Bessi Qorri

• Doctor of Philosophy
• PhD Student at Queen's University

Background Recent technological advancements have revolutionized our approach to healthcare, enabling us to harness the potential of smartphones and wearables to collect data that can be used to characterize Alzheimer’s disease (AD) heterogeneity and to develop digital biomarkers. Our focus is to create comprehensive cross‐domain digital datasets a...

Pancreatic cancer, often termed the “silent killer” due to its vague symptoms and late diagnosis, continues to challenge oncologists with its significant treatment challenges and poor prognosis. Standard-of-care regimens, such as FOLFIRINOX (FFX) and Gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (GnP), show varied efficacy among patients. Understanding the factors...

By leveraging NetraAI, a novel machine learning (ML) approach, we identify potential biomarkers in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colon cancer. MSI, marked by DNA mismatch repair (MMR) defects characterizes 5-20% of colorectal cancers (CRCs). MSI-H tumors harbor higher mutational burdens, produce neoantigens, and enhance immune recognition...

The capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are pivotal for refining patient stratification and subtype discrimination in clinical trials. Conventional ML methods often rely on large data sets for meaningful discoveries. NetraAI is a novel ML approach designed and trained to work with smaller data sets. The challenge...

Pancreatic cancer is known as a “silent killer” due to vague symptoms, late diagnosis, rapid progression, and poor response to therapy. Due to the highly malignant nature of this disease, prolonging progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients is critical. Standard of care involves combination chemotherapy using FOLFIRINOX...

Introduction Advances in machine learning (ML) methodologies, combined with multidisciplinary collaborations across biological and physical sciences, has the potential to propel drug discovery and development. Open Science fosters this collaboration by releasing datasets and methods into the public space; however, further education and widespread a...

Oligodendrogliomas (OGs) are a rare subset of primary brain tumors, accounting for approximately 5% of all brain tumors. While the etiology of OG has yet to be fully characterized, genomic heterogeneity is linked to clinical heterogeneity with variability in progression and survival. Currently, OGs are stratified into three molecular subtypes based...

Aim: Many small datasets of significant value exist in the medical space that are being underutilized. Due to the heterogeneity of complex disorders found in oncology, systems capable of discovering patient subpopulations while elucidating etiologies are of great value as they can indicate leads for innovative drug discovery and development. Method...

We discovered a novel therapeutic target critical for SARS-CoV-2, cellular infectivity and the induction of the cytokine release syndrome. Here, we show that the mammalian enzyme neuraminidase-1 (Neu-1) is part of a highly conserved signaling platform that regulates the dimerization and activation of the ACE2 receptors and the TOLL-like receptors (...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28011.].

Metastatic pancreatic cancer has an invariably fatal outcome, with an estimated median progression-free survival of approximately six months employing our best combination chemotherapeutic regimens. Once drug resistance develops, manifested by increased primary tumor size and new and growing metastases, patients often die rapidly from their disease...

Resistance to chemotherapeutics and high metastatic rates contribute to the abysmal survival rate in patients with pancreatic cancer. An alternate approach for treating human pancreatic cancer involves repurposing the anti-inflammatory drug, aspirin (ASA), with oseltamivir phosphate (OP) in combination with the standard chemotherapeutic agent, gemc...

Background There are many small datasets of significant value in the medical space that are being underutilized. Due to the heterogeneity of complex disorders found in oncology, systems capable of discovering patient subpopulations while elucidating etiologies is of great value as it can indicate leads for innovative drug discovery and development....

Objective: Aberrations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR survival pathway in many cancers are the most common genomic abnormalities. The phytochemical and bioactive agent sulforaphane (SFN) has nutrigenomic potential in activating the expression of several cellular protective genes via the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)...

Cancer immunotherapy harnesses the immune system by targeting tumor cells that express antigens recognized by immune system cells, thus leading to tumor rejection. These tumor-associated antigens include tumor-specific shared antigens, differentiation antigens, protein products of mutated genes and rearrangements unique to tumor cells, overexpresse...

Therapeutic targeting of stem cells needs to be strategically developed to control tumor growth and prevent metastatic burden successfully. Breast cancer presents a unique clinical problem because of the variety of cellular subtypes present, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). The development of 3D stem-like properties of human breast tumor spheroi...

Advancements in our understanding of the complex process of tumorigenesis have uncovered the many challenges faced by current systemic therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer. Drug delivery systems (DDS), particularly in the context of nanomedicine, have demonstrated a remarkable ability to overcome many of the physiological challenges asso...

Aim: Research suggests that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is heterogeneous with numerous subtypes. Through a proprietary interactive ML system, several underlying biological mechanisms associated with AD pathology were uncovered. This paper is an introduction to emerging analytic efforts that can more precisely elucidate the heterogeneity of AD. Methods...

Background Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and celecoxib have been used as potential anti-cancer therapies. Aspirin exerts its therapeutic effect in both cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent and -independent pathways to reduce tumor growth and disable tumorigenesis. Celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, reduces factors that cause infl...

Research suggests that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is heterogeneous with numerous subtypes. Several existing and proprietary machine learning frameworks were applied to transcriptomic data. Through a proprietary interactive machine learning system, we were able to uncover several underlying biological mechanisms associated with AD pathology. These res...

Introduction Targeted multimodal approaches need to be strategically developed to control tumour growth and prevent metastatic burden successfully. Breast cancer presents a unique clinical problem because of the variety of cellular subtypes that arise. The tumour stage and cellular subtypes often dictate the appropriate clinical treatment regimen....

Metastatic breast cancer is the most common cancer in women after skin cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 26%. Due to its high prevalence, it is important to develop therapies that go beyond those that just provide palliation of symptoms. Currently, there are several types of therapies available to help treat breast cancer including: hormone th...

Recent advancements in cancer research have led to a deeper understanding of tumor biology and uncovered the crucial role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in promoting multistage tumorigenesis. As such, it is widely accepted that the tumor microenvironment is plastic and can shape a tumor’s response to therapy and subsequently contribute to the...

Purpose The potential physical or psychosocial factors that play a role in the progression of childhood cancer survivors into adulthood are essential in the identification of an effective patient-centred approach to therapy. Despite the presence of guidelines published by the Children’s Oncology Group, knowledge of the long-term health sequelae for...

Individuals widely use non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) in attempts to lower their overall daily caloric intake, lose weight, and sustain a healthy diet. There are insufficient scientific data that support the safety of consuming NNS. However, recent studies have suggested that NNS consumption can induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and promote glucose i...

Bessi Qorri,1 William Harless,2 Myron R Szewczuk1 1Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; 2ENCYT Technologies Inc., Membertou, Nova Scotia, CanadaCorrespondence: Myron R SzewczukDepartment of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaTel +1 613 533...

Targeted therapies were initially developed to exploit the upregulation and dependence on key oncogenic pathways critical to cancer progression. Additionally, they also presented as a method to overcome chemoresistance by supplementing conventional therapeutic regimens with targeted therapies. However, the development of resistance to these combina...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a highly dynamic noncellular structure that is crucial for maintaining tissue architecture and homeostasis. The dynamic nature of the ECM undergoes constant remodeling in response to stressors, tissue needs, and biochemical signals that is are mediated primarily by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which work to de...

Advances in nanomedicine have become indispensable for targeted drug delivery, early detection, and increasingly personalized approaches to cancer treatment. Nanoparticle-based drug-delivery systems have overcome some of the limitations associated with traditional cancer-therapy administration, such as reduced drug solubility, chemoresistance, syst...

With the proposed Canadian July 2018 legalization of marijuana through the Cannabis Act, a thorough critical analysis of the current trials on the efficacy of medicinal marijuana (MM) as a treatment option is necessary. This review is particularly important for primary care physicians whose patients may be interested in using MM as an alternative t...

Insulin signaling, as mediated through the insulin receptor (IR), plays a critical role in metabolism. Aberrations in this signaling cascade lead to several pathologies, the majority of which are classified under the umbrella term “metabolic syndrome”. Although many of these pathologies are associated with insulin resistance, the exact mechanisms a...

To test the efficacy of novel antitumor drugs and delivery systems, in vitro models that mimic solid tumors are necessary. Three-dimensional (3D) models such as multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) have been deemed superior to two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures due to their ability to mimic the 3D nature of solid tumors. Although several methods exi...

Despite the controversies surrounding the therapeutic use of cannabis in the treatment of several medical conditions, the fact remains that there is a scientific rationale for its use, particularly in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Constituents of cannabis such as CBD have demonstrated anti-cancer effects via endocannabinoid signaling. H...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer [1]. Although the advent of metastasis is only observed in 20% of patients who present with this malignancy [2], metastatic disease remains the leading cause of death in patients with CRC [3]. Aberrant patterns of glycosylation have emerged as a fundamental characteristic of cancer...

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is colonized by trillions of microorganisms that play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis, contributing to several local and systemic processes including digestion, and have been shown to influence the immune response. Although the crucial contributions of the gut microbiota have been studied in great detail in r...

The therapeutic potential of polymeric nanoparticles has garnered attention due to the multiple applications for which this technology can be used. This is particularly important for cancer as many of the cytotoxic drugs that are used to treat patients have negative side effects on healthy cells. Polymeric nanoparticle technology can reduce these n...

Today, emerging therapies must effectively shut down multiple enabling characteristics that drive pancreatic cancer invasion and progression. These therapies include the concomitant suppression of growth factor signaling and anti-apoptotic pathways, immune-derived promoters of tumorigenesis, mechanisms of acquired drug resistance, as well as pro-me...

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is an all-encompassing term that refers to the forms of cancers of the digestive system including the esophagus, liver, gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus and pancreas. Of the cancers mentioned, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most deadly form of GI cancer owing partially to the la...

One of the primary challenges in developing effective therapies for malignant tumors is the specific targeting of a heterogeneous cancer cell population within the tumor. The cancerous tumor is made up of a variety of distinct cells with specialized receptors and proteins that could potentially be viable targets for drugs. In addition, the diverse...