Featured Publications
The landscape of novel and complementary targets for immunotherapy: an analysis of gene expression in the tumor microenvironment
Gaffney SG, Perry EB, Chen PM, Greenstein A, Kaech SM, Townsend JP. The landscape of novel and complementary targets for immunotherapy: an analysis of gene expression in the tumor microenvironment. Oncotarget 2019, 10: 4532-4545. PMID: 31360302, PMCID: PMC6642048, DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27027.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInfection with alternate frequencies of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine boosting for patients undergoing antineoplastic cancer treatments
Townsend J, Hassler H, Emu B, Dornburg A. Infection with alternate frequencies of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine boosting for patients undergoing antineoplastic cancer treatments. Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 2023, 115: 1626-1628. PMID: 37599438, PMCID: PMC10699797, DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djad158.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsReinfection riskAntineoplastic therapyAntibody dataSARS-CoV-2 infectionSARS-CoV-2 vaccinesChemotherapy-immunotherapy combinationsPfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2COVID-19 vaccinationHigh infection riskFrequent boostingRituximab therapyBreakthrough infectionsVaccination scheduleAntibody levelsBooster scheduleVaccination frequencyImmune responseAdditional interventionsReduced riskHigh riskHormonal treatmentGeneral populationNecessitating assessmentPatientsInfection risk
2021
Identifying modules of cooperating cancer drivers
Klein MI, Cannataro VL, Townsend JP, Newman S, Stern DF, Zhao H. Identifying modules of cooperating cancer drivers. Molecular Systems Biology 2021, 17: msb20209810. PMID: 33769711, PMCID: PMC7995435, DOI: 10.15252/msb.20209810.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCancer typesNRAS-mutant melanomaCombination of alterationsMultiple cancer typesClinical outcomesNFE2L2 mutationsIndividual patientsDriver alterationsEffective personalized treatmentPathway inhibitionTherapeutic potentialCancer etiologyPersonalized treatmentTumor formationTCGA cancer typesAlterationsPatientsCancer driversEtiologyMelanomaCancer
2020
Germline variant burden in cancer genes correlates with age at diagnosis and somatic mutation burden
Qing T, Mohsen H, Marczyk M, Ye Y, O’Meara T, Zhao H, Townsend JP, Gerstein M, Hatzis C, Kluger Y, Pusztai L. Germline variant burden in cancer genes correlates with age at diagnosis and somatic mutation burden. Nature Communications 2020, 11: 2438. PMID: 32415133, PMCID: PMC7228928, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16293-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAge groupsGermline variantsSomatic mutationsLate-onset cancerEarly-onset cancersCancer hallmark genesSomatic mutation burdenMutation burdenMalignant transformationCancer genesYounger ageGermline alterationsCancerVariant burdenBurdenAverage numberHallmark genesAgeNegative correlationStrong negative correlationMutationsPatientsGroup
2019
Transfer RNA methyltransferase gene NSUN2 mRNA expression modifies the effect of T cell activation score on patient survival in head and neck squamous carcinoma
Lu L, Gaffney SG, Cannataro VL, Townsend J. Transfer RNA methyltransferase gene NSUN2 mRNA expression modifies the effect of T cell activation score on patient survival in head and neck squamous carcinoma. Oral Oncology 2019, 101: 104554. PMID: 31887619, PMCID: PMC7273869, DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2019.104554.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkersFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateLymphocyte ActivationMaleMethyltransferasesMiddle AgedNeoplasm GradingNeoplasm StagingPrognosisProportional Hazards ModelsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckT-LymphocytesYoung AdultConceptsT cell activation scoreT cell activation statusAdjusted hazard ratioPatient survivalHPV statusHazard ratioActivation statusActivation scoresKaplan-Meier survival curvesImmune checkpoint blockadeCox regression modelNeck squamous carcinomaPotential therapeutic targetT cell activationHNSCC patientsSquamous carcinomaPatient mortalityLonger survivalExhaustion groupsTherapeutic targetSurvival curvesSignificant associationMRNA expressionPatientsSurvival
2016
Quantifying Transmission of Clostridium difficile within and outside Healthcare Settings
Durham DP, Olsen MA, Dubberke ER, Galvani AP, Townsend JP. Quantifying Transmission of Clostridium difficile within and outside Healthcare Settings. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2016, 22: 608-616. PMID: 26982504, PMCID: PMC4806959, DOI: 10.3201/eid2204.150455.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsClostridium difficile infectionAsymptomatic carriersLong-term care facility settingLong-term care facility residentsHospital-onset Clostridium difficile infectionCare facility residentsEffect of hospitalCommunity-based transmissionCommunity sourcesAsymptomatic patientsCDI incidenceDifficile infectionFacility residentsPatientsControl interventionsDifficile prevalenceC. difficileClostridium difficileHealthcare settingsNational databaseQuantifying transmissionTransmission routesHospitalDifficileControl measures