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Targeting Androgen Receptor On Glioblastoma, Nan Zhao

Theses & Dissertations

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain malignancy. The standard treatment of this tumor is surgery, followed by radiation with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. GBM cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed to be responsible for radioresistance. It is necessary to identify novel therapeutic agent(s) that can pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and enhance radiation effects. Targeting the androgen receptor (AR) is promising in treating glioblastoma (GBM) in cell culture, and flank implant models but the mechanisms remain unclear. AR antagonists, including enzalutamide, are available for treating prostate cancer patients in the clinic and can pass the BBB; thus, …

Polymeric Nanocarriers For Delivery Of Small Molecules Inhibiting Tubulin Polymerization For The Treatment Of Pancreatic Cancer And Lung Metastatic Melanoma, Rajan Sharma Bhattarai

Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to develop delivery systems for the novel small molecules which inhibit tubulin polymerization. One of the small molecules was modified to lipid conjugate to increase the lipophilicity of the molecules which in turn drastically improved the drug loading in amphiphilic polymeric system. The second molecule was conjugated to the amphiphilic polymeric backbone with pH sensitive Schiff’s linker for the tumor site specific delivery in lung metastatic melanoma model.

Chapter 1 discusses the tumor microenvironment for the solid tumor especially focusing on Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Further the drug delivery system currently researched for addressing …

Frailty And Neurocognition In Prostate Cancer, Lindsey Hanson

Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PCa) treatment often leads to distressing side effects ranging from muscle loss, physical inactivity, and fatigue to cancer associated cognitive decline (CACD). Evidence suggests that men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may have a specifically high risk of CACD, partially due to increased frailty. However, the current literature on cognitive effects of ADT is equivocal. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study were to (1) compare cognitive function, physical activity (PA), and fitness in men receiving ADT, men scheduled to receive radiation, and men under active surveillance for PCa; (2) examine changes in cognitive performance and PA …

Metagenome-Wide Associations And Metabolic Modeling To Predict The Biomarkers For Colorectal Cancer, Nagavardhini Avuthu

Theses & Dissertations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. It is a multifactorial disease mediated by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Over time, the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes results in the activation of oncogenes and deactivation of tumor suppressor genes in the colon and rectal region which finally leads to tumor development. The gut microbiome is the main factor linking the effects of diet and environmental factors to host metabolism. Several studies showed the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in CRC patients with an increased proportion of pathogenic …