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Nebulization Based Inhalation Nanomedicine For Lung Cancer Treatments, Rahul Tiwari, Meghana Kolli, Neeraj Chauhan, Eswara Naga Hanuma, Vivek Kashyap, Subhash Chauhan, Murali Yallapu Mar 2024

Nebulization Based Inhalation Nanomedicine For Lung Cancer Treatments, Rahul Tiwari, Meghana Kolli, Neeraj Chauhan, Eswara Naga Hanuma, Vivek Kashyap, Subhash Chauhan, Murali Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Lung cancer is reported to have a high incidence rate and first leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality across the world including in the United States. Noninvasive nebulized inhalation is a promising delivery strategy for lung, which can enhance the targeting efficiency and detention time interval of nanoparticles in the lung tissue, thus elevating the therapeutic index of therapeutic agent(s) at lower dosages. The aim of this study is to develop inhalable nanoparticles (INPs) for effective delivery of therapeutic agents in lung cancer cell lines and ex vivo models.

Methods: The inhalation nanoparticles (INPs) were prepared by solvent …


Engaging The South Texas Latino Community: Utilizing Community Member Feedback To Inform Research On Community Engagement, Dolores Garcia, Rebecca Jones, Sonia Rincon-Sanchez, Paula Bravo Mar 2024

Engaging The South Texas Latino Community: Utilizing Community Member Feedback To Inform Research On Community Engagement, Dolores Garcia, Rebecca Jones, Sonia Rincon-Sanchez, Paula Bravo

Research Symposium

Background: The UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center Community Outreach and Engagement Core is identifying how South Texas Latino residents navigate cancer-related health needs. Our team explored these from a class and place perspective.

Methods: Listening sessions were conducted across South Texas. Sessions lasted 1.5 hours, were in English and Spanish, and recorded. Recordings were transcribed, and a thematic analysis was completed.

Results: Seventy-four South Texas residents participated in the sessions.

Insurance status and healthcare access were key factors impacting communities’ ability to navigate cancer-related health needs. Analyses were explored from an urban, rural, inland, and border perspective.

Urban …


Significance Of Targeting Rna Polymerase I In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Muhammad A. Bangash, Aun A. Bangash, Haider Ahsan, Sahir Alvi, Mudassier Ahmad, Alejandro Rincon, Samuel Owusu-Mireku, Bilal Hafeez Oct 2023

Significance Of Targeting Rna Polymerase I In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Muhammad A. Bangash, Aun A. Bangash, Haider Ahsan, Sahir Alvi, Mudassier Ahmad, Alejandro Rincon, Samuel Owusu-Mireku, Bilal Hafeez

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) is a much-overlooked cancer with a mortality rate that has increased throughout recent years, as stated by the American Cancer Society [1]. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 8,000 adults being diagnosed with IHCC every year, with a five-year survival rate of 9% [2]. Chemotherapy options for the treatment of IHCC include systemic chemotherapy such as gemcitabine, capecitabine, and oxaliplatin. These medications carry a wide array of adverse factors that may warrant discontinuation due to the detriment to the well-being of the patient. Additionally, a broad field of therapy that may also be used, …


Synthesis And Antitumor Activity Of Brominated-Ormeloxifene (Br-Orm) Against Cervical Cancer, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, John Apraku, Sonam Kumari, Parvez Khan, Hassan Mandil, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chuahan Oct 2023

Synthesis And Antitumor Activity Of Brominated-Ormeloxifene (Br-Orm) Against Cervical Cancer, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, John Apraku, Sonam Kumari, Parvez Khan, Hassan Mandil, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chuahan

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Aberrant regulation of β-catenin signaling is strongly linked with cancer proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis, thus, small molecules that can inhibit this pathway might have great clinical significance. Our molecular modeling studies suggest that ormeloxifene (ORM), a triphenylethylene molecule that docks with β-catenin, and its brominated analogue (Br-ORM) bind more effectively with relatively less energy (−7.6 kcal/mol) to the active site of β-catenin as compared to parent ORM. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a Br-ORM by NMR and FTIR, as well as its anticancer activity in cervical cancer models. Br-ORM treatment effectively inhibited tumorigenic features (cell proliferation …


Anticancer Drug Screening Using Invitro Cell Proliferation Assay, Kristopher L. Ezell, Kyle Doxtater, Samantha Lopez, Sophia M. Leslie, Justin Wendel, Kamaldeep Paul, Vijay Lauxmi, Manish Tripathi Oct 2023

Anticancer Drug Screening Using Invitro Cell Proliferation Assay, Kristopher L. Ezell, Kyle Doxtater, Samantha Lopez, Sophia M. Leslie, Justin Wendel, Kamaldeep Paul, Vijay Lauxmi, Manish Tripathi

Research Colloquium

Introduction: In this presentation cell proliferation methods and how they are related to screening for effective chemotherapy drugs will be reviewed. Cancer in its most basic form is the unchecked mass dividing of cells while normal apoptosis is not undertaken for various reasons, some of which that have yet to be discovered. By these means’ tumors form that inhibit the functions of the organs it is residing in and the effected cells may metastasize and spread throughout the body. For this reason, chemotherapy drugs must be assessed through introduction into working strains of cultured cancer cells that are then screened …


Survival Disparities Between Border And Non-Border Counties In Colorectal Cancer Patients Using The Tcr, Michael Machiorlatti, Michael Brian Lapelusa Oct 2023

Survival Disparities Between Border And Non-Border Counties In Colorectal Cancer Patients Using The Tcr, Michael Machiorlatti, Michael Brian Lapelusa

Research Colloquium

Along the US Texas Mexico border constant migration, developing medical infrastructure and income disparity leads to poorer access to healthcare and poorer health outcomes. Given 32 of the 254 counties in TX are on the border with roughly 9.8% of the Texas residing in these counties (2.8 million people), this represents a significant population susceptible to adverse health outcomes. We investigate comparisons between border and non-border counties as well as how sociodemographic and diagnostic criterion influence survival of colorectal cancer. Data was obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Service’s TCR. Patients were 18 or older and excluded for …


The Rare Often Violet Sarcoma: A Case Of Kaposi Sarcoma In Hiv/Aids, Rodolfo Singleterry, Khairiya Haj-Yahya, Eddy Valdez Sep 2023

The Rare Often Violet Sarcoma: A Case Of Kaposi Sarcoma In Hiv/Aids, Rodolfo Singleterry, Khairiya Haj-Yahya, Eddy Valdez

Research Symposium

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a rare malignancy derived from the cells that line lymph and blood vessels. KS is caused by the human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) and is an AIDS-defining illness that manifests as violaceous skin and mucosal lesions.

The patient is a 37-year-old previously healthy male who presented with a 4-month history of rapid, unintentional weight loss totaling 60lbs. The patient reported having a low WBC count at a free health fair 1 year prior but was uninsured, without access to follow-up care. Additionally, he noted the appearance of several dark purple, raised lesions on his skin about 9 …


The Dual Delivery Of Y15 And Metformin In A Plga Scaffold For The Treatment Of Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer, Emily M. Jordan, Hannah Obregon, Arkene Levy, Sue Anne Chew Sep 2023

The Dual Delivery Of Y15 And Metformin In A Plga Scaffold For The Treatment Of Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer, Emily M. Jordan, Hannah Obregon, Arkene Levy, Sue Anne Chew

Research Symposium

Background: Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality among women in the US. High mortality is linked to resistance to platinum compounds. Currently there is no treatment for platinum resistant ovarian cancer (OCpt). Platinum resistance shows increased activity of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Y15 is a FAK inhibitor and increases OCpt sensitivity to chemotherapy. Metformin induces apoptosis, has no increased cytotoxicity, and works synergistically with Y15 in OCpt cells. Biomaterial scaffolds deliver drugs locally, maximizing drug concentration and bioavailability while minimizing systemic toxicity. PLGA copolymer has excellent biocompatibility, versatility, and a tailorable degradation rate. The objective of …


Stress Induced Lncrna Malat1 In Colorectal Cancer Health Disparity, Justin L. Wendel, Kyle Doxtater, Kristopher L. Ezell, Samantha Lopez, Adithya Anilkumar, Sophia Leslie, Vijian Dhevan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Manish Tripathi Sep 2023

Stress Induced Lncrna Malat1 In Colorectal Cancer Health Disparity, Justin L. Wendel, Kyle Doxtater, Kristopher L. Ezell, Samantha Lopez, Adithya Anilkumar, Sophia Leslie, Vijian Dhevan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Manish Tripathi

Research Symposium

Background: Health disparities in the lower Rio Grande Valley are well documented and can play a critical role in cancer prognosis. Chronic stress, arguably exacerbated by these disparities, can also lead to a poor outcome after diagnosis through dysregulation of molecular markers known to be involved in cancer progression, resistance, and recurrence. lncRNA have been a relatively recent point of interest in the field of cancer research and play a role in cancer initiation and progression across tissue types. We have found that lncRNA MALAT1 is stress induced through transcription factor NFATc1. Here, we propose to investigate the association of …


Precise Method To Identify Kinase Drug Targets In Complex Diseases: The First Step Towards Sustainable And Effective Treatment, Hasbanny Irisson, Marzieh Ayati Sep 2023

Precise Method To Identify Kinase Drug Targets In Complex Diseases: The First Step Towards Sustainable And Effective Treatment, Hasbanny Irisson, Marzieh Ayati

Research Symposium

Background: Kinases are enzymes that have proven to be important drug targets due to their role in critical biological mechanisms such as phosphorylation. Phosphorylation happens when a kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group to a protein in a phosphorylated site, which then becomes known as the substrate of the kinase. Any dysregulation of protein phosphorylation causes a wide range of complex diseases including cancer. Thus, discovering the links between kinases and their substrates (i.e. predicting kinase-substrate associations (KSAs)) is crucial in developing effective and sustainable treatments. Presently, less than 5% of phosphorylated sites have an associated kinase, and …


The Dysphagia Causing Cancer: A Case Of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Rodolfo Singleterry, Khairiya Haj-Yahya, Ayman Khaddam, Karina Torres Sep 2023

The Dysphagia Causing Cancer: A Case Of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Rodolfo Singleterry, Khairiya Haj-Yahya, Ayman Khaddam, Karina Torres

Research Symposium

Introduction: Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) occur in approximately 123,000 cases of oropharyngeal cancer diagnosis worldwide and with about 79,000 deaths yearly. OPSCC stems from the soft palate, pharyngeal wall, tonsils, vallecula, and base of the tongue. Patients with metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer have a generally poor prognosis noting a median survival of 6 to 15 months. Treatment with systemic therapy is used for most patients and is dependent on their clinical factors, comorbidities, previous treatments, and pathologic features.

Case Presentation: The patient is a 52-year-old male with a past medical history of liver cirrhosis, hepatitis C, …


Ligand-Based Virtual Screening Of Sulfonamide Analogues For The Discovery Of New Carbonic Anhydrase Ii/Ix Inhibitors For Cancer Therapy, Edilsa Valenzuela Sep 2023

Ligand-Based Virtual Screening Of Sulfonamide Analogues For The Discovery Of New Carbonic Anhydrase Ii/Ix Inhibitors For Cancer Therapy, Edilsa Valenzuela

Research Symposium

Background: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) II and IX are overexpressed in numerous tumors associated with the hypoxic phenotype and have been involved in poor prognosis and cancer progression, which characterizes them as an attractive therapeutic target. The purpose of this study was to identify sulfonamide analogues as CA inhibitors based on affinity and interactions of molecular docking.

Methods: Through structure and similarity-based virtual screening and applying filters involving a preselection based on functional group, Lipinski's rule of five, mutagenic and tumorigenic characteristics, the best candidates were docked into the isoenzymes. Known reference ligands were used to determine affinity regions favorable for …


Identification And Characterization Of Anticancer Potential Of A Novel Small Molecule, Mortaparibmild, Hazna Noor Meidinna, Anissa Nofita Sari, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa Sep 2023

Identification And Characterization Of Anticancer Potential Of A Novel Small Molecule, Mortaparibmild, Hazna Noor Meidinna, Anissa Nofita Sari, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background: The development of new anticancer drugs and treatment modalities form a priority research field. The tumor suppressor protein p53 is frequently mutated or functionally inactivated in a large variety of cancers. Its inactivation by mortalin, a member of the heat shock 70 protein family, has been shown to contribute to carcinogenesis. The small molecule inhibitors of mortalin-p53 interactions have been shown to reactivate p53 yielding apoptosis/growth arrest in cancer cells. Therefore, abrogators of mortalin-p53 interaction have emerged as possible new therapeutic anticancer reagents.

Methods: We performed chemical library screening based on the imaging of mortalin-p53 interaction, leading to the …


Characterization Of Oral Cavity And Oropharyngeal Cancer In The Texas Rio Grande Valley, Jared A. Sperling, Rachel Giese Sep 2023

Characterization Of Oral Cavity And Oropharyngeal Cancer In The Texas Rio Grande Valley, Jared A. Sperling, Rachel Giese

Research Symposium

Background: Cancers of the oral cavity (OC) and oropharynx (OP) account for 3% of cancers diagnosed in the United States each year. A primary cause of death among the Hispanic population in the United States is cancer, accounting for 20% of annual mortality. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a medically-underserved area of South Texas with a large Hispanic population facing health disparities. In this study, we examine the incidence and mortality of OC and OP cancer in the RGV.

Methods: CDC population-level incidence and mortality rate per 100,000 of OC/OP cancer among patients in the RGV counties of Hidalgo …


Characterization Of Epithelial Growth Factor Transcripts Identified In Crotalus Atrox Venom, Ivan Lopez, Ying Jia Sep 2023

Characterization Of Epithelial Growth Factor Transcripts Identified In Crotalus Atrox Venom, Ivan Lopez, Ying Jia

Research Symposium

Epithelial Growth Factor (EGF) is the primary source in regeneration and stimulation of essential fibroblasts cells commonly found in epithelium. Studies have shown that snake venom components are becoming a growing factor in treating illnesses such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, chronic pain, blood pressure, blood clotting, etc. EGF in human cells contains a promising quaternary structure that can bind to snake venom metalloproteinases, proposing a means of activating biochemical responses through protein-protein interactions to regulate unwanted cellular functions. This supports promising research in achieving a greater understanding of regulation along cellular pathways through ligands, increasing the likelihood of targeting unwanted …


Mortaparibplus- A Novel Anticancer Small Molecule Abrogating Mortalin-P53 Interaction In Cancer Cells, Anissa N. Sari, Ahmed Elwakeel, Jaspreet K. Dhanjal, Vipul Kumar, Durai Sundar, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa Sep 2023

Mortaparibplus- A Novel Anticancer Small Molecule Abrogating Mortalin-P53 Interaction In Cancer Cells, Anissa N. Sari, Ahmed Elwakeel, Jaspreet K. Dhanjal, Vipul Kumar, Durai Sundar, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background. The cessation of tumor cell growth through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis is determined by p53, a tumor suppressor protein. However, the interaction between mortalin-p53 within cytoplasm/nucleus leads to the inactivation of p53 transcriptional activation function. The disruption of mortalin-p53 complex has been suggested as an approach for developing a potential anticancer drug.

Methods. A screening of a high-content chemical library was performed to determine a molecule with mortalin-p53-interaction disrupting characteristics. After four-rounds of visual assays, we discovered a triazole derivative (4-[(1E)-2-(2-phenylindol-3-yl)-1-azavinyl]-1,2,4-triazole, named MortaparibPlus) with a potential ability of disrupting mortalin-p53-complex. In this study, we recruited …


An Ngqd Based Diagnostic Tool For Pancreatic Cancer, Ryan Ketan Ajgaonkar, Bong Lee, Alina Valimukhametova, Anton Naumov, Giridhar Akkaraju Sep 2023

An Ngqd Based Diagnostic Tool For Pancreatic Cancer, Ryan Ketan Ajgaonkar, Bong Lee, Alina Valimukhametova, Anton Naumov, Giridhar Akkaraju

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer remains difficult to detect at early stages which contributes to a poor five-yearsurvival rate. Therefore, early detection approaches based on novel technologies should be explored to address this critical health issue. Nanomaterials have recently emerged as frontrunners for diagnostic applications due to their small size in the 1-100 nm range, which facilitates one-on-one interactions with a variety of biomolecules like oligonucleotides and makes them suitable for a plethora of detection and delivery applications. In this work, the presence of specific pancreatic cancer miRNA (pre-miR-132) is detected utilizing the fluorescence properties of highly biocompatible nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots …


Anti-Cancer Effect Of Cissus Quadrangularis On Human Glioblastoma Cells, Benxu Cheng, Yunlin Wei, Lili Guerra, Rozena Shirvani-Arani, Santiago Balderas, Laura Valdez, Andrew Tsin, Xiaoqian Fang Apr 2023

Anti-Cancer Effect Of Cissus Quadrangularis On Human Glioblastoma Cells, Benxu Cheng, Yunlin Wei, Lili Guerra, Rozena Shirvani-Arani, Santiago Balderas, Laura Valdez, Andrew Tsin, Xiaoqian Fang

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objectives

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a common and fatal brain tumour in the central nervous system with a poor survival rate and a median survival time of 15 months only. The standard treatment is aggressive surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, effective drugs available in chemotherapy are limited. This study was designed to evaluate, for the first time, the potential therapeutic effect of Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) in human glioblastoma cells and to investigate its possible mechanisms of action. Methods

In this study, we examined the anticancer activity of CQ in human glioblastoma U87 MG cells by cell viability …


Role Of T Cells In Cancer Immunotherapy: Opportunities And Challenges, Hossain Ahmed, Aar Rafi Mahmud, Mohd. Faijanur - Rob – Siddiquee, Asif Shahriar, Partha Biswas, Md. Ebrahim Khalil Shimul, Shahlaa Zernaz Ahmed, Tanzila Ismail Ema, Nova Rahman, Md. Arif Khan Dec 2022

Role Of T Cells In Cancer Immunotherapy: Opportunities And Challenges, Hossain Ahmed, Aar Rafi Mahmud, Mohd. Faijanur - Rob – Siddiquee, Asif Shahriar, Partha Biswas, Md. Ebrahim Khalil Shimul, Shahlaa Zernaz Ahmed, Tanzila Ismail Ema, Nova Rahman, Md. Arif Khan

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Immunotherapies boosting the immune system's ability to target cancer cells are promising for the treatment of various tumor types, yet clinical responses differ among patients and cancers. Recently, there has been increasing interest in novel cancer immunotherapy practices aimed at triggering T cell-mediated anti-tumor responses. Antigen-directed cytotoxicity mediated by T lymphocytes has become a central focal point in the battle against cancer utilizing the immune system. The molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the actions of T lymphocytes have directed new therapeutic approaches in cancer immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockade, adoptive and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, and cancer …


Bioactive Food Components And Their Inhibitory Actions In Multiple Platelet Pathways, Diptimayee Das, Shubhamay Adhikary, Ranjit Kumar Das, Antara Banerjee, Arun Kumar Radhakrishnan, Sujay Paul, Surajit Pathak, Asim K. Duttaroy Oct 2022

Bioactive Food Components And Their Inhibitory Actions In Multiple Platelet Pathways, Diptimayee Das, Shubhamay Adhikary, Ranjit Kumar Das, Antara Banerjee, Arun Kumar Radhakrishnan, Sujay Paul, Surajit Pathak, Asim K. Duttaroy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In addition to hemostasis and thrombosis, blood platelets are involved in various processes such as inflammation, infection, immunobiology, cancer metastasis, wound repair and angiogenesis. Platelets' hemostatic and non-hemostatic functions are mediated by the expression of various membrane receptors and the release of proteins, ions and other mediators. Therefore, specific activities of platelets responsible for the non-hemostatic disease are to be inhibited while leaving the platelet's hemostatic function unaffected. Platelets' anti-aggregatory property has been used as a primary criterion for antiplatelet drugs/bioactives; however, their non-hemostatic activities are not well known. This review describes the hemostatic and non-hemostatic function of human blood …


Tannic Acid Exhibits Antiangiogenesis Activity In Nonsmall-Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Elham Hatami, Prashanth K.B. Nagesh, Mohammed Sikander, Anupam Dhasmana, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu Jun 2022

Tannic Acid Exhibits Antiangiogenesis Activity In Nonsmall-Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Elham Hatami, Prashanth K.B. Nagesh, Mohammed Sikander, Anupam Dhasmana, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, with a dismal prognosis. NSCLC is a highly vascularized tumor, and chemotherapy is often hampered by the development of angiogenesis. Therefore, suppression of angiogenesis is considered a potential treatment approach. Tannic acid (TA), a natural polyphenol, has been demonstrated to have anticancer properties in a variety of cancers; however, its angiogenic properties have yet to be studied. Hence, in the current study, we investigated the antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects of TA on NSCLC cells. The (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assay revealed that TA induced a dose- and time-dependent …


Antigen Staining For Detection Of Muc13 And Muc16 Expression In Carcinoma Tissue, Jose A. Benitez May 2022

Antigen Staining For Detection Of Muc13 And Muc16 Expression In Carcinoma Tissue, Jose A. Benitez

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

MUC13 and MUC16 are epithelial expressed proteins implicated in various carcinomas. Overexpression of these biomarkers appear to play a role in tumor growth; this discovery has paved a road for multiple studies discussing the potential of targeting mucin proteins and optimize immunotherapy approaches against carcinomas. Our study serves to investigate the level of expression of MUC13 and MUC16 in cancerous and normal tissue and to discuss the implications our findings may have for the utilization of these biomarkers for cancer therapy.


Combined Treatment With Niclosamide And Camptothecin Enhances Anticancer Effect In U87 Mg Human Glioblastoma Cells, Laura Valdez, Benxu Cheng, Daniela Gonzalez, Reanna Rodriguez, Paola Campano, Andrew Tsin, Xiaoqian Fang May 2022

Combined Treatment With Niclosamide And Camptothecin Enhances Anticancer Effect In U87 Mg Human Glioblastoma Cells, Laura Valdez, Benxu Cheng, Daniela Gonzalez, Reanna Rodriguez, Paola Campano, Andrew Tsin, Xiaoqian Fang

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the deadliest cancers of the brain. Its ability to infiltrate healthy brain tissues renders it difficult to remove surgically. Furthermore, it exhibits high rates of radio- and chemoresistance, making the survival rates of patients with GBM poor. Therefore, novel effective therapies for GBM remain urgently in demand. Niclosamide is an anti-helminthic drug and recently it has been receiving attention due to its reported anticancer effects in cancer models, including GBM. Furthermore, camptothecin (CPT) is a naturally-occurring alkaloid and has been previously reported to be a potential chemotherapeutic agent by targeting the nuclear topoisomerase I. …


Bay Leaf Extract‐Based Near‐Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Tissue And Cellular Imaging, Benilde Adriano, Nycol Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Vinitha Karumuru, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu Nov 2021

Bay Leaf Extract‐Based Near‐Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Tissue And Cellular Imaging, Benilde Adriano, Nycol Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Vinitha Karumuru, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The development of fluorescence dyes for near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has been a significant interest for deep tissue imaging. Among many imaging fluoroprobes, indocyanine green (ICG) and its analogues have been used in oncology and other medical applications. However, these imaging agents still experience poor imaging capabilities due to low tumor targetability, photostability, and sensitivity in the biological milieu. Thus, developing a biocompatible NIR imaging dye from natural resources holds the potential of facilitating cancer cell/tissue imaging. Chlorophyll (Chl) has been demonstrated to be a potential candidate for imaging purposes due to its natural NIR absorption qualities and its wide …


Characterization Of Oral Cavity And Oropharyngeal Cancer In The Texas Rio Grande Valley, Jared A. Sperling, Rachel Giese Jul 2021

Characterization Of Oral Cavity And Oropharyngeal Cancer In The Texas Rio Grande Valley, Jared A. Sperling, Rachel Giese

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Cancers of the oral cavity (OC) and oropharynx (OP) account for 3% of cancers diagnosed in the United States each year. A primary cause of death among the Hispanic population in the United States is cancer, accounting for 20% of annual mortality. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a medically-underserved area of South Texas with a large Hispanic population facing health disparities. In this study, we examine the incidence and mortality of OC and OP cancer in the RGV. CDC population-level incidence and mortality rate per 100,000 of OC/OP cancer among patients in the RGV counties of Hidalgo and Cameron …


Investigating Bmp7 Expression In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Yajaira Janett Macias May 2021

Investigating Bmp7 Expression In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Yajaira Janett Macias

Theses and Dissertations

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway regulates important cell processes such as growth, survival, motility, inflammation, proliferation, and apoptosis. In Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is aberrant as it is almost always active. This results in the deregulation of downstream molecules and ultimately leads to cancer progression and maintenance in GBM tumors. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in U87MG GBM cells treated with NVP-BEZ235, a dual inhibitory drug targeting PI3K and mTOR. A total of 7,803 differentially expressed genes were identified via RNA-seq. GEPIA2 online tool was used to assess differential gene expression …


Transcriptomic Profiling Of Fibropapillomatosis In Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From South Texas, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Ana C. Leandro, Nina Nahvi, Mariana A. Devlin, Marcelo Leandro, Ignacio Martinez Escobedo, Juan M. Peralta, Jeff George, Thomas W. Demaar, John Blangero, Megan Keniry, Joanne E. Curran Feb 2021

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Fibropapillomatosis In Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From South Texas, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Ana C. Leandro, Nina Nahvi, Mariana A. Devlin, Marcelo Leandro, Ignacio Martinez Escobedo, Juan M. Peralta, Jeff George, Thomas W. Demaar, John Blangero, Megan Keniry, Joanne E. Curran

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor promoting disease that is one of several threats globally to endangered sea turtle populations. The prevalence of FP is highest in green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations, and historically has shown considerable temporal growth. FP tumors can significantly affect the ability of turtles to forage for food and avoid predation and can grow to debilitating sizes. In the current study, based in South Texas, we have applied transcriptome sequencing to FP tumors and healthy control tissue to study the gene expression profiles of FP. By identifying differentially expressed turtle genes in …


Genomic Variations In Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome And Karyotypes Without Numerical Or Structural Changes, Cristiano Luiz Ribeiro, Irene P. Pinto, Samara S. S. Pereira, Lysa B. Minasi, Fernanda De S. M. Kluthcouski, Adriano De M. Arantes, Aparecido D. Cruz, Marcio Almeida, Tom E. Howard Feb 2021

Genomic Variations In Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome And Karyotypes Without Numerical Or Structural Changes, Cristiano Luiz Ribeiro, Irene P. Pinto, Samara S. S. Pereira, Lysa B. Minasi, Fernanda De S. M. Kluthcouski, Adriano De M. Arantes, Aparecido D. Cruz, Marcio Almeida, Tom E. Howard

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an onco-hematologic disease with distinct levels of peripheral blood cytopenias, dysplasias in cell differentiation and various forms of chromosomal and cytogenomic alterations. In this study, the Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA) was performed in patients with primary MDS without numerical and/or structural chromosomal alterations in karyotypes. A total of 17 patients was evaluated by GTG banding and eight patients showed no numerical and/or structural alterations. Then, the CMA was carried out and identified gains and losses CNVs and long continuous stretches of homozygosity (LCSHs). They were mapped on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, …


Molecular Characterization Of A Marine Turtle Tumor Epizootic, Profiling External, Internal And Postsurgical Regrowth Tumors, Kelsey Yetsko, Jessica A. Farrell, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Liam Whitmore, Maximilian R. Stammnitz, Jenny Whilde, Catherine B. Eastman, Devon Rollinson Ramia, Ana C. Leandro Feb 2021

Molecular Characterization Of A Marine Turtle Tumor Epizootic, Profiling External, Internal And Postsurgical Regrowth Tumors, Kelsey Yetsko, Jessica A. Farrell, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Liam Whitmore, Maximilian R. Stammnitz, Jenny Whilde, Catherine B. Eastman, Devon Rollinson Ramia, Ana C. Leandro

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Sea turtle populations are under threat from an epizootic tumor disease (animal epidemic) known as fibropapillomatosis. Fibropapillomatosis continues to spread geographically, with prevalence of the disease also growing at many longer-affected sites globally. However, we do not yet understand the precise environmental, mutational and viral events driving fibropapillomatosis tumor formation and progression.

Here we perform transcriptomic and immunohistochemical profiling of five fibropapillomatosis tumor types: external new, established and postsurgical regrowth tumors, and internal lung and kidney tumors. We reveal that internal tumors are molecularly distinct from the more common external tumors. However, they have a small number of conserved potentially …


Current Available Computer-Aided Detection Catches Cancer But Requires A Human Operator, Florentino Saenz Rios, Giri Movva, Hari Movva, Quan D. Nguyen Dec 2020

Current Available Computer-Aided Detection Catches Cancer But Requires A Human Operator, Florentino Saenz Rios, Giri Movva, Hari Movva, Quan D. Nguyen

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Introduction: This study intends to show that the current widely used computer-aided detection (CAD) may be helpful, but it is not an adequate replacement for the human input required to interpret mammograms accurately. However, this is not to discredit CAD’s ability but to further encourage the adoption of artificial intelligence-based algorithms into the toolset of radiologists.

Methods: This study will use Hologic (Marlborough, MA, USA) and General Electric (Boston, MA, USA) CAD read images provided by patients found to be Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 6 from 2019 to 2020. In addition, patient information will be pulled …