Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Role Of The Diras Family Members In Regulating Ras Function, Cancer Growth And Autophagy, Margie Nicole Sutton
The Role Of The Diras Family Members In Regulating Ras Function, Cancer Growth And Autophagy, Margie Nicole Sutton
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
DIRAS3 is a maternally imprinted tumor suppressor gene that is downregulated by multiple mechanisms across several tumor types. When re-expressed, DIRAS3 decreases proliferation, inhibits motility, and induces autophagy and tumor dormancy. DIRAS3 encodes a 26 kDa small GTPase with 60% homology to Ras and Rap, differing from oncogenic Ras family members by a 34-amino acid N-terminal extension that is required for its tumor suppressive function in ovarian cancer. By assessing the structure-function relationship, I found that DIRAS3 inhibits Ras-induced transformation and is a natural antagonist of Ras/MAPK signaling. DIRAS3 binds directly to Ras and disrupts cluster formation inhibiting the activation …
Strategies To Sensitize Bladder Cancer Cells To Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting The Pi3k Pathway, Giovanni Nitti
Strategies To Sensitize Bladder Cancer Cells To Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting The Pi3k Pathway, Giovanni Nitti
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
After many years of cancer research, it is well accepted by the scientific community that the future cure for this disease lies in a personalized therapeutic approach. Anticipating therapeutic outcome based on the genetic signature of a tumor has become the new paradigm. The PI3K pathway represents an ideal target for bladder cancer, as many of the key proteins of this pathway are altered or mutated in this particular type of cancer. Several small molecule inhibitors have been developed to target this pathway, but their efficacy has been shown to be heterogeneous among different cell lines and mostly cytostatic but …