Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Targeting T Cell Glycolysis To Mitigate Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Kevin Ezhakunnel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hematological cancers account for nearly ten percent of cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Patients who fail to respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy must often undergo a bone marrow transplant to treat their malignancy. A significant complication following this procedure is Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), which occurs when donor T cells mount an immune response against recipient tissues. Immunological research has highlighted the role of aberrant T cell metabolism, specifically a shift toward aerobic glycolysis, as a key driver behind the occurrence of this condition. The transcription factor FoxK1 has been revealed to be a key regulator …

Using A Lubricin Reporter Cell To Test Current Vs. Optimized Media Compositions, Sean M. Kennedy

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease characterized by the breakdown of articular cartilage. The field of tissue engineering is interested in developing methods to produce biological alternatives to current orthopedic procedures. Lubricin is a molecule which is important in the proper lubrication of articular cartilage. It is a challenge in the field of tissue engineering to produce cartilage with sufficient lubricin expression. Developing a reporter cell for lubricin allowed for a more efficient investigation of the conditions wh­­­ich may influence its expression. By comparing "optimized" and traditional media solutions, it was determined that the use of a previously reported type II …

The Effects Of Emerging Technology On Healthcare And The Difficulties Of Integration, Skyler J. Pavlish-Carpenter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Disruptive technology describes technology that is significantly more advanced than previous iterations, such as: 3D printing, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, innovative surgical procedures, and computer-based charting software. These technologies often require extensive overhauls to implement into older systems and must overcome many difficult financial and societal complications before they can be widely used. In a field like healthcare that makes frequent advancements, these difficulties can mean that the technology will not be utilized to its full potential or implemented at all.

Objective: To determine the inhibiting factors that prevent disruptive technology from being implemented in conventional healthcare.

Methods: …