Life Sciences Commons^™

Evidence For P53-Mediated Induction Of Wrap53a In Response To Dna Damage, Anne Shelton Hucks

Theses and Dissertations

p53 is a powerful tumor suppressor mutated in approximately half of all cancers. Its mRNA is stabilized post-transcriptionally via complementary base pairing with the transcript of its antisense gene, WRAP53α; without this interaction, p53 protein cannot accumulate enough to carry out its many functions related to apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage repair. Previous studies have shown that WRAP53α is induced in response to DNA damage. The purpose of this study was to determine which transcription factors might be responsible for this induction. After identifying three putative p53 binding sites on the WRAP53α promoter, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation …

The Role Of Lipocalin 2 In Early Stage Colon Cancer Metastasis To The Liver, Fides Elamparo

Senior Theses

Metastasis, frequently from the colon to the liver, is the major cause of death with colorectal cancer, reducing the five-year survival to less than 6%. Metastasis occurs due to productive collaborations between tumor cells and host-derived cells in the tumor microenvironment, where a pre-metastatic niche is created to prime for cancer cell invasion into the target organ. In a highly metastatic colorectal cancer cell line implanted into the cecum of Balb/c mice, microarray analysis showed lipocalin 2 (Lcn2) is one of the most highly expressed proteins in the liver of tumor-bearing mice prior to metastasis.

When RT-PCR was performed, greater …

Identification Of Microrna Biomarkers In Her2-Positive Breast Cancer, Hossam Tashkandi

Theses and Dissertations

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in approximately 30% of breast cancer patients with poor prognosis. In addition, microRNAs are small non-coding RNA that have been linked to many cancers. Here we investigate which miRNAs are differentially regulated by HER2 overexpression. Using quantitative reverse-transcription prolymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) and matching it with the clinical data acquired from Dvinge, we find five candidate miRNAs. When comparing the miRNAs’ effect on patient survival, only three miRNAs stand as good predictors of patient survival outcome. These miRNAs are miR-146a-5p, miR-181d, and miR-195-5p. When miR-146a-5p is up-regulated, which is the case …

The Effect Of Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors On Bone Marrow Derived Cells In The Intestinal Tumor Microenvironment, Grishma Acharya

Theses and Dissertations

Tumors have come to be known as independently functioning complex organs consisting of cancer cells coexisting with a heterogeneous mixture of host-derived non-neoplastic cells that form the tumor stroma. Tumor survival, progression, and metastasis depend on multiple close interactions between the cancer cells and the tumor stromal cells. These tumor stromal cells are mainly bone marrow derived cells (BMDCs) that are recruited to the primary tumor and sites of metastasis by a variety of signals secreted by the cancer cells. Because of the close interaction between the tumor and the tumor stroma, we propose that tumor stromal cells play an …