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Full-Text Articles in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health

The Effects Of Paclitaxel On Cellular Migration And The Cytoskeleton, Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez Apr 2022

The Effects Of Paclitaxel On Cellular Migration And The Cytoskeleton, Ashley Salguero-Gonzalez

Thinking Matters Symposium

In a clinical setting, some patients are exposed to an anti-cancer chemotherapy agent, paclitaxel. Cancerous cells undergo rapid, continuous cell division without control. Chemotherapy treatments try to slow and stop the uncontrollable cell division cycles and eliminate cancerous cells in the process. Paclitaxel serves as a treatment for some types of cancers, including lung, melanoma, bladder, and esophageal. Because it targets the cytoskeleton, paclitaxel can also influence cell migration. This project utilizes a cellular migration assay and an immunohistochemistry assay to analyze the effects of paclitaxel on the movement of cells and on the cytoskeleton of neuroglia rat cells with …


Differentiating The Mechanistic Role And Chemotherapeutic Potential Of Src And Podoplanin In Oncogenic Transformation, Edward P. Retzbach Dec 2021

Differentiating The Mechanistic Role And Chemotherapeutic Potential Of Src And Podoplanin In Oncogenic Transformation, Edward P. Retzbach

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

There were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2020, resulting in nearly 1000 deaths per hour [1]. Oral cancer exemplifies the difficulties of treating cancer patients. The first line for oral cancer treatment is surgery and radiation that can lead to patient disfigurement and decreased quality of life in cancer survivors [2-4]. Though there have been many developments in chemotherapy in the last 30 years, the 50% mortality rate associated with oral cancer has not changed [4, 5]. Longitudinal studies that track survival rates in oral cancer patients demonstrate a 3-fold reduction in patient deaths when patients …


Paraoxonase 2 Is Critical For Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Proliferation., Aaron Whitt May 2019

Paraoxonase 2 Is Critical For Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Proliferation., Aaron Whitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) comprises 85% of lung cancer diagnoses and is plagued by drug resistance. Thus, elucidating the underlying mechanisms of NSCLC is paramount to expand future treatment options. Paraoxonase 2 (PON2), an intracellular enzyme with arylesterase and lactonase functions, has well-established anti-atherosclerotic activity. Recent studies show PON2 is overexpressed in a variety of tumors and confers drug resistance, although these interactions have not been thoroughly examined in NSCLC. Thus, we sought to investigate the role of PON2 in cellular proliferation using PON2-knockout mice, primary mouse cells, and NSCLC cell lines. Using these approaches, we demonstrate that PON2 …


Nonsurgical Approaches To Glioblastoma, Moshe Baitelman Jan 2018

Nonsurgical Approaches To Glioblastoma, Moshe Baitelman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Due to the sensitivity of location, brain cancer is one of the most difficult and deadly known cancers. There are various forms of cancer in the brain with many shared characteristics as well as unique manifestations in each. While cancers originating in the central nervous system present in several ways, the most common forms are high grade gliomas generally, and glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytomas specifically. With the advent of technology, researchers have been able to propose and refine extensive profiles of these relentless tumors, enabling greater and more successful treatment profiles to be developed. Where treatments used to consist primarily …


Understanding The Genotoxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles And The Chemoprevention Of Pomegranate Extract, Sameera Nallanthighal Jan 2017

Understanding The Genotoxicity Of Silver Nanoparticles And The Chemoprevention Of Pomegranate Extract, Sameera Nallanthighal

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a wide variety of consumer products (i.e. toothpastes, food containers, dietary supplements and garments) for their antimicrobial properties can lead to potential oral exposure in humans. To enhance their stability, AgNPs are coated with capping agents such as citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Despite the lack of significant general toxicity based on hematology, blood chemistry and histology evaluations, the potential genotoxic effects of AgNPs cannot be ruled out and have to be addressed. Studies examining the genotoxic risks of AgNPs are needed because genotoxicity is a strong indicator of cancer risk. Here we examined …


The Role Of Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 In Receptor Trafficking And Disease, Kaia K. Hampton Jan 2017

The Role Of Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 In Receptor Trafficking And Disease, Kaia K. Hampton

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

The progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) is a multifunctional protein with a heme-binding domain that promotes cellular signaling via receptor trafficking, and is essential for some elements of tumor growth and metastasis. PGRMC1 is upregulated in breast, colon, lung and thyroid tumors. We expanded the analysis of PGRMC1 in the clinical setting, and report the first analysis of PGRMC1 in human oral cavity and ovarian tumors and found PGRMC1 to correlate with lung and ovarian cancer patient survival. Furthermore, we discovered a specific role for PGRMC1 in cancer stem cell viability. PGRMC1 directly associates with the epidermal growth factor …


Characterization Of The Catalytic Ck2 Subunits With Substitutions At Residues Involved In Inhibitor Binding, Paul Desormeaux Sep 2016

Characterization Of The Catalytic Ck2 Subunits With Substitutions At Residues Involved In Inhibitor Binding, Paul Desormeaux

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

CK2 is a constitutively active, ubiquitously expressed and pleiotropic serine/threonine protein kinase that is implicated in many cellular functions including tumorigenesis. CK2 has two catalytic subunits, CK2a and CK2a’, that carry out its function in the cell. Previous studies have indicated that inhibitor-refractory mutants have been effective in recovering residual CK2 activity, in the presence of inhibitors, when compared to wild type CK2. Based on these observations, inhibitor-refractory mutants were created for both CK2a and CK2a’ and tested with various concentrations with two CK2-specific inhibitors, CX-4945 and inhibitor VIII. The CK2a triple mutant (V66A/I174A/H160D) was tested in inducible U2OS Flp-In …


Sirna Targeting Of Thymidylate Synthase, Thymidine Kinase 1 And Thymidine Kinase 2 As An Anticancer Therapy: A Combinatorial Rnai Approach, Christine Di Cresce Apr 2014

Sirna Targeting Of Thymidylate Synthase, Thymidine Kinase 1 And Thymidine Kinase 2 As An Anticancer Therapy: A Combinatorial Rnai Approach, Christine Di Cresce

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is the only de novo source of thymidylate (dTMP) for DNA synthesis and repair. Drugs targeting TS protein are a mainstay in cancer treatment but off-target effects and toxicity limit their use. Cytosolic thymidine kinase (TK1) and mitochondrial thymidine kinase (TK2) contribute to an alternative dTMP-producing pathway, by salvaging thymidine from the tumour milieu, and may modulate resistance to TS-targeting drugs. We have previously shown that TS antisense molecules (oligodeoxynucleotides, ODNs, and small interfering siRNA, siRNA) sensitize tumour cells, both in vitro and in vivo, to TS targeting drugs. As both TS and TKs contribute to cellular …


Using Spheroids And A Bioluminescent Mouse Model To Determine The Effects Of Ajulemic Acid On Ewing's Scarcoma, Drake Hardy Jan 2013

Using Spheroids And A Bioluminescent Mouse Model To Determine The Effects Of Ajulemic Acid On Ewing's Scarcoma, Drake Hardy

Honors Theses

Ewing's Sarcoma is a pediatric bone cancer with a five-year survival rate of only 30%. New treatment options for this highly aggressive disease are desperately needed. Ajulemic acid (AJA), a synthetic cannabinoid, has been the focus of our research, and has demonstratedd the ability to decrease tumor cell viability and inhibit endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis. Based on these results, AJA is a potential therapeutic agent for Ewing's Sarcoma and other solid pediatric cancers. In order to create a realistic environment in vitro in which to study these tumors, we created 3-dimensional spheroids with three cell types, each of which …


Increased Geranylgeranylated K-Ras Contributes To Antineoplastic Effects Of Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors., Mandy A. Hall May 2012

Increased Geranylgeranylated K-Ras Contributes To Antineoplastic Effects Of Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors., Mandy A. Hall

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The Ras family of small GTPases (N-, H-, and K-Ras) is a group of important signaling mediators. Ras is frequently activated in some cancers, while others maintain low level activity to achieve optimal cell growth. In cells with endogenously low levels of active Ras, increasing Ras signaling through the ERK and p38 MAPK pathways can cause growth arrest or cell death. Ras requires prenylation – the addition of a 15-carbon (farnesyl) or 20-carbon (geranylgeranyl) group – to keep the protein anchored into membranes for effective signaling. N- and K-Ras can be alternatively geranylgeranylated (GG’d) if farnesylation is inhibited but are …