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Full-Text Articles in Physiology

Role Of Vegf-C In Proliferation And Migration In A Cancer Model, Emily Marie Benke Jan 2008

Role Of Vegf-C In Proliferation And Migration In A Cancer Model, Emily Marie Benke

Theses and Dissertations

Head and neck cancer ranks high among the most common cancers world wide. In addition, there is a high recurrence rate, as well as a high prevalence of loco-regional tumor spread. Among many factors contributing to metastasis is vascular endothelial cell growth factor C. VEGF-C is primarily an inducer of new lymph vessel formation, typically during embryogenesis; however, some advanced cancers show a significant increase in VEGF-C expression, suggesting a role in metastasis. In the current study, the effects of VEGF-C expression were tested in HN12 cells, which are highly metastatic and known to express high levels of the chemokine …


Sensitization To Trail-Induced Apoptosis In K-Ras 12 Mutant Pancreatic Cancer Cells By Bitc, Christina Ann Wicker Jan 2008

Sensitization To Trail-Induced Apoptosis In K-Ras 12 Mutant Pancreatic Cancer Cells By Bitc, Christina Ann Wicker

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer with a greater than 95% mortality rate and short survival after diagnosis. Chemotherapeutic resistance hinders successful treatment. This resistance is associated with mutations within codon 12 of the K-Ras gene (K-Ras 12), which is present in over 90% of all pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Codon 12 mutations maintain Ras in a constitutively active state leading to continuous cellular proliferation. Our study determined if TRAIL resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinomas with K-Ras 12 mutations could be overcome by first sensitizing the cells with Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC). BITC is a component of cruciferous vegetable extracts and a cell cycle …