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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Mechanosensitive Epithelial Cell Scattering And Migration On Layered Matrices, Christopher Michael Walter
Mechanosensitive Epithelial Cell Scattering And Migration On Layered Matrices, Christopher Michael Walter
McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations
Epithelial cells form multi-layered tissue scaffolding that makes up every organ in the body. Along with epithelial cells, the basement membrane (BM) and connective tissue are composed of various proteins that sculpt the organs and protect them from foreign macromolecules. Epithelial cells respond to various cues, both chemical and mechanical, from their surrounding matrices to aid in maintenance and repair of these layers through degradation and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In cancer progression, epithelial cells lose their normal function of supporting tissue structure and instead adopt more aggressive behaviors through an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of their cellular traits. …
Fluorescence Guided Tumor Imaging: Foundations For Translational Applications, Jessica P. Miller
Fluorescence Guided Tumor Imaging: Foundations For Translational Applications, Jessica P. Miller
McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations
Optical imaging for medical applications is a growing field, and it has the potential to improve medical outcomes through its increased sensitivity and specificity, lower cost, and small instrumentation footprint as compared to other imaging modalities. The method holds great promise, ranging from direct clinical use as a diagnostic or therapeutic tool, to pre-clinical applications for increased understanding of pathology. Additionally, optical imaging uses non-ionizing radiation which is safe for patients, so it can be used for repeated imaging procedures to monitor therapy, guide treatment, and provide real-time feedback. The versatile features of fluorescence-based optical imaging make it suited for …
Photodynamic Therapy: Agents And Mechanisms, Rebecca Claire Gilson
Photodynamic Therapy: Agents And Mechanisms, Rebecca Claire Gilson
McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations
Despite enormous efforts, cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide. The main challenges currently facing cancer therapy include lack of adequate tumor targeting, failure to treat hypoxic tumor cells, and induction therapy resistant tumors. A solution to these limitations can be found in photodynamic therapy (PDT) which combines light and light activatable compounds, photosensitizers (PSs), to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) to damage tumor tissue. This creates a spatiotemporal therapeutic effect, where cell damage only occurs at the intersection of the PS and light. PDT can treat tumors through unique mechanisms which reduce induction of tumor …