Peoria Research News: Spring 2025
Repurposing Drugs May Offer Alternative to Drug Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Manasa Kandula, MD; Tarek Kanan, MD, and colleagues in the Department of Internal Medicine have applied an integrated approach for the repurposing of FDA-approved and investigational drugs to target a highly expressed enzyme in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study used a high-tech, step-by-step computer approach to find new uses for existing drugs that might work against a protein called USP21, which plays a role in cancer. First, they used advanced artificial intelligence models to build a precise 3D picture of the USP21 protein to better understand its shape and structure. Then, they tested how well 6,877 different molecules in various drugs (including some already approved by the FDA) could “stick” to this protein. This process is similar to seeing which key fits best in a lock. A known drug that already works against USP21 was used to compare results.
The study then included simulations to see how the drugs behaved over time in the body. Researchers noted how stable and strong the connection was between the drugs and USP21. Based on that, the most promising candidates were selected for further, longer simulations and with plans to test to see if they could work as treatments.
Using this approach, they identified that the most promising drug candidates came from 31 different types of medications, including antibiotics, antivirals, cancer drugs, synthetic hormones, and radioactive medicines. From those, the researchers picked the 10 most stable molecules and already discovered anticancer agents based on how well they interacted with the target protein (USP21).
In total, they selected 18 top candidates to study further using more advanced computer simulations. After that, these drugs will be tested in the lab to see which ones could actually work as new treatments
Repurposing Drugs May Offer Alternative to Drug Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Research Focuses on Understanding How Brain Cells Share Energy
Sergey Malchenko, MD, PhD, and Bento Soares, PhD, are exploring how cells in the brain share their energy sources, specifically mitochondria, with each other. This sharing happens through tiny tubes that connect the cells. They found that this process is important for keeping brain stem cells healthy and has been seen in many types of cells, including cancer cells. When cancer cells share their mitochondria, it helps the tumor grow by changing nearby cells.
This project aims to understand how this sharing works and its effects on different brain cells. For the first time, they discovered that brain stem cells and cancer cells can share mitochondria with support cells called astrocytes. This sharing makes astrocytes grow more and changes their genetic activity in similar ways, likely due to signals sent from the shared mitochondria to the astrocytes’ nuclei.
These findings suggest that studying this process in brain stem cells, cancer cells, and astrocytes can help better understand how mitochondrial sharing and signaling work. This research may provide greater understanding of how normal and cancer cells function, potentially leading to better treatment options. Future research will look into how these signals affect the cells’ genetics and metabolism.
Study Examines Interview Rating Tool as Holistic Recruitment Strategy for Psychiatry, Neurology Residency Programs
Ryan Finkenbine, MD, presented a peer-reviewed poster entitled Implementing Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing to Support Holistic Recruitment at the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training Annual Meeting. The study is the second of three parts conducted under a grant from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology to research holistic recruitment of residents.
The study involved over 750 resident interviews across eight training programs, including UICOMP, that form the Psychiatry Educational Assessment Research and Learning Consortium. The goal was to evaluate the utility and psychometric properties of a newly developed Competency-Based Behavioral Interview (CBBI) Rating Tool. After literature review of available CBBI questions, a nominal group process was used to identify domains of characteristics relevant for psychiatry residency training. Multisite data were collected from October 2023 to January 2024. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate trends. Correlations and reliability analyses were used to examine measurement characteristics of the rating tool.
The results show that the CBBI can be a useful tool to accompany holistic residency selection, measuring professionalism characteristics such as integrity, humility, and teamwork. The next phase of the study will research long-term correlations between CBBI and resident performance during training.
Dr Ryan Finkenbine
Understanding the Impact of Levofloxacin on Peripheral Neuropathy in Pediatric Oncology Patients
As a Caterpillar Faculty Scholars Fellow, Prerna Kumar, MD, investigated peripheral neuropathy (PN) in pediatric oncology patients receiving vincristine and levofloxacin (VL) compared to vincristine alone (VA). Dr. Kumar demonstrated that patients were 46 percent more likely to have an increased number of neuropathy symptoms in the VL group and concluded that exposure to levofloxacin in pediatric oncology patients receiving vincristine significantly increased the burden of peripheral neuropathy. This awareness of side effects should guide pediatric oncology providers’ prescribing practices. These findings have been presented at two national conferences and a manuscript is under review for publication.
Elevating Understanding of Infectious Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance in Community, Clinical Settings
Rima Shrestha, PhD, is conducting epidemiological and molecular studies on infectious diseases in community and clinical settings with numerous UICOMP faculty collaborators. Primarily, her research focuses on addressing the burden of infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through omics (a collection of genomic methods for analyzing biological molecules) and machine learning techniques. Key projects include Community-acquired Antimicrobial Resistance (CARe), which gathers community insights on AMR and studies the oral and nasal microbiome; AI Insights to Combat Community-Acquired Antimicrobial Resistance (AI-CAAR), which develops targeted preventive measures using predictive and spatial AI models on AMR data; and GuardianRx, a multidisciplinary initiative leveraging artificial intelligence to identify and mitigate risks associated with drug abuse, contributing to national efforts to combat substance use disorders and prevent overdose deaths. She has also collaborated on the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), COVID-19 vaccination in autoimmune diseases, meta-analyses, and other AMR studies
Rima Shrestha
Earlier Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Focus of Research Collaborations
Christopher Gondi, PhD, is developing innovative diagnostic tools for the early detection of pancreatic cancer through multiple collaborations. Targeting the urokinase plasminogen activator system, crucial in cancer cell invasion and metastasis, he is working with Ravishankar K. Iyer, PhD, George and Ann Fisher Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to develop CAnPredict, a predictive diagnostic algorithm processing longitudinal patient data to enhance early detection and improve survival. Furthering these efforts, Dr. Gondi has received funding from the UIC Community Health Advocacy (CHA) project for a collaboration with UICOM Rockford and OSF HealthCare for diagnostic tool development and a JUMP Applied Research in Community Health through Engineering and Simulation (ARCHES) grant for software development with University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and OSF HealthCare. He is also collaborating with Mathew M. Thoppil, PhD, Cedric W. Blazer Endowed Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the Rockford regional campus, to develop electrochemical-based biosensors for early pancreatic cancer detection.
Christopher Gondi
Use of Virtual Reality (VR) for Teaching Umbilical Line Placement
Jawad Javed, MD, is leading a project to explore the use of virtual reality (VR) for teaching neonatal procedures. VR has been used in high stakes fields like aviation to practice technical skills prior to applying them to real life. In medicine, VR simulations have been used in surgical fields to train difficult-to-perform procedures. These simulations have demonstrated cost savings as well as improvements in procedure accuracy and time. However, no literature previously existed about the use of VR simulation for teaching neonatal procedures.
To explore the use of VR simulation for neonatal procedures, Dr. Javed developed a simulation for emergent umbilical line placement. Working in collaboration with engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and with support from the JUMP Applied Research in Community Health through Engineering and Simulation (ARCHES) program, the simulation was tested by experts to determine the face
and content validity of the simulation. To establish transfer validity, they randomized residents to either use the VR simulation or watch a video of the procedure and then perform the procedure on a manikin. This study determined that both educational methods increased resident comfort in performing the steps of umbilical line placement and demonstrated equivalent performance of the procedure. Residents in the VR group did perform the procedure faster than those in the video group. Finally, to establish efficacy, they are currently conducting a longitudinal study with first year medical students who were randomized to either use the virtual reality simulation or watch a video of the procedure. Medical students performed the procedure immediately after the education as well as monthly for the following three months. Results of the study are currently under analysis.
The next phase of this project is the exploration of mixed reality as it will continue to provide an on-demand platform for education but will have more haptic feedback than allowed by the VR controllers. If these simulations demonstrate efficacy, this technology could revolutionize the way that medical procedures are taught and how those skills are maintained by providers over time.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Improve Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Diagnosis
Shoji Samson, DO, is leading a project in collaboration with Adam Cross, MD; Priscila Lisboa, MD; and Rujuta Gore, MD, to exploit the use of AI in diagnosis and management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The objective is to develop a robust predictive model, creating AI-integrated algorithms that combine clinical data and retinal images to accurately identify infants at heightened risk of severe retinopathy, improving diagnostic precision and reducing unnecessary screening.
Verbal Fluency Test May Provide Improved Screening Option for Anxiety, Depressive Disorders
UICOMP’s Sarah Donohue, PhD, teamed with Mary Pietrowicz, PhD, Teaching Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Translational Sciences at UIUC, and other colleagues and students to conduct research which demonstrates improved, automated screening methods for anxiety and major depressive disorders. Their work was recently published in the Journal of Acoustical Society of America Express Letters. The work reported on the application of automated acoustic voice screening techniques for comorbid depression and anxiety disorders. They presented acoustic models that use acoustic and phonemic data from verbal fluency tests to discern the presence of comorbid anxiety disorders and depressive disorders.
More and more people are being diagnosed with these disorders, yet many remain undiagnosed due to known perceptual, attitudinal and structural barriers. Anxiety affects 19.1 percent of adults in the United States and major depression 8.3 percent while being the leading cause of disability in individuals under 40 years old. Despite this high prevalence, treatment rates are low and, if left untreated, can lead to decreased productivity, poor functioning in society, erosion of cognitive abilities, strained relationships and suicide.
Researchers tested a custom dataset curated specifically for this study that included both healthy people and people with comorbid depression and anxiety across the spectrum of severity. People with other comorbid conditions known to affect speech and language were excluded from the study. Acoustic models using only data from one-minute verbal fluency tests discerned the presence of comorbid disorders at a highly successful rate.
A primary benefit of these acoustic tests is that they’re accessible. They may be administered either online, in-app or in-clinic, which directly addresses known barriers to screening, including factors such as stigma, low self-perception of need, costs, transportation issues and limited access to healthcare.
New methods, tools and technologies – such as automated acoustic voice analysis – are needed to overcome these barriers and improve screening rates.
Sarah Donohue
Center 4 Health Research
UICOMP’s strategic plan for research aligns with the College-wide strategic plan and focuses on cancer, neuroscience, education, population and community-based research. Strategic development will be facilitated by the establishment of two centers: Center for Health Research and Center for Healthy Development and Aging. The Center for Health Research was established last year with the recruitment of Dr. Sunita Dodani as Founding Director. Two associate directors have since been recruited: Sarah Donohue, PhD, serves as associate director of population health and community engagement, and Ronda Hughes, PhD, who serves as associate director of implementation science and outcome research. The Center for Health Research is partnering with local health organizations to better understand patient needs, identify barriers to care, and implement solutions to elevate the overall health and wellness of the community.
Sunita Dodani, Ronda Hughes, Sarah Donohue
Launch of Center for Healthy Development and Aging
UICOMP’s Center for Healthy Development and Aging is at an early phase of development. Two interim co-directors have been appointed: Amy Christison, MD, and Krishna Kumar Veeravalli, PhD. The center will uncover determinants of health and disease throughout development and aging to advance predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory medicine and promote wellbeing in central Illinois.
