SPAKOWICZ LAB

Updates

News, media highlights, and moments from the Spakowicz Lab.

Farewell, Rebecca!

We had a potluck picnic at the Tall Pines area of Walnut Woods Metro Park. It was great to see everyone and to wish Rebecca well on the next step of her journey!

Lab members and family gathered beneath a pine tree at Walnut Woods Metro Park for Rebecca’s farewell picnic.

2026

Grant started: 2026 Spielman Fund Bridge-to-Impact Clinical Trial Award (AWD-122995; Non-OSP; Co-PI: Spakowicz)

Preprint posted: Pre-treatment T-cell Transcriptional Signatures Predict Immunotherapy Outcomes in Melanoma

Preprint posted: Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption Drives Lung Tumor Hypoxia and Resistance to Therapy via Copy Number Alteration in Mitochondrial Electron Transport Subunit NDUFB5

Grant started: Harold and Barbara Rosenbaum Family Foundation Cervical Cancer Diversity in Prevention & Clinical Research Grant (PI: O’Connor)

Grant started: Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial Academy – Early-Career Investigator Award (PI: Chambers)

Grant started: R21CA2973842 (PI: Spakowicz, Bradley, Zhu)

Paper published: PRO-PLATINUM: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study to investigate the efficacy of a probiotic intervention on the gut and vaginal microbiome of ovarian cancer patients undergoing treatment with platinum chemotherapy

Paper published: Power and sample-size estimation in human microbiome research

Paper published: Association between obesity, sex, medical comorbidities, and survival in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Preprint posted: The Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) – Building a real-world collaborative, patient-driven infrastructure for discovery research and precision oncology

Paper published: How the Ketogenic Diet Shapes the Microbiome to Influence Cancer Immunotherapy Outcomes: An Exploration of Clinical Trials and Their Results

Paper published: Breast tumor microbiome regulates anti-tumor immunity and T cell-associated metabolites

Book chapter published: The Role of the Microbiome in Modulating Human Health

Paper published: Implementing non-invasive biospecimen collection in gynecologic oncology: Insights from a prospective gut microbiome feasibility study

Paper published: Impact of proton pump inhibitors on immunotherapy is modulated by prior chemotherapy and linked to gut microbiome-immune cell signatures

Preprint posted: Intrinsic tumor factors and extrinsic environmental and social exposures contribute to endometrial cancer recurrence patterns

Paper published: Gut Microbiota and Nutritional Profiles of Colon Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Longitudinal Pilot Study

Paper published: ShinyEvents: harmonizing longitudinal data for real-world survival estimation

Paper published: Tumor-infiltrating microbes and therapy response: a new frontier in triple-negative breast cancer precision oncology

Paper published: Tumor bacterial burden dictates immunotherapy fate in head and neck cancer

2025

Preprint posted: Gut Microbiome and Nutritional Profiles of Colon Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Longitudinal Pilot Study

Paper published: Effects of Walnuts on Postprandial Cognitive Function in Adults With Subjective Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Trial

Paper published: Phase 1 dose escalation trial of the selective adenosine A2B antagonist PBF-1129 in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer

Grant started: Stephanie Spielman Research Funds (PI: Spakowicz, Jhawar, Myers)

Paper published: Primary tumor microbiomes predict distant metastasis of colorectal cancer

Paper published: Epigenetic Modulation, Intratumoral Microbiome, and Immunity in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer

Paper published: Early Changes in Lymphocyte/Monocyte Ratio on Treatment as a Prognostic Marker to Predict Overall Survival in Patients with Advanced Cancer Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Paper published: Colon cancer in Appalachian Kentucky: Unique genetic, microbiome and obesity findings in a cohort comparison

Paper published: Assessment of probiotic and prebiotic use in gynecologic cancer patients: a systematic review

Preprint posted: Candida albicans infiltrates colon and rectal cancers causing therapeutic resistance and decreased survival

Paper published: The new microbiome on the block: challenges and opportunities of using human tumor sequencing data to study microbes

Preprint posted: Effects of Walnuts on Postprandial Cognitive Function in Adults With Subjective Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Trial

Preprint posted: ShinyEvents: harmonizing longitudinal data for real world survival estimation

Paper published: Early Acute Kidney Injury and Its Association With Survival in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Front-Line Immunotherapy-Based Therapies

Paper published: Exploratory evaluation of immunotherapy response and medication use in endometrial and cervical carcinoma

Preprint posted: Primary tumor microbiomes predict distant metastasis of colorectal cancer

Grant started: Wendy Brewster, MD, PhD Accelerator (PI: Chambers)

Paper published: The impact of antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, H2-receptor antagonists, and steroids on survival in ovarian cancer patients receiving PARP inhibitor therapy

Preprint posted: mt.surv: Multi-Threshold Survival Analysis for Associating Continuous Predictor Variables with Time-to-Event Outcomes

Grant started: Radiation Oncology Departmental Seed Grant (PIs: Quick and Pitter)

Paper published: Role of insulinemic and inflammatory dietary patterns on gut microbial composition and circulating biomarkers of metabolic health among older American men

Preprint posted: Epigenetic Modulation, Intra-tumoral Microbiome and Immunity in Early Onset Colorectal Cancer

Paper published: Survival Disparity and the Unique Genomic and Microbiome Profiles of Colon Cancer in Appalachian Kentucky

Preprint posted: The Association of the Microbiome with Melanoma Tumor Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment and Immune-Related Adverse Events (NCT05102773)

Paper published: The Role of the Microbiome in Cancer Therapies: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Preprint posted: Berry Supplement-Modified Human Microbiome Improves Immunotherapy Response in Mouse Models

2024

Paper published: Dynamic human gut microbiome and immune shifts during an immersive psychosocial intervention program

Grant started: FastTrack Program Grant (PI: Presley)

Paper published: Pro-inflammatory and hyperinsulinaemic dietary patterns are associated with specific gut microbiome profiles: a TwinsUK cohort study

Paper published: Differential Infiltration of Key Immune T-Cell Populations Across Malignancies Varying by Immunogenic Potential and the Likelihood of Response to Immunotherapy

Preprint posted: Breast tumor microbiome regulates anti-tumor immunity and T cell-associated metabolites

Grant started: CCC Transitional Therapeutics FY25 seed award (PIs: Vershraegen, Spakowicz, Presley, and Burd)

Grant started: CFAES-CCC-FFH Joint Seed Grant (PIs: Belury, Spakowicz, Pyter)

Grant started: 2024 Breast Cancer Translational Research Program Team Science Pilot Grant (PIs: Spakowicz, Jhawar)

Paper published: An Explainable Graph Neural Framework to Identify Cancer-Associated Intratumoral Microbial Communities

Paper published: Resiliency among older adults receiving lung cancer treatment (ROAR-LCT): A novel supportive care intervention for older adults with advanced lung cancer

Paper published: From poo to promise: Fecal microbiota transplants support immunotherapy re-sensitization in solid tumors

Paper published: The Tumor Microbiome as a Predictor of Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Paper published: Chemotoxicity and Associated Risk Factors in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Paper published: The Tumor Microbiome Reacts to Hypoxia and Can Influence Response to Radiation Treatment in Colorectal Cancer

Grant started: R21CA294050 (PI: Tabung)

Paper published: Obesity-associated microbiomes instigate visceral adipose tissue inflammation by recruitment of distinct neutrophils

Preprint posted: Dynamic Human Gut Microbiome and Immune Shifts During an Immersive Psychosocial Therapeutic Program

Paper published: The FITNESS study: longitudinal geriatric assessment, treatment toxicity, and biospecimen collection to assess functional disability among older adults with lung cancer

Preprint posted: Chemotoxicity and Associated Risk Factors in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Paper published: Comparative analysis of the tumor microbiome, molecular profiles, and immune cell abundances by HPV status in mucosal head and neck cancers and their impact on survival

Paper published: Bridging the Gap from Bench to Bedside: A Call for In Vivo Preclinical Models to Advance Endometrial Cancer and Cervical Cancer Immuno-oncology Research

Grant started: Chief of Science Seedling (PIs: Spakowicz, Bradley, Zhu)

Paper published: Longitudinal profiling of the microbiome at four body sites reveals core stability and individualized dynamics during health and disease

Grant started: Research Scholar (RSG-23-1023205) (PI: Spakowicz)

Paper published: A Bioinformatics Tool for Identifying Intratumoral Microbes from the ORIEN Dataset

Paper published: The microbiome and gynecologic cancer: cellular mechanisms and clinical applications

Preprint posted: Longitudinal profiling of the microbiome at four body sites reveals core stability and individualized dynamics during health and disease

Grant started: SIGMA Nursing Research Grant (PI: Han)

2023

Paper published: Emerging Immunotherapy Approaches for Advanced Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Paper published: Gut Microbiota Richness and Diversity Track With T Cell Aging in Healthy Adults

Paper published: Exogenous Sequences in Tumors and Immune Cells (Exotic): A Tool for Estimating the Microbe Abundances in Tumor RNA-seq Data

Paper published: Associations of frailty with symptoms, and HRQOL in older cancer survivors after cancer treatments: a systematic review and meta-analyses

Paper published: The impact of antibiotic and proton pump inhibitor use at the time of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy on survival in patients with endometrial cancer

Grant started: U54CA287392 (PI: Wagener)

Preprint posted: The tumor microbiome reacts to hypoxia and can influence response to radiation treatment in colorectal cancer

Paper published: Deciphering the Tumor-Immune-Microbe Interactions in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer

Grant started: Innovator Award (104661) (PI: Spakowicz)

Paper published: Metabolic Dysregulation Explains the Diverse Impacts of Obesity in Males and Females with Gastrointestinal Cancers

Preprint posted: The tumor microbiome as a predictor of outcomes in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Preprint posted: A bioinformatics tool for identifying intratumoral microbes from the ORIEN dataset

Preprint posted: Metabolic Dysregulation Explains the Diverse Impacts of Obesity in Males and Females with Gastrointestinal Cancers

Paper published: Improving combination therapies: targeting A2B-adenosine receptor to modulate metabolic tumor microenvironment and immunosuppression

Paper published: Risk Factors for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy Toxicity Among Older Adults with Cancer

Paper published: Mean platelet volume, thrombocytosis, and survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab alone or with chemotherapy

Paper published: Association of medical comorbidities and cardiovascular disease with toxicity and survival among patients receiving checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy

Grant started: Early Career Investigator Grant

Grant started: National Comprehensive Cancer Center Network/AstraZeneca (PI: Alamadi)

2022

The lab was featured on the PBS show QED with Dr. B!

Paper published: Association between Tumor Microbiome and Hypoxia across Anatomic Subsites of Head and Neck Cancers

Introduction to Microbiome Science: OSU College of Medicine Resources

Paper published: Exploratory studies of oral and fecal microbiome in healthy human aging

Grant started: Oncology Nursing Science Grant (PI: Arthur)

Paper published: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced hepatitis injury: risk factors, outcomes, and impact on survival

Preprint posted: Exogenous sequences in tumors and immune cells (exotic): a tool for estimating the microbe abundances in tumor RNAseq data

Grant started: Discovery Catalyst Award (PI: Bittoni)

Grant started: Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award (PIs: Spakowicz, Tinoco)

Paper published: A Geriatric Assessment Intervention to Reduce Treatment Toxicity Among Older Adults With Advanced Lung Cancer: A Subgroup Analysis From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Paper published: Serum Albumin: Early Prognostic Marker of Benefit for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Monotherapy But Not Chemoimmunotherapy

Grant started: Pelotonia Population Health Award (PIs: Spakowicz, Zhu)

2021

Paper published: Bayesian structural time series for biomedical sensor data: A flexible modeling framework for evaluating interventions

Preprint posted: Early changes in lymphocyte/monocyte ratio on-treatment as a prognostic marker to predict overall survival in patients with advanced cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Grant started: K01AG070310 Mentored Career Development Award (PI: Spakowicz)

Grant started: OSU Department of Internal Medicine Seed Grant (PI: Malalur, Spakowicz)

Paper published: Bone Metastases, Skeletal-Related Events, and Survival in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Paper published: Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy toxicity and overall survival among older adults with advanced cancer

Paper published: The aging microbiome and response to immunotherapy: Considerations for the treatment of older adults with cancer

Grant started: 1R01CA248741-01A1 (PI: Carbone, Dikov)

Dan featured in the Center for Microbiome Science spotlight

Grant started: Pelotonia Clinical Trial Award (PI: Spakowicz, Arthur)

2020

Grant started: 2020 Intramural Supportive Care Pilot Research Award (PI: Spakowicz, Arthur)

Paper published: Latent-space embedding of expression data identifies gene signatures from sputum samples of asthmatic patients

Pelotonia Idea Grant: Impact of Black Raspberry Juice on Lung Cancer

What’s in your gut impacts cancer treatment

Paper published: Post-diagnosis dietary insulinemic potential and survival outcomes among colorectal cancer patients

Channel 10: Towards a Cancer Free World!

Grant started: Pilot Grant Award (PI: Mo)

Paper published: Brief report: inhaled corticosteroid use and the risk of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis in patients with advanced cancer

Office of Research on Twitter!

Thanks, Channel 12!

Grant started: Nye-Rayden Cancer Research Award (PI: Spakowicz)

Grant started: Research Award Seed Grant (PI: Jin, Spakowicz)

Paper published: Approaches for integrating heterogeneous RNA-seq data reveal cross-talk between microbes and genes in asthmatic patients

Paper published: A DNA Repair Inhibitor Isolated from an Ecuadorian Fungal Endophyte Exhibits Synthetic Lethality in PTEN-Deficient Glioblastoma

Paper published: Inferring the role of the microbiome on survival in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: causal modeling, timing, and classes of concomitant medications

Paper published: Longitudinal Analysis of Serum Cytokine Levels and Gut Microbial Abundance Links IL-17/IL-22 With Clostridia and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans

Pelotonia Funding

Preprint posted: Bayesian Structural Time Series for Biomedical Sensor Data: A Flexible Modeling Framework for Evaluating Interventions

Grant started: Young Investigator Research Award in Immuno-oncology (PI: Spakowicz)

2019

Grant started: Secondary Analysis of Existing Datasets (PI: Spakowicz, Mo)

Paper published: Evaluation of 16S rRNA gene sequencing for species and strain-level microbiome analysis

The lab’s recent work on Twitter

Preprint posted: Inferring the role of the microbiome on survival in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: causal modeling, timing, and classes of concomitant medications

Preprint posted: Approaches for integrating heterogeneous RNA-seq data reveals cross-talk between microbes and genes in asthmatic patients

Grant started: Foods for Health (FFH) Discovery Theme Seed Grants (PI: Zhu, Spakowicz, Ma)

Paper published: Change in neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio during immunotherapy treatment is a non-linear predictor of patient outcomes in advanced cancers

Grant started: 2K12CA133250-06A1 (PI: Byrd, Awardee: Presley)

Paper published: Longitudinal multi-omics of host-microbe dynamics in prediabetes

Preprint posted: Latent-space embedding of expression data identifies gene signatures from sputum samples of asthmatic patients

Thanks, Pelotonia, for highlighting our work!

Grant started: OSU Hematology Department Research Funds (PI: Choe, Spakowicz)

Grant started: Pelotonia Clinical Trial Award (PIs: Spakowicz, Carbone, Clinton)

Grant started: Pelotonia New Investigator Award (PI: Spakowicz)

2018

Grant started: Davis Bremmer Award (PI: Presley)

Grant started: Pelotonia New Investigator Award (PI: Presley)

Paper published: Integrative Personal Omics Profiles during Periods of Weight Gain and Loss

2017

Paper published: Volatile Metabolomic Composition of Vitex Species: Chemodiversity Insights and Acaricidal Activity