Cell Biology Commons^™

The Protective Effects Of Anthocyanins On Neurons, Abigail Lynn

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are debilitating neurodegenerative diseases that are largely thought to be exacerbated, and perhaps even caused, by oxidative stress in and around neurons. At the same time, there has been increased research in the field of nutrition and how the foods we eat impact our short- and long-term health. These combined interests have resulted in fascinating studies that have found certain foods, namely plants, can have a variety of medicinal benefits.....The purpose of this study is to determine if plant extracts that have high levels of certain phytonutrients can increase the activity of cellular enzymes that reduce oxidative …

Restoration Of Β-Hexosaminidase A Deficiency Through The Use Of Molecular Chaperones, Anthony Fund

Honors Program Projects

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD, also known as GM2-gangliosidosis) is an autosomal-recessive neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease caused by a mutation in the HEX A gene which codes for the lysosomal enzyme β-hexosaminidase A (Hex A)7,8. For patients with TSD, GM2-gangliosides cannot be properly broken down, and, as a result, accumulate in their neurons, causing severe neurological complications5.

Currently, there is no cure for TSD. Although all past treatment options have been ineffective, the novel pharmacological chaperone therapy has shown promise as a means for effective treatment by improving the folding and transportation of Hex A. Here, pharmacological chaperone therapy for TSD was …

Protective Effects Of The Novel Phytonutrient S7 Against Intestinal Tight Junction Disruption: Composition Matters, Erin E. Olson, Alexi L. Zastrow, Daniel R. Sharda

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

The prevalence of intestinal inflammatory diseases is increasing, and pharmacologic agents for intervention are currently limited. Preserving epithelial tight junction (TJ) integrity and preventing underlying immune cell activation by intestinal bacteria are key targets for abrogating the perpetual inflammatory cycle that plagues these diseases. Phytonutrients have shown promise for their ability to reduce cellular inflammation, but the extent of their efficacy in an intestinal model of inflammation is not well understood. Here, we hypothesized that S7, a novel phytonutrient derived from extracts rich in curcuminoids and catechins, would reduce immune cell inflammation and preserve TJ integrity in an in vitro …

Study Of Alpha Mangostin As A Chemoprotective Agent For Breast Cancer Via Activation Of The P53 Pathway, Vanessa Van Oost

Honors Program Projects

Breast carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women and causes over 400,000 deaths each year worldwide. Current treatments such as chemotherapy are not selective for cancerous tissues but are destructive to normal tissues as well. This causes a range of side effects including pain, nausea, hair loss, weakness, and more. Inactivation of p53 is a very common mutation within human cancer cells. The ability to activate the p53 pathway which protects cells from tumor formation is lost in 50% of cancers. Due to the prevalence of this mutation, p53 is a uniquely valuable target for applied research. Alpha …

Exploring The Effects Of Protein Kinase C-Alpha Gene Knockout On The Proliferation Of Human Embryonic Kidney Cells, Emma J. Kuntz

Honors Program Projects

Signaling molecules have important roles in many cellular functions, but because these pathways are incredibly complex, the exact mechanisms often remain unknown. One signaling molecule, protein kinase C alpha (PKCa), is involved in cell proliferation and is expressed at high levels in many cancers. Interestingly, its activity as a tumor promoter or tumor suppressor varies depending on the cell type for reasons not yet fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of PKCa in cell proliferation in order to better understand its function as a signaling molecule. To asses this, a knockout line was generated using CRISPR-Cas9 and …

Hexavalent Chromium: Elucidating Its Carcinogenic Mechanism, And Testing Potential Preventative Treatments, Ryan Himes, Timothy Mayotte

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Cr(VI) (hexavalent chromium) has recently been found in the drinking water of over 250 million Americans. It is a powerful oxidizing agent, and is known to cause cancer, although the specific mechanism has yet to be elucidated. There is no known preventative treatment for Cr(VI) exposure, and the US EPA is currently determining what concentration of Cr(VI) in drinking water can be safely tolerated. This study sought to test the hypothesis that Cr(VI) cytotoxicity can be prevented by various antioxidants. We tested this hypothesis by exposing human embryonic kidney and human intestinal epithelial cells to Cr(VI), with and without the …

Alpha Mangostin As A Chemoprotective Agent Via Activation Of The P53 Pathway For Breast Cancer, Vanessa Van Oost

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Breast carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women and causes over 400,000 deaths yearly worldwide. Current treatments such as chemotherapy are not selective for cancerous tissues but are destructive to normal tissues as well. This causes a range of side effects including pain, nausea, hair loss, weakness, and more. Inactivation of p53 is an almost universal mutation within human cancer cells. The ability to activate the p53 pathway which protects cells from tumor formation is lost in 50% of cancers. Due to the prevalence of this mutation, p53 is a uniquely valuable target for applied research. Alpha mangostin …

Using Α-Mangostin From Garcinia Mangostana To Block Cell Death Caused By Paclitaxel In Proliferating Bhk Cells, Andrea Wojciechowski

Honors Program Projects

One of the most commonly found mutations in cancers is a mutation in p53. A mutation in p53 does not allow the cell to correct DNA damage or mutations properly, leading to uncontrolled growth and a tumor. α-Mangostin is a p53 activator found in a fruit from Southeast Asia, and when applied to cells, it will arrest them in the S phase. Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy that kills cells as they enter mitosis. Arrested cells will not enter mitosis and therefore will not be killed by paclitaxel. Because of mutated dysfunctional p53, cancer cells are not susceptible to arrest by …

Defining Environmental Stresses That Activate The Rna Repair Operon In Salmonella Typhimurium, Caleb M. Gulledge

Honors Program Projects

Background

RNA polymerase holoenzyme (Eσ) mediates transcription in eubacteria, and is composed of five constant subunits (α₂ββ’ω) and a variable sigma (σ) subunit that is responsible for promoter recognition and initiation of transcription. An alternative sigma factor in Salmonella Typhimurium, σ⁵⁴ (also called RpoN), is mechanistically different than classical σ⁷⁰-type sigmas, requiring a different promoter consensus sequence, an activator, and ATP hydrolysis. The Rtc RNA repair operon lies within the regulon of RpoN in S. Typhimurium, but has no known physiological function. Previous work characterized similar systems in archaea and humans, which were determined to …