings highlight pyruvate kinase isoforms as potential therapeutic targets to mitigate adverse cardiac remodeling. 
  5. Challa AA, Hill BG, Nystoriak MA, Gouwens KR, Kalra DK. Ketone Bodies in Cardiovascular Disease: The Vasculature as a Therapeutic Target. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2025 Jul 17;10(8):101328. doi: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2025.101328. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40680507; PMCID: PMC12296504.
    Impact Statement: This review highlights the emerging role of ketone bodies as vasculo-protective agents that improve vascular function and contribute to cardioprotection. By elucidating their wide-ranging effects on endothelial health, blood flow, and vascular resistance, it underscores the therapeutic potential of ketone bodies in cardiovascular disease. 
  6. Bottussi A, D'Andria Ursoleo J, Perinati L, Pruna A, Agosta VT, Russo C, Huang J, Monaco F. Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Perioperative Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Noncardiac Surgery: A Multimodal Approach. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2025 Jun 22:S1053-0770(25)00530-0. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2025.06.035. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40645831; PMCID: PMC12319542.
  7. Bernstein WK, Pearl RG, Huang J, Mayrsohn BG, Mery MW, Banoub M, Pease S, Ayad S, Saffary R, Olszewski RF Jr, Aronson S, Vetter TR. Enhancing Anesthetic Preoptimization: Promising Opportunities for Innovation in Economically Diverse Regions. Anesth Analg. 2025 Jul 3. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007629. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40608563.
    Impact Statement: This review emphasizes the critical role of anesthesiologists in advancing value-based perioperative care through proactive preoperative evaluation and optimization of common medical conditions. By integrating the latest research and innovations, it highlights opportunities to reduce complications, improve outcomes, and address gaps in perioperative management, especially in resource limited settings. 
  8. Colvin G, Polivka BJ, Cramer E, Nyenhuis S, Huntington-Moskos L, Krueger K, Bimbi O, Eldeirawi K. Perceived Stress, Residential Indoor PM2.5 Concentration, and Motor Vehicle Traffic Exposure Among Adults with Asthma: A Secondary Analysis. Am J Nurs. 2025 Aug 1;125(8):38-42. doi: 10.1097/AJN.0000000000000119. Epub 2025 Jul 24. PMID: 40702626; PMCID: PMC12337003.
    Impact Statement: This study found that higher indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels were significantly associated with greater perceived stress among adults with poorly controlled asthma. These findings highlight the importance of improving indoor air quality as part of asthma management and stress reduction strategies. 
  9. Petri BJ, Piell KM, Avila-Valdes BL, Stanley CG, Winkler LJ, Brown JT, Ulett R, Sanchez G, Chariker JH, Rouchka EC, Klinge CM. Integrated Nanopore and short-read RNA sequencing identifies dysregulation of METTL3- m6A modifications in endocrine therapy- sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells. Funct Integr Genomics. 2025 Jul 9;25(1):149. doi: 10.1007/s10142-025-01658-2. PMID: 40632306; PMCID: PMC12241209.
    Impact Statement: This study reveals that inhibition of METTL3 alters m6A RNA modifications in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells, uncovering distinct epitranscriptomic patterns associated with endocrine therapy resistance. These findings provide new insight into how m6A dysregulation contributes to therapy resistance and highlight potential targets for overcoming treatment failure in breast cancer. 
  10. Warner DR, Warner JB, Abdelfadil Y, Hardesty JE, Treves R, Lei C, Hanford HE, McClain CJ, Kirpich IA. Effects of soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibition on liver injury and gut microbiota in mice chronically fed ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2025 Jul 3:10.1111/acer.70109. doi: 10.1111/acer.70109. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40611388; PMCID: PMC12266649.
    Impact Statement: This study shows that inhibiting soluble epoxide hydrolase with t-TUCB reduces alcohol-induced liver injury by preserving protective epoxy fatty acids and improving gut microbiota balance. These findings highlight s-EH inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy for alcohol-associated liver disease. 
  11. Cummins TD, Mariani LH, Wilkey DW, Jortani SA, Helmuth M, Rane MJ, Merchant ML, Kamigaki Y, Theesfeld C, McCown PJ, Ju W, Dougherty JA, McRitchie S, Pathmasiri W, Kretzler M, Sumner SJ, Smoyer WE, Klein JB; Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN) Consortium. Defining subgroups of pediatric nephrotic patients with urine proteomics. Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 11;15(1):25064. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-05150-6. PMID: 40646010.
    Impact Statement: This study identifies distinct urine proteomic profiles in children with minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, revealing molecular heterogeneity within pediatric nephrotic syndrome. These findings highlight the potential of proteomic biomarkers to predict disease activity and guide more personalized treatment strategies. 
  12. Stopforth CK, Sears C, Gao H, Riggs DW, Srivastava S, Krivokhizhina T, Hart JL, Walker KL, Srivastava S, Bhatnagar A, Keith RJ. Associations of sympathetic activation with exposure to volatile organic compounds: A cross-sectional study. Environ Res. 2025 Jul 25;285(Pt 2):122451. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.122451. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40716602.
    Impact Statement: This study demonstrates that exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is associated with elevated sympathetic activation, as reflected by higher levels of monoamines and their metabolites. These findings provide new mechanistic insight into how VOC exposure may contribute to adverse cardiometabolic outcomes. 
  13. Hui X, Lin Q, Liu K, Gu C, Abdelbaset-Ismail A, Wintergerst KA, Deng Z, Cai L, Tan Y. Fibroblast growth factor 16: Molecular mechanisms, signalling crosstalk, and emerging roles in cardiac biology and metabolic regulation. Pharmacol Res. 2025 Aug;218:107858. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107858. Epub 2025 Jul 13. PMID: 40664344.
    Impact Statement: This review highlights the essential role of FGF16 in heart development, cardiac homeostasis, and protection against pathological remodeling, while also exploring its emerging metabolic functions. By synthesizing current evidence and identifying critical knowledge gaps, it underscores FGF16’s potential as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. 
  14. Goodin DA, Miller HA, Yin X, Zhang X, Chen J, Williams BJ, Frieboes HB. Stratification of glioblastoma patient survival based on tumor core and edge metabolomic data. J Neurosurg. 2025 Jul 11:1-12. doi: 10.3171/2025.3.JNS242330. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40644725.
    Impact Statement: This study evaluated metabolites obtained from core and edge glioblastoma (GBM) tissues at the time of resection as biomarkers to risk-stratify patients in terms of overall survival (OS), and we discovered that the OS of patients with GBM can be stratified based on metabolomic differences between core and edge tumor tissues.