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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Vasculogenic Mimicry: Role Of Melanoma Differentiation Associated Gene-9/Syntenin, Jinkal Modi, Anjan Pradhan, Luni Emdad, Swadesh Das, Paul Fisher Jan 2021

Vasculogenic Mimicry: Role Of Melanoma Differentiation Associated Gene-9/Syntenin, Jinkal Modi, Anjan Pradhan, Luni Emdad, Swadesh Das, Paul Fisher

Graduate Research Posters

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most aggressive skin cancer and the most frequent skin disorder in Caucasians. MM is associated with aggressive and progressive disease states, leading to major cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Recent investigations identify a new non-angiogenesis-dependent pathway vasculogenic mimicry (VM), which is considered a cancer hallmark that can independently facilitate tumor neovascularization by the formation of fluid-conducting and vascular endothelial cells. MM cells undergoing VM can dedifferentiate into numerous cellular phenotypes and acquire endothelial-like features, resulting in the formation of the de novo matrix-rich vascular-like network, such as plasma and red blood cells. The co-generation of endothelial …


Prolactin Drives A Dynamic Stat5a/Hdac6/Hmgn2 Cis-Regulatory Landscape Exploitable In Er+ Breast Cancer, Justin M. Craig Jan 2021

Prolactin Drives A Dynamic Stat5a/Hdac6/Hmgn2 Cis-Regulatory Landscape Exploitable In Er+ Breast Cancer, Justin M. Craig

Theses and Dissertations

The hormone prolactin has been implicated in breast cancer pathogenesis and regulates chromatin engagement by the transcription factor, STAT5A. STAT5A is known to inducibly bind promoters and cis-regulatory elements genome-wide, though the mechanisms by which it exerts specificity and regulation of target gene expression remain enigmatic. We previously identified HDAC6 and HMGN2 as cofactors that facilitate prolactin induced, STAT5A mediated gene expression. Here, multi-condition STAT5A, HDAC6, and HMGN2 ChIP-seq with parallel condition RNA-seq are utilized to reveal the cis-regulatory landscape and cofactor dynamics underlying prolactin stimulated gene expression in breast cancer. We find that prolactin regulated genes are …


Exploring The Connection Between The Spontaneous Regression Seen In Neuroblastomas, Hypertumors, And Reactive Oxygen Species, Shahad Musa, Manitha Mulpuru Jan 2021

Exploring The Connection Between The Spontaneous Regression Seen In Neuroblastomas, Hypertumors, And Reactive Oxygen Species, Shahad Musa, Manitha Mulpuru

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Peto’s Paradox is defined as the lack of correlation between larger animals and cancer risk. Under the assumption that all cells have equal risk of becoming cancerous, larger animals should have greater rates of cancer. However, the inverse is true. Determining the cause of this variation may allow a supplemental approach to cancer treatment. A combination of two reasons may account for this correlation including hypertumors and metabolism. Hypertumors, or cheater cells, are hypothesized to suppress cancer growth through spontaneous autophagic degradation and overexpression of the RAS g-protein. Both of these characteristics are exhibited in Neuroblastomas. An anticancer drug used …


The Role Of Autophagy And Senescence In The Responses Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells To Chemotherapy And Radiation, Nipa H. Patel Jan 2021

The Role Of Autophagy And Senescence In The Responses Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells To Chemotherapy And Radiation, Nipa H. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer-associated deaths account for the second-highest mortality rates in the United States. Primary modalities of treatment often include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and may also incorporate targeted therapy and immunotherapy. However, resistance to these treatments remains high, resulting in disease reoccurrence and poor survival rates. While apoptosis or cell death of tumor cells is the ideal outcome for anti-cancer therapy, this is often not the case, and in fact cancer cells may upregulate several pathways, such as autophagy and senescence, as a means to undergo alternative cell fate and evade apoptotic cell death. An essential tumor suppressor gene, TP53, …


Impact Of Targeting Glycosylated Ceramides On Tumorigenic Properties, And Characterization Of Sphingolipids In Head And Neck Tumors, Katherine E. Hylton Jan 2021

Impact Of Targeting Glycosylated Ceramides On Tumorigenic Properties, And Characterization Of Sphingolipids In Head And Neck Tumors, Katherine E. Hylton

Theses and Dissertations

Sphingolipids play a crucial role in signaling, membrane structure, and migration, making them important molecules in cancer development, metastasis, and drug resistance. While some sphingolipids have been associated with pro-apoptotic or pro-survival behaviors, the role of many sphingolipids in cancer remains poorly defined. Chapter 1 of this study investigated the impact of three enzymes that compose most of the ceramide to Lc3 ceramide pathway – UGCG, GBA, and B3GNT5 – and how their alteration impacts chemoresistance and basal membrane invasion in vitro. It was found that the CΒE-induced inhibition of GBA, which converts glucosylceramide to ceramide, has no effects on …