AACR Features Cancer Center

Research from University of Illinois Cancer Center members, trainees, co-authors and others at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), including its regional campuses in Rockford and Peoria, will be featured at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2025 Annual Meeting to be held April 25-30 in Chicago. A listing of their 36 abstracts is below.

---

Abstract 2766: Metabolic and tumor immune cell landscapes are significantly different amongst KRAS mutational variants in non-small cell lung cancer

Frank D. Weinberg, Jen Godden, Denise Shieh, Stamatina Fragkogianni, Jacob Mercer, Melissa Stoppler, Daniel Principe, Ryan Nguyen, Kamya Sankar, Koosha Paydary, Mary Jo Fidler

---

Abstract 3381: Patient characteristics and recommendations from a multi-institution Precision Oncology Tumor Board

Aseem Aseem,Noor Naffakh,Michael Weinfeld,Shikha Jain,V K Gadi,Kathleen Kennedy,Nan Sethakorn,Sarah Khan,Natalie Reizine,Frank Weinberg,Ryan Nguyen

---

Abstract 4925: Social determinant predictors of lung cancer incidence in diverse urban populations

Vijeth Narra,Alex Krule,Abdul J. Zakkar,Mason Burrage-Burton,Farah Yousef,Vijayakrishna Gadi,Frank Weinberg,Mark Korpics,Yamilé Molina,Sage J. Kim,Margaret Geise-Wright,Zhengjia Chen,Elisabeta Marai,Ryan H. Nguyen,Ameen A. Salahudeen

---

Abstract 1523: Discovery and Validation of a novel small molecule metabolic inhibitor targeting glioblastoma growth

Maheedhara R. Guda,Andrew J. Tsung,Swapna Asuthkar,Kiran Velpula

---

Abstract 2838: Modeling putative oncogenic variants of human topoisomerase II by genome editing of a near haploid cell line

Karin C. Nitiss,Brigid Conroy,Maureen N. McCoy,John L. Nitiss

---

Abstract 893: A novel approach to treating HER2-low breast cancer: surface-engineered NK/tz cells targeted immunotherapy

Maria Jose Godoy Calderon,Eric Gauchat,VK Gadi

---

Abstract 4436: Mechanistic insights into CXCR7 activation and resistance pathways in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC with mesenchymal phenotype

Laura C. Gunder,Inés Pulido,Jeffery H. Becker,Frida Pantoja,Jennifer Graeber,Malek G. Massad,Takeshi Shimamura

---

Abstract 4159: Investigating the role of Akt isoforms in hepatocellular carcinoma and liver fibrosis

Manahil Ghazi,Ahmed Abd El Razek,Nissim Hay

---

Abstract 4147: Role of MLK3-mediated phosphorylation of β-catenin in regulating cellular senescence and osteopontin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Tanushree Kashyap,Rong Ke,Deepti Srivastava,Sunil K. Singh,Subhasis Das,Piush Srivastava,Sandeep Kumar,Ajay Rana,Basabi Rana

---

Abstract 1609: Targeting the oncogenic MAP4K4 regulatory axis in pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment

Sunil Singh,Sandeep Kumar,Saket Jha,Harsh Vyas,Piush Srivastava,Rakesh S. Nair,Basabi Rana,Ajay Rana

---

Abstract 1610: Notch4 plays distinct roles in different cell types of the breast cancer microenvironment 

Katherine A. Alexander,Jason W. Eng,Yu Kato,Bhairavi Swaminathan,Debdutta Mandal,L. A. Naiche,Yasuhiro Funahashi,Junji Matsui,Jan Kitajewski

---

Abstract 1365: Histamine from mast cells protects against breast cancer recurrence

Claire P. Schane,Adam T. Nelczyk,Cheng Chen,Shruti V. Bendre,Erin Weisser,Hashni E. Gamage,Mohammed Kadiri,Michael T. McHenry,Jiyoung Seo,Yu Wang,Natalia Krawczynska, Dhanya Pradeep,Lara I. Kockaya,Yifan Fei,Shin-Hsuan Hsiao,Nicki J. Engeseth,Michael K. Wendt,Timothy M. Fan,William G. Helferich,Erik R. Nelson

---

Abstract 5281: Analysis of tumor cell and neutrophil distribution relative to ACKR1 expressing venules during breast cancer metastasis

Serena Thomas,S Tanner Roach,Rishi Patel,Lauren Raasch,L A. Naiche,Jan K. Kitajewski

---

Abstract 6810: The mechanism of PRMT5 in causing smoking-induced lung cancer and development of EGFR Tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance

Ayesha Khan,Usama Altayeh, Subaranjana Saravanaguru Vasanthi,Mohammad Fazle Alam,Neelu Puri

---

Abstract 6525: Intestinal vitamin D receptor deficiency changes the tumor-associated microbiome in a breast cancer model

Duncan J. Claypool,Yong-guo Zhang,Yinglin Xia, un Sun

---

Abstract 7240: The role of myeloid cell derived HMGB1 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Sai Santosh Babu Komakula,Xiaodong Ge,Wei Chen, Romain Desert,Hui Han, Zhuolun Song,Sukanta Das,Dipti Athavale,Nithyananthan Subramaniyam,Chao Wang,Daniel Lantvit,Abid Anwar,Natalia Nieto

---

Abstract 6778: Targeting the YAP-TEAD interaction in brain metastatic breast cancer cells

Caitlyn C. Castillo,Mohamed Haloul,Philana Phan,Zongmin Zhao,Ekrem E. Er

---

Abstract 6586: Targeting cancer cell dynamin activity in vitro impacts exosome production and cell proliferation

Alexander J. Willis,Indira Kondapally,Narjess Hajilou,Paul Grippo,Tolou Shokuhfar,Herbert H. Engelhard,Yolande Chen

---

Abstract 5285: Activation of endothelial ACKR1 in the pre-metastatic niche regulates neutrophil recruitment and tumor metastasis in breast cancer

Samuel Tanner Roach,Serena Thomas,Rishi Patel,Hsun Wang,Braulio Aguilar,Chinwe Ewenighi-Amankwah,Lauren Raasch,William Muller,L.A. Naiche,Jan Kitajewski

---

Abstract 2533: Image-guided surgery with a new optical probe for breast cancer

Sunam Mander,Duy Binh Tran,Goto Masahide,Konstantin Christov,Albert Green,Tapas K. Das Gupta,Tohru Yamada

---

Abstract 4738: Androgen regulation of HER3 in prostate cancer differs by duration of treatment

Reem Belal Zalloum,Robert A. Holt,John Smetana,Candice Loitz,Lillian Perez,Larisa Nonn

---

Abstract 5279: Utilizing intravascular MHC-I antibody labeling to investigate regulation of tumor cell extravasation by ACKR1

Rishi Patel, Samuel Tanner Roach, Serena Thomas, Braulio Aguilar, Hsun Wang, L.A. Naiche, Jan Kitajewski

---

Abstract 1894: Correlative multiscale 3D spatial proteomics

Jingtian Zheng, Seung Young Lee, Yi-Chien Wu

---

Abstract 3355: FTO in smoking-associated lung cancer and lung cancer tumor progression

Rachel Campoli, Rong Qiu, Robert Hillwig, Neelu Puri

---

Abstract 3841: Unique and redundant roles of Notch1 and Notch4 in retinal angiogenesis

Nivedha G. Krishnan, Christie Kang, Taliha Nadeem, Braulio Aguilar, Krishna Thakkar, L.A. Naiche, Jan K. Kitajewski

---

Abstract 5539: Single-cell and spatial approaches of identifying targets in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer

Svetlana E. Semina, Rosemary Huggins J. Huggins, Debra Tonetti, Kent Hoskins, Geoffrey L. Greene, Jonna Frasor, Jonathan Coloff

---

Abstract 3628: Associations between per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and inflammatory markers in a racially diverse cohort of breast cancer patients

Alicia Arredondo Eve, Ashlie Santaliz Casiano, Haihley Connors, Oana Danciu, Garth Rauscher, Natalie Pulliam, Elona Liko-Hazizi, Sarah Friedewald, Seema Khan, Julie Kim, William Gradishar, Kent Hoskins, Zeynep Madak-Erdogan

---

Abstract 269: TRPM8 as a testosterone receptor: Exploring its role in prostate cancer and male behavior

Erick Benjamin Saldes, Alexandra Erdmier, Jai Velpula, Benny Tom, Timothy E. Koeltzow, Don Vander Griend, Swapna Asuthkar

---

Abstract 1053: Cellular heterogeneity and stress response in lung tumors: understanding cancer disparities through spatial transcriptomics

Sabrina Akter, Aiman Soliman, Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, Sage J. Kim

---

Abstract 5753: Multi-omic analysis links neighborhood disadvantage to elevated stress hormones and tumorigenic markers in ER+ breast cancer patient plasma and tumor samples

Hannah Heath, Oana C. Danciu, Garth Rauscher, Natalie Pulliam, Elona Liko-Hazizi, Sarah Friedewald, Seema Khan, Julie Kim, William Gradishar, Jonna Frasor, Kent F. Hoskins, Zeynep Madak-Erdogan

---

Abstract 2706: Engineered tumor-targeting bacteria expressing cancer-killing protein for breast cancer

Duy Binh Tran, Konstantin Christov, Balaji Ganesh, Jing Wang, Albert Green, Tohru Yamada

---

Abstract 6888: Targeting melanoma cells through G-quadruplex formation: mechanism and enhanced efficacy of T-oligo in combination therapy

Rose Bahari, Stephanie M. Lopez, Archit Agnihotri, Hyatt Alaraj, Lawrence Miller, Neelu Puri

---

Abstract 6497: Modeling HCC molecular and histological features by CRISPR editing of primary hepatocytes

Lobna Elkhadragy, Olayinka G. David, Caitlyn C. Castillo, Isadora Andre Rosa Lopes1, Hannah Liu, Luke R. Jordan, Luke N. Redlon, Grace Guzman, Jonathan P. Samuelson, Lawrence B. Schook, Amaia Lujambio, Kyle M. Schachtschneider, Ron C. Gaba

---

Abstract 1032: Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccination among medical undergraduate students in Delhi: A cross-sectional study

Srishty Srishty, Rajesh Kumar, Bratati Banerjee, Amod Laxmikant Borle, Aseem Aseem

---

Abstract 328: A novel human-like asparaginase – indication expansion made possible

Amanda M. Schalk, Maaike Van Trimpont, Ying Su, Ashley De Loera, Alyssa Garcia, Tim Lammens, Steven Goossens, Arnon Lavie

---

Abstract 1232: A 3D bioprinted prostate cancer ex vivo model with nanoengineered hydrogel for potential drug screening

Anirud Chakravarthi Arava, Camar Ameril, Ananya Aggarwal, Gnanasekar Munirathinam, Mohammad Fazle Alam

---

Abstract 3042: Non-covalent thioredoxin reductase inhibitors for TNB

Brenna Flowers, Abigail Rullo, Pavel Petukhov, Irida Kastrati

---

PO.ET03.07 – Drug Resistance in Molecular Targeted Therapies 3

5521 / 16 – Integrative analysis of acquired drug resistance to KRAS(G12D) inhibitors

Ines Pulido Endrino, Laura Gunder, Malek Massad, Julian Carretero, Takeshi Shimamura

---

LBPO.CL01 – Late-Breaking Research: Clinical Research 1

LB220 / 17 – Microfluidic devices to decipher the role of the microenvironment in drug resistance

Mohammad Amir Mishan, Ali Rahnama, Ines Pulido Endrino, Laura Gunder, Malek Massad, Khaled Abdelhady, Agustin Lahoz, Ian Papautsky, Takeshi Shimamura