Lerner Research Institute News

Failed Alzheimer’s Drug May Hold Promise for Treating Glioblastoma
11/22/2021

Dr. Bao’s team found that treating preclinical models of glioblastoma with verubecestat, a BACE1-inhibiting drug, reduces cancer progression by targeting a class of immune cells abundant in tumors.

COVID-19 Infection During Pregnancy Leads to Distinct Immune Changes in Mothers and Babies
11/19/2021

Dr. Jung’s team studied blood samples collected from mothers with COVID-19 and their infant children who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 to understand how infection modulates the expression of different inflammatory molecules.

New NIH Grant to Study the Effect of Alcohol on Sepsis
11/08/2021

Dr. Vachharajani and her team will study the immuno-metabolic mechanisms that trigger dysfunction in alcohol consumption with sepsis to identify new therapeutic targets for expanded treatments.

Machine Learning Model Uses Clinical and Genomic Data to Predict Immunotherapy Effectiveness
11/02/2021

With further validation, the tool developed by Dr. Chan may help oncologists better identify patients most likely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Using Virtual Reality to Understand and Develop Treatments for Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
11/01/2021

In this three-year clinical study, Drs. Alberts and Baker will utilize virtual reality technology to isolate the causes of freezing of gait, a debilitating symptom of Parkinson’s disease, thanks to support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Study Links the Gut Microbiome and Aggressive Prostate Cancer
10/28/2021

Dr. Sharifi and collaborators identified choline, betaine and phenylacetylglutamine as nutrients and gut microbiome metabolites associated with increased risk for lethal prostate cancer, suggesting dietary interventions may help reduce disease risk.

Researchers Open Clinical Trial for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Vaccine
10/26/2021

Dr. Tuohy and his research team will begin vaccinating patients in a phase I trial to study how their triple-negative breast cancer vaccine immunizes against the protein alpha-lactalbumin.

The Consequences of Diet on Brain Cancer Severity and Disease Pathology
10/25/2021

Drs. Lathia, Silver and Hine report that a high-fat diet causes hydrogen sulfide dysfunction and leads to more severe disease with poorer outcomes among preclinical glioblastoma models.

Researchers to Conduct Comprehensive Analysis of the Human Bladder and Ureter
10/25/2021

Drs. Lee, Ting and Wessely will examine human ureter and bladder tissues in males and females at various ages and construct a cellular and molecular anatomical map of the organs.

Cleveland Clinic and Brooks Automation Open State-of-the-Art BioRepository
10/07/2021

The facility, the first new building in the Cleveland Innovation District, will be located in the Fairfax neighborhood and house 400 freezers for biological samples that will advance research.

Dr. Michaela Gack Receives Prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award
10/05/2021

Dr. Gack has received a five-year, $5.6 million award as part of NIH’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program to study novel approaches to target viral pathogens, which may help inform the development of new antiviral therapies.

Large $12M Grant to Support Team Science into the Biology of Cardiovascular Disease
09/30/2021

Dr. Plow is the program director for a recently awarded program project grant from the National Institutes of Health that will enable research into the function of integrins in blood and vascular cells, and how their interactions with other proteins may drive disease.

Computational Biologist Dr. Ming Hu Receives $2.4M NIH Genomic Innovator Award
09/30/2021

Dr. Hu is one of 11 researchers across the country to receive the prestigious grant for early-career genomics researchers.

Investigating the Influence of Genetic Ancestry on Colorectal Cancer Outcomes
09/24/2021

Dr. Schmit’s team will study the role of genetic ancestry in shaping immune-related determinants of colorectal cancer outcomes.

Researchers to Study Link Between Platelets and Asymptomatic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
09/21/2021

Dr. Cameron will study the mechanistic interaction between platelets and how they emerge as circulating biosensors, releasing proteins that are useful biomarkers for distinguishing fast- from slow-growing aneurysms.

Cancer Treatment Approach Developed by LRI Researchers Proven Feasible in Clinical Study
09/20/2021

Dr. Scott invented a new radiation planning technique called Temporally Feathered Radiation Therapy to reduce toxicity, which has now been shown to be safe and feasible in a small clinical study.

Researchers Develop Bionic Arm that Restores Natural Behaviors in Patients with Amputations
09/01/2021

Dr. Marasco and his collaborators designed a novel system that combines intuitive motor control, touch and grip kinesthesia for patients with upper-limb amputations.

Developing Artificial Intelligence Tools for Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery
08/30/2021

With a new $4 million grant, Drs. Cheng, Bekris and Leverenz will develop and utilize artificial intelligence tools to identify novel drug targets and repurposable drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.

Computational Method Identifies Chromatin Loops at Single-Cell Resolution
08/26/2021

Dr. Hu and collaborators developed a new method, SnapHiC, to study chromatin spatial organization in single cells to help reveal mechanisms governing gene regulation and disease etiology.

Researchers Develop New Model to Test Mechanisms of Penetrating Fibrosis
08/17/2021

Dr. Stappenbeck’s team has found interconnectivity between inflammatory fibroblasts and the molecular features of penetrating fibrosis in Crohn’s disease.

NIH Award Advances Drug Discovery Research into Chemotherapy-Associated Kidney Injury
08/13/2021

The National Cancer Institute awarded Dr. Zhao $2.6 million dollars to continue research that seeks to develop treatment options for acute kidney injury that can commonly result as a side effect of chemotherapy.

Artificial Intelligence Predicts Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Risk
08/05/2021

A research team led by Drs. Cheng and Collier developed an artificial intelligence methodology to help identify cancer patients at risk for cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction.

Study Confirms Effectiveness of New Personalized Approach for Radiation Therapy
08/04/2021

Dr. Scott and colleagues validated the genomic-adjusted radiation dose to be beneficial as a pan-cancer predictor of radiation therapy efficacy in new clinical study.

Investigating Sex Differences in COVID-19 Immune Response
08/04/2021

Utilizing large-scale patient data and samples from the Cleveland Clinic COVID-19 registry, Dr. Cheng’s team identified clinical characteristics and immune-related mechanisms associated with sex differences in COVID-19 outcomes.

Predicting Cognitive Performance in People with HIV
08/02/2021

Dr. Kallianpur’s team found that higher levels of the iron-delivery proteins heavy-chain ferritin and transferrin predict better cognitive outcomes in people with HIV, independent of factors like inflammation, over an extended period of follow-up.

Characterizing the Genetic Architecture of Parkinson’s Disease in Latinos
07/27/2021

To address the lack of diversity in Parkinson’s disease genetic research, Dr. Mata and colleagues conducted the first ever genome-wide association study of Latino Parkinson’s disease patients from South America.

Myosin Family Protein Regulates Immunity
07/21/2021

Dr. Gupta and her team have uncovered a novel role for the protein Myo18A in restricting B cell antibody responses, indicating that this protein controls adaptive immunity

Artificial Intelligence Methodology for Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Repurposing
07/20/2021

Dr. Cheng’s team developed an artificial intelligence methodology to uncover molecular targets involved in neuroinflammation and identify candidate therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease.

Study Establishes Maternal Genetics as Modulator of Autism Risk
07/20/2021

A preclinical study led by Dr. Eng indicates that maternal genetics alone may contribute to increased risk for autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

NEI Awards $1.6M to Advance Research into Autoimmune Uveitis
07/14/2021

Dr. Lin and team will study T cells in the retina to understand the mechanisms that govern the onset and progression of autoimmune uveitis in preclinical models.

New $2.5M NIH Grant to Study the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease
07/14/2021

Dr. Smith will study risk genes and other genetic modifiers related to coronary artery disease due to atherosclerosis in an effort to identify therapeutic targets for future investigation.

Researchers Look to Enhance Disease-Monitoring Techniques for Multiple Sclerosis
07/06/2021

Dr. Nakamura and his team are exploring the expanded use of MRI to be able to improve detection of cortical lesions in the brains of MS patients.

Researchers Find New Cancer Stem Cell-Related Target for Treating Glioblastoma
06/30/2021

Dr. Bao’s group found that inhibiting DNA-PK overturns the pro-cancer properties of glioma stem cells and suppresses tumor growth in preclinical models, suggesting DNA-PK as a potential therapeutic target for treating glioblastoma.

New Research Identifies Link Between Gut Microbes and Stroke
06/16/2021

Drs. Hazen and Zhu found that elevated levels of blood TMAO are associated with larger infarct volume and poorer functionality following injury in preclinical stroke models, offering the first evidence that the gut microbiome directly modulates stroke severity.

Research Training Programs Receive $3 Million to Support Students and Early-Career Scientists
06/15/2021

Critical federal support will enable trainees to pursue greater research efforts into basic science and critical care medicine.

Network Medicine Links COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s Disease-like Cognitive Impairment
06/11/2021

Utilizing network medicine methodologies, a research team led by Dr. Cheng linked COVID-19 to neuroinflammation and brain microvascular injury in Alzheimer’s disease-like cognitive impairment.

Late-Life Fasting Revealed to Improve Health of Preclinical Models
06/04/2021

Dr. Hine discovered that every-other-day fasting helped improve metabolic, muscular and cognitive fitness among aged preclinical models, suggesting possible utility as a clinical intervention to increase healthy years and prevent or delay cognitive decline.

Investigating the Biology of Sex-Based Differences in COVID-19
06/01/2021

Dr. Sharifi and a team of respiratory and prostate cancer researchers studied how a male sex hormone involved in prostate cancer may provide clues to why men are more likely to develop COVID-19 and have poorer disease-related outcomes than women.

D. Geoffrey Vince, PhD, Appointed Executive Director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations
05/26/2021

Dr. Vince will lead the commercialization arm of Cleveland Clinic, which turns medical breakthrough inventions into patient-benefiting medical products and companies.

Researchers Identify New Drug Target for Treating Aggressive Prostate Cancer
05/26/2021

Dr. Sharifi demonstrates that pharmacologically inhibiting the H6PD protein can reverse drug resistance in human-derived preclinical models of enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer.

NIH Grant Expands Investigator Training Program in Digestive Disease Sciences
05/21/2021

Drs. Fiocchi and Cominelli will lead Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in an interdisciplinary program to train young investigators towards research independence.

Breast Microbiome-Immune Interactions May Influence Breast Cancer
05/18/2021

Dr. Eng and colleagues found that the breast microbiome may modulate local immune responses that lead to breast cancer.

Western Diet Impairs Function of Immune Cells in the Gut
05/18/2021

Preclinical findings from Dr. Stappenbeck show that a western diet damages the immune system in the gut, which can lead to chronic inflammation and could increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Targeting the Gut Microbiome to Treat or Prevent Inflammatory Bowel Disease
05/17/2021

Dr. Ahern will investigate the interplay between the gut microbiome and host immune response to understand how novel probiotic strategies may help modulate inflammation and one day be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

Study Links Gene Variant with Alzheimer’s Disease Resilience
04/27/2021

Dr. Bekris’ team has found that Alzheimer’s disease resilience may be modulated by interactions between a TNFRSF1B gene variant and the protein sTNFR2.

New Analysis of Previous Trial Results Offers Insights into Personalized Care for Type 2 Diabetes
04/26/2021

Dr. Rotroff and team found that genetic variation may help to identify diabetes patients at risk for cardiovascular disease who may benefit from aggressive glycemia treatment.

Researchers to Study Genetics of Focal Cortical Dysplasia with New NIH Grant
04/21/2021

Dr. Lal’s team will perform the most comprehensive genetic analysis of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) to confirm proposed FCD-associated genes and identify novel FCD causal genes and variants.

$3 Million NIH Grant to Support Research into Preventing Post-Transplant Organ Rejection
04/15/2021

Dr. Valujskikh will investigate how immune cell subpopulations produce pathogenic antibodies following organ transplant that can threaten outcomes, including organ acceptance and function and patient survival, in an effort to develop new therapies for antibody-mediated rejection.

NIH Grant to Study Iron Dysregulation and Neuropsychiatric Disorders in People with HIV
04/13/2021

Dr. Kallianpur’s team will investigate the role of iron in depression and cognitive impairment in people with HIV.

Colorectal Cancer Relapse Predicted by Immune Cell Infiltration
04/06/2021

Dr. Schmit and colleagues found that immune cell infiltration of colorectal tumors can predict disease relapse in patients who undergo surgery with curative intent.

Dr. Sharifi Honored with Achievement Award for Discoveries in Cancer Research
03/31/2021

Dr. Sharifi has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the AACR Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research for his research into the genetic underpinnings of treatment-resistant prostate cancer.

NIH Awards $4.6M to Study Human Cytomegalovirus Latency and Reactivation
03/30/2021

Dr. O’Connor’s team will investigate the underlying mechanisms by which human cytomegalovirus manipulates host cells to regulate viral latency and reactivation.

Cleveland Clinic and IBM Unveil Landmark 10-Year Partnership to Accelerate Discovery in Healthcare and Life Sciences
03/30/2021

IBM Hybrid Cloud, High Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Quantum Computing technologies will serve as the foundation for Cleveland Clinic’s newly launched Global Center for Pathogen Research & Human Health.

Researchers Engineer Much-Needed Mouse Model of a Rare Vascular Sarcoma
03/26/2021

Dr. Rubin used a novel approach to target the gene fusion that causes epithelioid hemgioendothelioma, engineering a novel, first-of-its-kind mouse model of the disease, which will help advance studies to identify new treatments.

New Smartphone App Could Transform Concussion Management of Military Personnel
03/18/2021

Using an application that is readily available on a mobile device, Dr. Alberts and his lab have created a convenient and effective method to determine the effects of concussion on performance.

New Study From Cleveland Clinic Pathogens Researchers Points to Novel Drug Target for Treating COVID-19
03/16/2021

Dr. Gack and other FRIC researchers discovered that a coronavirus enzyme blocks the activity of a previously undefined host immune response, suggesting therapeutics that inhibit the enzyme may help treat COVID-19.

New Evidence of Microbial Infection That Impairs Healing in Crohn’s Disease
03/11/2021

Dr. Stappenbeck and his team found that the yeast D. hansenii, a type of fungus, is elevated in models of Crohn’s disease, particularly concentrated within intestinal wounds, suggesting that targeting this infection may be a viable approach to treat or prevent the disease.

Uncovering the Link between the Gut and Autoimmunity in Patients with PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome
03/03/2021

A pilot study led by Dr. Eng suggests that the gut microbiome may contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases and immune dysregulation in patients with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome.

Nanoparticle-delivered COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Shows Promise in Preclinical Studies
03/02/2021

Dr. Jung and his team have developed a vaccine candidate that targets the primary binding site between SARS-Cov-2 and human cells, which universally produced neutralizing antibodies and prevented infection in preclinical models.

Characterizing Patient Immune Responses to Emerging Tick-borne Virus
03/02/2021

Using patient samples, Dr. Jung and his team uncovered inflammatory biomarkers associated with severe disease and death caused by SFTSV infection, and identified the critical role B cells play in infection.

Aerobic Exercise Can Help Parkinson’s Patients Improve Heart Health
03/01/2021

Dr. Alberts and his team have found that even short sessions of aerobic exercise can bring gains in cardiopulmonary function for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

New NIH Grant Awarded to Study Macrophage Signaling in Lung Injury
02/24/2021

Dr. Scheraga will use the support to investigate novel signaling mechanisms that control macrophage function and protect the lung during trauma.

Microbiome Reveals Clues to Male Infertility
02/24/2021

In collaboration with Dr. Eng, Dr. Lundy and colleagues compared the microbiomes of infertile and fertile men and identified several bacterial and metabolic pathway differences that may help diagnose and treat male infertility.

LRI Postdoc Selected for Esteemed Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship
02/18/2021

Dr. Card, a postdoctoral fellow in the Scott lab, has been named a 2020 Hanna Gray Fellow, a fellowship that helps provide support for underrepresented and early-career biomedical researchers.

New Method of Counting Tumor Cells Offers Possibility of a “Liquid Biopsy”
02/16/2021

A new device created by Drs. Fleischman and Zborowski may make it easier to track cancer’s course with a simple blood test.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Tackle Cognitive Impairment in Former NFL Players
02/16/2021

Dr. Alberts is teaming up with the National Football Players Association to help identify, treat and prevent brain disorders.

Medication to Strengthen, Grow Muscles Shows Promise for Treating Stress Urinary Incontinence
02/15/2021

Dr. Damaser and colleagues are testing the theory that strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can improve the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence, a condition that can interfere with quality of life and is especially common in women.

New Risk Factors Related to Long-Term Lung Transplant Complications Identified
02/12/2021

Dr. McCurry and his team found that blood transfusion and lung weight play important roles in lung transplantation outcomes.

Knee Ligament Surgery Study Findings May Help Explain ACL Injury Risk
02/08/2021

Dr. Beveridge found that, years after knee ligament surgery, patients had nearly identical muscle coordination measures as control subjects, although the activation of a muscle group that normally protects ligaments from injury was delayed in both legs.

Researchers Develop Interactive Platform to Identify Druggable Cancer Mutations
02/08/2021

Dr. Cheng and team developed a personalized genomic medicine platform to identify clinically actionable mutations and accelerate the development of cancer precision medicine protocols.

W.M. Keck Foundation Grant to Study Potential Link Between Bacteria and Cancer
02/04/2021

Dr. Ting and collaborators from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will investigate if bacterial enzymes directly modify the human genome to promote cancer.

Study Reveals Cause of Common Zika Virus Birth Defect
01/28/2021

Dr. Jung and his team defined the molecular mechanisms that underlie fetal brain calcification caused by Zika virus infection, most notably identifying the role of the protease NS3 in driving the virus-induced abnormal brain development.

Cleveland Clinic Announces New Global Center for Pathogen Research & Human Health
01/25/2021

Through a $500 million partnership with the State of Ohio, JobsOhio and Ohio Development Services Agency, Cleveland Clinic will strengthen and grow its commitment to infectious disease research as the new Center will support research, education and grow new jobs in Ohio.

CYCLE-AD Trial: Testing High-Intensity Exercise to Stave Off Alzheimer’s Disease
01/19/2021

With a new $6.7 million grant from NIH, Drs. Alberts and Rao will test if home-based, high-intensity cycling may help prevent sedentary adults who carry the highest risk Alzheimer’s-related gene variant from developing the disease.

Researchers Identify Protector of Intestinal Barrier
01/18/2021

Dr. Ivanov and his team have clarified the essential protective role of Β-actin in regulating the epithelial barrier and intestinal inflammation.

Researchers Engineer Novel Disease Model to Develop New Ulcerative Colitis Drugs
01/11/2021

Dr. Huang developed an innovative patient-derived model of the chronic inflammatory bowel disease that mirrors the disease’s complexity better than others currently available and identified the protein CXCL8 as an actionable drug target.

Study Shows Machine Learning’s Potential to Predict Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Risk
01/06/2021

An interdisciplinary team led by Drs. Cheng and Collier developed machine learning models that predict with promising accuracy the risk of cardiac dysfunction in cancer survivors and may be generalizable to clinical practice.