Digital Commons Network^™

Platelet-Cancer Cell Interactions: Insights From The Canine Model, Shauna Ashtin Fuhrmann

Theses and Dissertations

Animal models have been recognized for the valuable roles they serve in both animal and human medicine. Dogs share many of the same naturally occurring tumors as humans including osteosarcoma, lymphoma, and mammary tumors. In addition, dogs share the same environment as humans, have a shorter lifespan, and often have a quicker progression of disease, making them an attractive model of human disease. Platelets are small anucleate cell fragments that have essential roles in hemostasis, angiogenesis, and wound healing, and, more recently recognized, roles in development, survival, growth, and metastasis of various cancers. Their roles in angiogenesis has proven to …

Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Induces Apoptosis And Cell Cycle Dysregulation In Human And Murine Cancer Cell Lines, Joseph Skurski

Theses and Dissertations

Carcinogenesis is a complex multistep process that requires tumor cells to grow rapidly while overcoming growth inhibitory signals and sustained challenges from the host immune response. Mutations within promoter or enhancer regions, along with epigenetic changes, can induce aberrant expression of genes that regulate differentiation, cell cycle, and apoptosis, all of which enhance potential for cellular transformation. In recent years, our understanding of the biological processes that influence the activation and repression of transcription have evolved to highlight the role of chromatin architecture, and how chromatin remodeling may be utilized for the potential therapeutic benefit of genetic disease. Histone deacetylase …

High Throughput Analysis Of The Penetration Of Iron Oxide/Polyethylene Glycol Nanoparticles Into Multicellular Breast Cancer Tumor Spheroids, Jonathan Robert Gabriel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design and optimize a system for the high-throughput analysis of multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS), and validate the system through the study of a complex biological model. The system was successfully created and optimized, allowing the histological recovery of MCTS at rates up to 90% for microarrays of 24-spheroids. Arrays of 96-spheroids were recovered at rates up to 86%. The system was used to study the penetration of 5k Da-polyethylene coated superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (5k-PEG SPIONs) into HTB-126 breast cancer spheroids cultured to a mean diameter of 486 micrometer (± 25.2 micrometer). Results were …

My Giants, Teodora Altomare

Theses and Dissertations

My Giants is a thirty minute documentary about two journeys. During the first, in 2015, the filmmaker documented the story of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria responsible for the loss of many thousand-year-old olive trees in the Italian region of Puglia. During the second visit, in 2016, she witnessed the illness of her father.

By weaving together the two stories, My Giants is a snapshot of a transitional moment in the filmmaker’s life, a moment when illness became an opportunity to reconnect with her roots.

The Relationship Between Canine Platelets And Cancer Cells, Sandra Curotto Bulla

Theses and Dissertations

Platelets are small and anucleate blood cells that are well known for their role in hemostasis. Other less recognized platelet functions include contributions to cancer vascularization, growth, and metastasis. Although the participation of platelets in cancer biology has been broadly studied in mouse models, there is no information in the literature regarding the crosstalk of platelets and cancer cells in dogs. The objective of this dissertation was to explore the interaction of canine platelets and tumor cells in vitro. The main hypothesis was that canine platelets were similar to human and murine platelets, and would interact with tumor cells, resulting …

Ahead In Our Bulletin … Examining Kenyans’ Perceptions Of Cancer Messages In Television News And Use Of These Messages, James Ndone

Theses and Dissertations

Using the data collected from 212 participants, this study examined the perceptions that

Kenyans have toward television news with cancer messages and how the audiences use the messages. Using both close-ended and open-ended survey questions, this study investigated the motives that Kenyans have prior to watching news, how these motives affect their frequency of watching such news, how engaged they are with the news, their views of such news, how television news contribute to their knowledge about cancer, and their personal experiences with cancer.

Some of the results suggest that the motives that Kenyans have are to gain knowledge on …

Association Between Diabetes And Cancer In Indian And Us Populations Using Longitudinal Study Design, Shraddha S. Vyas

Theses and Dissertations

Background: There is growing evidence of association between diabetes and cancer. No studies have been conducted in India evaluating this association. With the current epidemiologic, nutritional and economic transition in India, it becomes extremely important to examine this association in an Indian population. Additionally, difference in association exists based on different cancer subtypes. Research has shown that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. However most of these studies suggest detection bias to be one of the probable reasons for this association. Additionally, the common risk factors shared by both these conditions are considered to one of …

Design, Cloning, And Expression Of Rat Preptin And Alanine Analogs, Jahbo M. Love

Theses and Dissertations

Alanine scanning mutagenesis was employed to determine the structural epitopes of preptin; a newly discovered polypeptide found on the proinsulin-like growth factor II. The alanine scanning mutagenesis was accomplished by the use of, cloning, affinity chromatography, gel electrophoresis, gene sequencing, and mass spectra. However, due to inconclusive results, more research is required before the epitopes can be elucidated.

Functional And Mechanistic Insight Into The Role Of Atg9a In Autophagy, Vajira Kaushalya Weerasekara

Theses and Dissertations

The bulk degradative process of macroautophagy requires the dynamic growth of autophagosomes, which carry cellular contents to the lysosome for recycling. Atg9A, a multi-pass transmembrane protein, is an apical regulator of autophagosome growth, yet its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Our work suggests that hypoxia (low glucose and oxygen) triggers a rearrangement of the small adapter protein 14-3-3ζ interactome. Our data suggest that the localization of mammalian Atg9A to autophagosomes requires phosphorylation on the C terminus of Atg9A at S761, which creates a 14-3-3z docking site. Under basal conditions, this phosphorylation is maintained at a low level and is dependent on …

Effects Of A Mindfulness Based Intervention On Diurnal Cortisol In Cancer Survivors, Susannah Small

Theses and Dissertations

Background. There are approximately 15.5 million individuals alive today in the U.S. with a personal history of cancer. For this large and growing population, ill effects associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment include both physical and psychosocial symptoms adversely affecting quality of life. One low-risk alternative to conventional pharmaceutical use in treating these symptoms is mindfulness practice. Research on self-reported measures provides strong evidence that this type of intervention improves quality of life for cancer survivors, but evidence of impact on objective measures is limited. Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, is one relatively easy to measure indicator that …

Characterization Of Staphylococcal Nuclease And Tudor Domain Containing Protein 1 (Snd1) As A Molecular Target In Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, Nidhi H. Jariwala

Theses and Dissertations

CHARACTERIZATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL NUCLEASE AND TUDOR DOMAIN CONTAINING PROTEIN 1 (SND1) AS A MOLECULAR TARGET IN HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA AND NON-ALCOHOLIC STEATOHEPATITIS

Nidhi Jariwala, PhD

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Life Sciences

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017

Devanand Sarkar, M.B.B.S., PhD.

Associate Professor, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

SND1, a subunit of the miRNA regulatory complex RISC, has been implicated as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Oncoprotein SND1 regulates gene expression at a post-transcriptional level in multiple cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). …

Role Of The Pediatric Dental Provider In Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Education, Meredith L. Dugoni

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study investigates knowledge about HPV and examines if pediatric dental providers should include HPV education for guardians of patients 10-18 years.

Methods: Legal guardians of 10-18 year-old patients of the Virginia Commonwealth University Pediatric Dental Clinic were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Participants completed a baseline survey, were provided HPV education, completed an initial follow-up survey, and then completed a 6-month follow-up survey.

Results: A total of 54 participants completed the baseline and initial follow-up surveys and 17 completed the 6-month follow-up survey. The average number of correct responses was 3.4 of 6 knowledge questions, which significantly …