This paper develops a xeno-free human iPSC-derived prostate organoid platform that enables multilineage differentiation and genetic manipulation for studying prostate biology and disease.

Cell Reports Methods · Jul 29, 2026Peer-reviewedCell Biology

Toxoplasma gondii associates with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and induces prostatic hyperplasia and urinary dysfunction in mice

Emily F. Stanczak, Tara D. Fuller, Douglas W. Strand, Hanyu Xia, Oliver R. Strobel, Irene Heredero‐Bermejo, Gustavo Arrizabalaga, Travis J. Jerde

This study finds that Toxoplasma gondii exposure correlates with BPH in humans and induces prostatic hyperplasia and urinary dysfunction in mice.

bioRxiv · Apr 24, 2026 · PreprintPathology

A poly(A) isoform-aware single-cell and spatial atlas defines fibroblast niches in the human bladder

Briana A. Santo, Emily E. Fink, P. Desprez, Yi‐Chia Lin, Mohamed M. Eltemamy, Alvin Wee, N.T. Le, Alexandra E Krylova, Uyen Tran, Veena Kochat, Kunal Rai, Douglas W. Strand, Oliver Wessely, Byron Lee, Angela H. Ting

The paper creates a poly(A) isoform-aware single-cell and spatial atlas of the human bladder, identifying fibroblast niches and their spatial relationships.

bioRxiv · Dec 18, 2025 · PreprintMolecular Biology

Immune cell single-cell RNA sequencing analyses link an age-associated T cell subset to symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia

Meaghan Maureen Broman, Nadia A. Lanman, Renee E. Vickman, Gregory M. Cresswell, Harish Kothandaraman, Andree K. Kolliegbo, Sebastian Juan Paez, Alexander P. Glaser, Brian T. Helfand, Gervaise H. Henry, Douglas W. Strand, Omar E. Franco, Susan E. Crawford, Simon W. Hayward, Timothy L. Ratliff

The paper links an age-associated CD8+ T cell subset to symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia through immune aging mechanisms.

Frontiers in Immunology · Jul 7, 2025Peer-reviewedImmunology

Mapping Cell-to-cell Interactions from Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Data

James J. Zhu, Yunguan Wang, Woo Yong Chang, Alicia Malewska, Fabiana Napolitano, Jeffrey C. Gahan, Nisha G Unni, Min Zhao, Rongqing Yuan, Fangjiang Wu, Lauren Yue, Lei Ming Guo, Zhuo Zhao, Danny Z. Chen, Raquibul Hannan, , Tao Wang

The paper introduces a Bayesian framework to map cell-cell interactions from spatial transcriptomics data, revealing new biological insights in cancer and immune responses.

Nature Methods · Sep 3, 2024Peer-reviewedBioinformatics

Characterization of interstitial heterogeneity in the developing kidney

Alicia R. England, Christopher P. Chaney, Amrita Das, Mohita Patel, Alicia Malewsak, Daniel A. Armendariz, Gary C. Hon, Douglas W. Strand, Keri A. Drake, Thomas J. Carroll

The paper characterizes the heterogeneity of the interstitium during kidney development and identifies distinct cell states and roles for beta-catenin in medullary interstitial cells.

bioRxiv · Mar 2, 2020 · PreprintDevelopmental Biology

Stromal Reactivity Differentially Drives Tumor Cell Evolution and Prostate Cancer Progression

Ziv Frankenstein, David Basanta, Omar E. Franco, Yan Gao, Rodrigo A. Javier, Douglas W. Strand, MinJae Lee, Simon W. Hayward, Gustavo Ayala, Alexander R.A. Anderson

This study develops a hybrid model showing stromal reactivity influences prostate cancer progression and prognosis by shaping tumor cell evolution and aggressiveness.

bioRxiv · Aug 21, 2017 · PreprintCancer Biology