IBC Minutes, June 11, 2025

Minutes, June 11, 2025

VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System—691, Teams Meeting   

Members Present

Yasutada Akiba, MD, PhD, Chair (Voting)

Noor M. Alam, PhD, Co-Vice Chair (Voting)

Muhammad T. Bashir, MD, Co-Vice Chair (Voting)

Ella Bronstein, Community Representative (Voting) 

Noah Gross, PhD, Research Biosafety Officer (RBSO) (Ex-Officio, Voting)

Kostyantyn Krysan, PhD, Research Scientist (Voting)

James Matsunaga, PhD, Research Scientist (Voting)

Agnes K. Nagy, PhD, Research Scientist (Voting)

Xiaoyan Ren, MD, PhD, Research Scientist (Voting)

Members Absent 

Yuxin E. Li, MD, PhD, Research Scientist/Clinician (Voting)

Erika Miller, Community Representative (Voting) 

Mark Sitek, MS, Radiation Safety Officer (Ex-Officio, Voting)

Ben Spivey, Chief, Safety & Emergency Management (Ex-Officio, Voting)

Alternate Members Absent 

Bischoff, David, PhD, Voting Alternate for Noah Gross

Natalie Farnham, Industrial Hygiene, Voting Alternate for Ben Spivey

Jasvinder Singh, Voting Alternate for Ben Spivey

Non-Members Present 

John Berard, PhD, SRS Coordinator

Fredricka C. Martin, PhD, Animal Program Compliance Officer (APCO)

David Oh, MD, RCO

Margaret A. Roch, BS, AA

I. Call To Order: Dr. Akiba called the meeting to order on June 11, 2025, at 1:02 p.m.  There were 8 voting members present, meeting the quorum requirement of 7.

II. Announcements

III. Minutes

IV. New Business

     A. Review of New Projects

IRBNet ID  1883625-1

PI: Golshani, Peyman, M.D., PhD.

Study Title: Dysfunctional neural dynamics of dentate gyrus granule cells in temporal lobe epilepsy

Issues Requiring Modifications and/or Corrections:  The Committee determined that the following contingencies and comments be forwarded to the PI, who must provide a satisfactory response to each before final approval can be considered.

Item 1: Training Assurance Form.  Check the “Physical hazards” box.

Item 2: PSP, Table A3.  Check the” Hazardous drugs/Chemicals” box.

Item 3: PSP, Table B. For histology at the VA campus, which sections and immunostaining methods will be used, paraffin or cryostat, HRP histochemistry or immunofluorescence? Please add other chemicals if used for paraffin sections (ethanol, xylene, etc.) or HRP staining (H2O2, DAB, etc.) or nuclear staining (DAPI, etc.) to the table.

Item 4: PSP, Section H.  Table D1 lists two viral vectors: AAV-DIO-GCAMP8f and AAV-DIO-HMDI. Please complete Table H for both vectors.

Motion: Moved and seconded to require modifications for approval of this submission.  8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions, 0 recusal.  Motion Carried

     B.  Review of Amendments/Modifications

     Dr. Matsunaga joined the meeting.  There were 9 voting members present.

     Drs. Alam and Bashir recused themselves from the discussion and votes on the following submission.  There were 7 voting members present at the time of the vote.

IRBNet ID  1836306-2

PI: Alam, Noor, PhD

Study Title: Preoptic/Hypothalamic Mechanisms Of Sleep-Wake Regulation (2025)

Issues Requiring Modifications and/or Corrections: The Committee determined that the following contingencies and comments be forwarded to the PI, who must provide a satisfactory response to each before final approval can be considered.

Item 1: Chemical Inventory. Add and highlight Bupivacaine to the chemical inventory.    Contact David.Bischoff@va.govto get the most recent copy of the chemical inventory.

Motion:  Moved and seconded to require modifications for approval of this submission.  7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions, 2 recusals.  Motion Carried

      Drs. Alam and Bashir returned to the meeting following the vote.  There were 9 voting members present.

      Dr. Matsunaga left the meeting.  There were 8 voting members present.

      C. Review of Triennials 

      D.  Review of Continuation Reviews:

IRBNet ID  1616023-9

PI: Kremen, Thomas, MD

Study Title: Targeting Molecules to the Enthesis via Novel Bisphosphonate Chaperones and Biomimetic Scaffolds

Primary Reviewer: Kostyantyn Krysan, PhD

Issues Requiring Modifications and/or Corrections: The Committee determined that the following contingencies and comments be forwarded to the PI, who must provide a satisfactory response to each before final approval can be considered.

Item 1: PSP, Part B3.  Uncheck the "Yes" box in Part B3 as the instructions state to skip to part B5 if the chemicals will only be used outside the VA. 

Item 2: PSP, Table B.  Add "at UCLA only" to each of the chemicals in the able as they will only be used at UCLA. 

Item 3: PSP, Part E1.  Check the “Yes” box.

Item 4: PSP, Part F1.  Both boxes are checked.  Part A3 indicates animals will be used and the previous PSP stated rat limb tissue will be used.  If animal specimens, tissues, or cells will be used, uncheck the “No” box and complete Table F.  If not, check the “No” box in Part A3 and uncheck the “Yes” box in Part F1.

Item 5: PSP, Part H3.  Check the “Yes” box. 

Item 6: PSP, Table H3. Complete Table H3 because H2 indicates you will be treating cell cultures with other replication incompetent viral vectors

Item 7: PSP, Part L1.  Check the “No” box.

Motion:  Moved and seconded to require modifications for approval of this submission.  8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions, 0 recusal.  Motion Carried

IRBNet ID  1626640-9

PI:  Pisegna, Joseph R., MD

Study Title: Gastrointestinal neuropeptides regulation of appetite, metabolism, obesity, fatty liver and Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

Issues Requiring Modifications and/or Corrections:  None

Motion:  Moved and seconded to approve this submission.  8 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions, 0 recusal. Motion Carried

      V.  Unfinished Business 

      A.  Final Approvals 

      1. Modifications

      2. Triennials

      3. Annual Continuations and PSPs

IRBNet ID  1616121-6

PI:  Bischoff, David, PhD

Study Title: Role of Angiogenic CXC Chemokines in Intramembranous Bone Repair

PSP

     B.  Previously Approved Pending with Response Received and Under Review:

IRBNet ID  1657182-6

PI:  Marcus, Elizabeth, MD

Study Title: The role of CagA/CagPAI in H. pylori-induced decrease in Na, K-ATPase as a mechanism of gastric injury

PSP

IRBNet ID  1616151-13

PI:  Tsukamoto, Hidekazu, DVM, PhD

Study Title: Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Permeability Transition Pore, and Acute Pancreatitis

      C. Previously Tabled Submissions For Which A Response Has Been Received. 

      D. Previously Reviewed Submissions For Which No Response Has Been Received. 

IRBNet ID  1739101-2

PI:  Benhammou, Jihane

Study Title: A lipid signaling network through stearoyl Co-A desaturase regulates hepatocellular carcinogenesis through YAP/TAZ activity

XI.  Adjournment:  The meeting was adjourned at 2:20 p.m.  The next meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. via Teams.