Life Sciences Commons^™

Development Of A Reliable Method To Express And Purify Vaccinia Virus Transcription Factors A7 And D6 In Bacteria, Younghoon Park

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Poxvirus early genes code for viral products involved in host interaction, immune evasion, replication, and transcription of the viral genome. These viral early genes contain a unique and conserved promoter sequence that is recognized by early transcription factors (ETFs). The working hypothesis is pharmacologically targeting the structure of the poxvirus early promoters can inhibit transcription of poxvirus early genes. Our group has identified unique secondary structure which deviates from a scrambled control near the Vaccinia Virus (VACV) E9L promoter. Targeting these unique structures, which most likely may be G-quadruplexes, with structure specific ligands may distort local DNA structures at the …

Characterization Of The Protective Role Of Th17 Cells In An Fc Receptor-Targeted Vaccine Strategy Against Fracisella Tularensis Infection, Kyle Devenney

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Using a murine model, we have previously showed that targeting an inactivated form of F.tularensis (iFt) bacteria to Fcg receptors by utilizing an IgG2a, anti-LPS monoclonal antibody (mAb) provides 100% protection against a lethal dose with the live vaccine strain (LVS). The binding of anti-LPS monoclonal antibodies and iFt create an immune complex (mAb-iFt) allowing the Fc-region of the antibody to target Fc receptors expressed on antigen presenting cells, leading to a more robust and effective processing and presentation of the bacterial antigens. Although the resulting protective response generated relies on both humoral and cell-mediated immunity, in our study we …

A Study Of Exposure To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Polymorphisms In The Tumor Suppressor Gene, P53, Of Wild Menhaden, Samantha Rose Reed

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The British Petroleum (BP) Deep Water Horizon Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) caused detrimental effects to wildlife including marine fish populations (Diercks, et al. 2010). The fish were exposed to crude oil which contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Some PAHs are carcinogens and can damage DNA in key regulatory genes in various species (Milleman, et al. 2015; Nadler, 2017). Menhaden are oily, filter feeding fish and incorporate and retain these lipophilic contaminants at high levels. The objective of the present work was to search for genetic mutations on the tumor suppressor gene, p53, in various organs …

The Rational Design, Synthesis, Characterization, And Biological Evaluation Of Cancer-Targeting Immunostimulatory Peptide-Protein Conjugates And Tripeptides, Keith Smith

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

With the advent of cancer immunotherapy and the rise in applications of synthetic biologics, there has been a steady decline in the incidence of cancer. Despite this trend, there is an anticipated 1.7 million new cancer cases with an estimated 610,000 deaths expected by the end of 2018.2 Therefore, the call for continued efforts in creating more effective treatment options are still in high demand. In this thesis, the rational design of a semi-synthetic cancer-targeting immunostimulatory peptide-protein bioconjugate—using N-succinimidyl carbamate chemistry is described. This bio-orthogonal chemistry approach was used to conjugate the synthetic Pep42, cancer-targeting peptide (CTP) and the immunostimulatory …

Fluorescently Labeled Sirnas And Their Theranostic Applications In Cancer Gene Therapy, Stephen David Kozuch

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Gene therapy has emerged as a promising precision nano-medicine strategy in the treatment of numerous diseases including cancer. At the forefront of its utility are the applications of short-interfering RNA (siRNA), that silence oncogenic mRNA expression leading to cancer cell death through the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Despite the therapeutic potential, siRNAs are limited by poor pharmacological properties, which has hindered their translation into the clinic. Recent studies, however, have highlighted the applications of modified siRNAs, including the use of fluorescent probes and siRNA nanostructures in cancer detection and treatment. The siRNAs reported in this thesis are designed to target …

The Effects Of Cold Plasma Treatment On Sweet Basil (Ocimum Basilicum), Sauvelson Auguste

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The study discussed herein looks both to continue and to expand upon previous work conducted here at Seton Hall University, which investigated the effect of cold plasma processing on sweet basil and their essential oils. It was found that the application of cold plasma treatment increases plant growth and eugenol concentration, which is an essential oil component and one of the potential natural antioxidants used in food preservation. In this study, we considered methods for increasing the production and harvesting of plants that produce essential oils such as sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). The study also incorporated more controls …

The Molluscum Contagiosum Virus Mc160 Protein Requires Both Death Effector Domains To Inhibit Mavs- And Tbk1-Induced Interferon Activation, Lissette Bouza

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV) causes a common persistent, skin infection. Two MCV immune evasion molecules, MCV MC159 and MC160 contain tandem death effector domains (DEDs). DEDs are found in several host proteins including pro-apoptotic proteins Fas-associated Death Domain (FADD) and procaspase-8 and are well characterized in innate immune signaling. MC159 blocks apoptosis induced by both Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and the Fas ligand (FasL) and inhibits activation the host pro-inflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) (Shisler, 2001; Murao and Shisler 2005). MC160, however, does not inhibit apoptosis, but does dampen TNF-induced NF-κB activation (Shisler, …

Cyclic Urethane: A Versatile Handle For Synthetic Peptide Applications, Hader E. Elashal

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

While peptides have impeccable potential due to their biological and therapeutic abilities, they are inherently limited in clinical practice due to their instability towards proteolysis and poor bioavailability. In the past few years peptidomimetics have emerged as a powerful class of compounds that overcomes the shortcomings associated with peptides. Peptidomimetics essentially mimic a natural peptide or protein in its chemical composition, structure and its ability to perform a biologically relevant role. In addition to increased stability and bioavailability, peptidomimetics can also have increased receptor binding affinity and selectivity, thereby making these mimics lead compounds in the field of drug design …

Correlation Of Environmental Exposure To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Polymorphisms In The Proto-Oncogene V-Rel Using Wild Atlantic Menhaden, Chelsea Rose Defelice

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Hurricane Sandy critically damaged the Atlantic coast of New Jersey in the fall of 2012. This was recorded as the largest storm to hit the Atlantic Ocean, which was manifested by its destruction on the homes and communities of those along the coastline. Contamination of surrounding waters due to this natural disaster was of great interest. The re-suspension of land-based pollution is proposed to make these contaminants more bioavailable to coastal species, such as Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus), which are a crucial biomonitoring species through their ecological and economic uses. A proposed increase of body burdens in Atlantic …

Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Biocide, Tributyl Tetradecyl Phosphonium Chloride, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction That Is Enhanced By Sodium Chloride In Chironomus Riparius, Zainab Hussain Alali

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride (TTPC) is a biocide utilized in the hydraulic fracturing process to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground. This study used 4^th instar Chironomus riparius to investigate the toxicity of TTPC, NaCl, and TTPC+NaCl. Our results show that the 24 h LC₅₀s for TTPC, NaCl, and TTPC+NaCl were 0.57 mg/L, >10,000 mg/L, and 0.32 mg/L, respectively, while the 48 h LC₅₀s for the same treatments were 0.48 mg/L, 9808 mg/L, and 0.22 mg/L, respectively. Additionally, TTPC’s mechanism of action was investigated by measuring the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), superoxide …

Assessing The Effects Of Dual Tasking On Spatiotemporal Parameters Of Gait In Older Adults: Exploring Age And Task Demands, Mohammed Issa Alsaeed

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The percentage of the senior citizens is expected to be 20% of the US population by 2030. Falls are considered a global problem due to the increased rate of falls and the costs associated with treating impairments resulting from falls. To date, the effects of performing different types of dual tasks among different age groups of the elderly has received less attention. Therefore, this study sought to assess the impact on spatiotemporal parameters of gait when differing age groups of older adults performer dual tasks that require differing motor and cognitive demands.

Three standard measurements were used in this study: …