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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
The Role Of Gap Junctions In Congenital Diseases Of The Heart, Scott Henry Britz-Cunningham
The Role Of Gap Junctions In Congenital Diseases Of The Heart, Scott Henry Britz-Cunningham
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Background. Gap junctions are thought to have a crucial role in the synchronized contraction of the heart and in embryonic development. Connexin43, the major protein of gap junctions in the heart, is targeted by several protein kinases that regulate myocardial cell-cell coupling. We hypothesized that mutations altering sites critical to this regulation would lead to functional or developmental abnormalities of the heart.
Methods. Connexin43 DNA from 25 normal subjects and 30 children with a variety of congenital heart diseases was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Mutant DNA was expressed in cell culture and examined for its effect …
Regeneration In Periodontal Defects With Rhbmp-2 : A Dosage Study, Paola Guglielmoni
Regeneration In Periodontal Defects With Rhbmp-2 : A Dosage Study, Paola Guglielmoni
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been shown to induce bone formation in ectopic and orthotopic sites. This inductive capability has led to their evaluation as possible adjuncts in periodontal reconstructive therapy. Indeed, studies have reported periodontal regeneration following surgical implantation of recombinant human BMP-2. This study evaluated regeneration of alveolar bone and cementum following periodontal reconstructive surgery including implantation of a construct consisting of sterile lyophilized rhBMP-2 in buffer adsorbed onto an absorbable collagen sponge. Critical size mandibular supra-alveolar periodontal defects were surgically created, and an incomplete block design was used to evaluate the regenerative potential of rhBMP-2 at 0.05, …
A Model Using Radiation And Pws4-Htnf-Α Gene Therapy For Treatment Of Glioblastomas, Angelo G. Baher
A Model Using Radiation And Pws4-Htnf-Α Gene Therapy For Treatment Of Glioblastomas, Angelo G. Baher
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
The efficacy of radiotherapy for cancer is limited by the dose that can be safely delivered to the tumor without causing debilitating side effects. In addition, successful treatment of highly malignant tumors such as glioblastomas is likely to require adjunctive therapies to enhance tumor response to radiation. Previous studies have shown immunomodulation and a synergestic reduction in tumor volume of malignant tumors when tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein is administered prior to radiation. The major goal of the present investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of pWS4-human TNF-α (pWS4-hTNF-α), a new plasmid construct that expresses human TNF-α protein, together with …