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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Identification Of Transcriptional Mechanisms Downstream Of Nf1 Gene Defeciency In Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, Daochun Sun
Wayne State University Dissertations
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a type of soft tissue sarcoma that occurs in carriers of mutations in the neurofibromatosis type I gene (Nf1) as well as sporadically. Plexiform neurofibromas in NF1 patients have a significant risk of developing into MPNSTs leading to increased morbidity and mortality from this syndrome. Surgery is the primary intervention but it is not always effective due to the tendency of MPNSTs to infiltrate the surrounding tissue or grow in an inoperable location. Neurofibromin, the protein coded by the Nf1 gene, functions as a GTPase activating protein (GAP) whose mutation leads to constitutive …
Modulation Of Anti-Tumor Immune Response By Tgf-Β-Inducible Early Gene 1 (Tieg1), Andi Cani
Modulation Of Anti-Tumor Immune Response By Tgf-Β-Inducible Early Gene 1 (Tieg1), Andi Cani
Wayne State University Theses
Cancer immunotherapy has had limited clinical efficacy partly because regulatory T cells (Treg) suppress the immune response to tumor-associated antigens. Inducible regulatory T cells (iTreg), which are converted from naïve CD4 T cells by TGF-β, an abundant cytokine in the tumor microenvironment, may contribute to this immune suppression. Induction of Foxp3 by TGF-β is mediated by the transcription factor TIEG1 and abrogation of this protein prevents Foxp3 expression. We are testing the hypothesis that blockade of TIEG1 to prevent iTreg conversion will enhance immune response in DNA vaccination to the tumor associated antigen Her-2. Wild type and TIEG1 knockout mice …
Understanding The Gender-Based Mechanism Of Mso In Als Mice: A Metabolic Characterization Of The Sod1-G93a Mouse Model, Monica Ann Bame
Understanding The Gender-Based Mechanism Of Mso In Als Mice: A Metabolic Characterization Of The Sod1-G93a Mouse Model, Monica Ann Bame
Wayne State University Dissertations
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron death and a corresponding loss of neuromuscular connections resulting in muscle atrophy. Patients become paralyzed shortly after symptom onset and typically die within one to five years of pulmonary complications. ALS is a relatively rare disease, with an overall incidence of approximately 2 in 100,000 people per year and a prevalence of about 5 in 100,000 people. It is typically associated with increasing age and has a slight male prevalence, with a male to female ratio of approximately 3:2. ALS is classified as either familial (the less …
Identifying Sm22 As A Key Player In Arterial Diseases, Jianbin Shen
Identifying Sm22 As A Key Player In Arterial Diseases, Jianbin Shen
Wayne State University Dissertations
Background : Expression of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) cytoskeleton markers including SM22 is down-regulated in arterial diseases including atherosclerosis where inflammation and osteochondrogenesis are present. However, the role of this downregulation in arterial pathogenesis is unknown. Hypothesis : Downregulation of SM22 may actively contribute to arterial pathogenesis. Methods : Five Sm22 knockout (Sm22-/-) mice and their wild type littermates were subjected to carotid artery denudation, an artery injury model. Analyses were conducted on carotid arteries 2 weeks after injury. Primary VSMCs were isolated from mouse aortas and investigated individually at passage 2 to 4. Sm22 knockdown was …
Hdm2 Small-Molecule Inhibitors For Therapeutic Intervention In B-Cell Lymphoma, Angela Sosin
Hdm2 Small-Molecule Inhibitors For Therapeutic Intervention In B-Cell Lymphoma, Angela Sosin
Wayne State University Dissertations
Lymphomas frequently retain wild-type (wt) p53 function but overexpress HDM2, compromising p53 activity. Therefore, lymphoma is a suitable model for studying therapeutic value of disrupting HDM2-p53 association by small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs). HDM2 SMIs have been developed and are currently under various stages of preclinical and clinical investigation. This study examined various molecular mechanisms associated and biological effects of two different classes of HDM2 SMIs: the spiro-oxindoles (MI-219) and cis-imidazoline (Nutlin-3) in lymphoma cell lines and patient-derived B-lymphoma cells. Surprisingly, results revealed significant quantitative and qualitative differences between these two agents. At the molecular level, effect of Nutlin-3 was generally more …