Research News - Department of Surgery in the Medical School at the University of Minnesota

Daniel A. Saltzman, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery, was awarded a 2-year R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study attenuated Salmonella against pancreatic cancer (April 29, 2008).

Jonathan D’Cunha, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Thoracic Surgery, received the Cancer and Leukemia Group B Investigator Award for his proposal entitled “Translational control of non-small cell lung cancer: mechanistic investigations into the transformed phenotype” (April 8, 2008).

Gregory J. Beilman, M.D., Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair of Perioperative Services and Quality Improvement, received a two-year grant from the Minnesota Medical Foundation for his research project entitled "A Broadband Probe for the Study of Metabolites and Biomolecules by NMR Spectroscopy" (December 27, 2007).

Ranjit John, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, was awarded the first W. Gerald Austen Young Investigator Award by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for his research project entitled "Reversal of endothelial dysfunction: The key to cardiac recovery in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients." Established in 2007 by STS, this award is designed to encourage individuals to embark on a career in cardiothoracic research and education, with a focus on the recovery of heart function after an acute injury or illness.

Ashok K. Saluja, Ph.D., Vice Chair of Research and Professor of Surgery, was awarded $1,420,250 over the next five years by the National Institutes of Health for his research project entitled "The inhibition of HSP70 induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells."

Gaertner WB, Hagerman GF, Goldberg SM, Finne CO 3rd. Perianal Paget's disease treated with wide excision and gluteal skin flap reconstruction: report of a case and review of the literature. Dis Colon Rectum. 2008 Jun 27. [Epub ahead of print].

Dawra R, Ku YS, Sharif R, Dhaulakhandi D, Phillips P, Dudeja V, Saluja AK. An improved method for extracting myeloperoxidase and determining its activity in the pancreas and lungs during pancreatitis.Pancreas. 2008 Jul;37(1):62-8.

Ogilvie JW Jr, Goetz L, Baxter NN, Park J, Minami S, Madoff RD. Female sexual dysfunction after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Br J Surg. 2008 Jul;95(7):887-92.

Whitson BA, Ikramuddin S. Intra-abdominal Pressure Cutoffs Should not be Absolutes. World J Surg. 2008 Jun 26; [Epub ahead of print]

Morgan DE, Texada JC, Canon CL, Lockhart ME, Posey JA 3rd, Vickers SM. Multidetector Computed Tomography During Combined Therapy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jun 26; [Epub ahead of print]

Al-Refaie WB, Tseng JF, Gay G, Patel-Parekh L, Mansfield PF, Pisters PW, Yao JC, Feig BW. The impact of ethnicity on the presentation and prognosis of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma : results from the National Cancer Data Base. Cancer. 2008 Jun 13; [Epub ahead of print]

Christoforidis D, Etzioni DA, Goldberg SM, Madoff RD, Mellgren A. Treatment of Complex Anal Fistulas with the Collagen Fistula Plug. Dis Colon Rectum. 2008 Jun 3; [Epub ahead of print]

Adabag AS, Ishani A, Koneswaran S, Johnson DJ, Kelly RF, Ward HB, McFalls EO, Bloomfield HE, Chandrashekhar Y. Utility of N-acetylcysteine to prevent acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Am Heart J. 2008 Jun;155(6):1143-9. Epub 2008 Mar 5.

Till H, Muensterer OJ, Rolle U, Foker J. Staged esophageal lengthening with internal and subsequent external traction sutures leads to primary repair of an ultralong gap esophageal atresia with upper pouch tracheoesophagel fistula. J Pediatr Surg. 2008 Jun;43(6):E33-5.

Sorenson BS, Banton KL, Frykman NL, Leonard AS, Saltzman DA. Attenuated Salmonella typhimurium with interleukin 2 gene prevents the establishment of pulmonary metastases in a model of osteosarcoma. J Pediatr Surg. 2008 Jun;43(6):1153-8.

Sorenson BS, Banton KL, Frykman NL, Leonard AS, Saltzman DA. Attenuated Salmonella typhimurium with IL-2 Gene Reduces Pulmonary Metastases in Murine Osteosarcoma. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008 Jun;466(6):1285-91. Epub 2008 Apr 18.

Duffey BG, Pedro RN, Makhlouf A, Kriedberg C, Stessman M, Hinck B, Ikramuddin S, Kellogg T, Slusarek B, Monga M. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is associated with early increased risk factors for development of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. J Am Coll Surg. 2008 Jun;206(3):1145-53. Epub 2008 Apr 14.

Matas AJ. Should we pay donors to increase the supply of organs for transplantation? Yes. BMJ. 2008 Jun 14;336(7657):1342.

Bianco R. Conclusions and Directions for International Research Collaborations. Conference on Challenges and Tensions in International Research Collaborations, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. October 2-3, 2008.

Saluja A. Protective mechanisms for pancreatic cell damage. European Pancreatic Club and the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP-EPC), Lodz, Poland. June 25-28, 2008.

Cunningham B. Keynote lectures on Breast Reconstruction and Breast Implant Outcomes Data. Korean Plastic Surgical Society, Seoul, South Korea. June 22, 2008.

Buchwald H. The Role of Vagotomy and Vagal Stimulation in Bariatric Surgery. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Washington D.C. June 15, 2008.

Yamamoto M, Davydova J, Brown E, Yamasaki S, Miura Y, Arrington A, Vickers SM. Development of the Models for Assessing the Behavior of Tropism-modified Replication Competent Human Adenoviruses. Japanese Society of Gene Therapy, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. June 12-14, 2008.

Ogilvie J, Park I, Downs L, Hansberger J, Anderson K, Madoff R. Anal Dysplasia in Renal Allograft Recipients. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 9, 2008.

Nair R, Siegel E, Eschrich S, Lewis J, McLoughlin J, Ly Q, Jensen E, Alvarado M, Yeatman T, Shibata D. Lymphovascular Invasion in Colorectal Cancer Is Associated with Alterations in Cell Adhesion and Cytoskeletal Pathways. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 9, 2008.

Moloo H, Bleier J, Christoforidis D, Goldberg S. The LIFT Procedure: A Novel Sphincter-Sparing Treatment for Anal Fistula. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 9, 2008.

Madoff R. Louis A. Buie, MD, Lectureship: Do We Know What We Know? Notes on the Epistemology of Surgery. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 8, 2008.

Christoforidis D, Pieh M, Goldberg S, Madoff R, Mellgren A. Treatment of Transsphincteric Anal Fistulas by Endorectal Advancement Flap or Anal Fistula Plug: A Comparative Study. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 8, 2008.

Whitson BA, Groth SS, Li Z, Kratzke RA, Maddaus MA. Assessment of survival from distal esophageal and gastric cardia tumors: A population-based analysis of gastroesophageal carcinomas. 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. May 30 - June 3, 2008.

Groth SS, Whitson BA, Li Z, DeFor TE, Kratzke RA, Maddaus MA. Determination of the ideal number of lymph nodes to examine to optimize survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma: Data from the surveillance epidemiology and end results database. 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. May 30 - June 3, 2008.

Schmitz C, Rothenberger DA, Trudel J, Wolff B. Career Decisions in Colorectal Surgery and Restructuring Training: Results of the ABCRS Blue Ribbon Committee Survey of Colorectal Residents. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 7-11, 2008.

Lee E, Bleier JI, Mellgren AF, Madoff RD, Lowry AC. Martius Flap Repair of Complex Rectovaginal Fistulas. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 7-11, 2008.

Bleier JI, Lee AE, Mellgren A, Spencer MP. Salvage Coccygectomy for Refractory Coccydynia Is a Safe and Effective Treatment. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 7-11, 2008.

Nordenstam J, Rothenberger DA, Madoff RD, Wikstrom J, Jessurun J, Garwood M, Mellgren AF. Perfusion Effects in Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Rectal Cancer. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 7-11, 2008.

Burt C, Koltun W, Cima R, Littlejohn C, Ricciardi R, Rothenberger DA, Temple L, Baxter N. Developing a Research Agenda for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons: Results of a Delphi Approach.American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons Tripartite Meeting, Boston, MA. June 7-11, 2008.

Davydova J, Brown EJ, Vickers SM, Yamamoto M. Porcine as an in vivo model to assess toxicity of tropism-modified replication competent adenoviruses. American Society of Gene Therapy 2008, Boston, MA. May 28-June 1, 2008.

Bryan A. Whitson, M.D., received the Cecil J. Watson Award from the Minnesota Medical Foundation for outstanding researchby a physician in graduate clinical training in any clinical department at the University of Minnesota Medical School (April 18, 2008).

Bryan A. Whitson, M.D., received the Steer-Pruitt Award from the Minnesota Medical Foundation for outstanding cardiovascular research by a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Twin Cities (April 18, 2008).

Bryan A. Whitson, M.D., received the J. Jacob Kaplan Award from the Minnesota Medical Foundation for outstanding research in immunology for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer (April 18, 2008).

Neal Holtan (History of Medicine graduate student), gave a lecture on "Dark Medicine" at the Minnesota History Center, in connection with the traveling exhibit, The Enemy Within: Terror in America, 1776-Today (March 18, 2008). The lecture discussed Charles Fremont Dight and eugenics in Minnesota and what light Dights story might have to shed on contemporary discussions of science, government and politics.

Jana Ninkovic (Sabita Roy's laboratory) won the Arthur Falek Young Investigator Award for the best pre-doctoral poster at the 14th Conference of the Society of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (SNIP), in Charleston, South Carolina (March 12-15, 2008). Her poster was titled "Chronic Morphine Modulates Fc-gamma Receptor-Mediated Phagocytosis through a Mechanism that Involves Superactivation of cAMP Leading to Inhibition of Actin Polymerization.”

Ashok Saluja, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair for Research, led the team that found a natural compound, triptolide, that can break down the resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to therapy and cause the cells to die. The compound may be a potential breakthrough agent for stopping the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer in patients. The findings are published in the October issue of Cancer Research. For more information, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/ (October 16, 2007).

Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., Jay Phillips Professor and Chair, was appointed Associate Director of Translational Research for the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. By integrating laboratory-based investigation with clinical practice, Dr. Vickers will lead in establishing collaborations between laboratory investigators and clinicians (September 4, 2007).

Sylvester M. Black, M.D., received the award for best Basic Science Research for his presentation entitled "IL-4 Induced Lipogenesis in Porcine Vascular Endothelial Cells Is Critical for Induction of Protection against Complement-Mediated Injury" during the University of Minnesota Department of Surgery 2007 Annual Resident Research Day (June 13, 2007).

Bryan A. Whitson, M.D., received the award for best Clinical Research for his presentation entitled "Wedge Gastroplasty and Reinforced Crural Repair: Important Components of Laparoscopic Giant or Recurrent Hiatal Hernia Repair" during the University of Minnesota Department of Surgery 2007 Annual Resident Research Day (June 13, 2007).