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Turning Stealth Liposomes Into Cationic Liposomes For Anticancer Drug Delivery, Vijay Gyanani

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Targeting the anticancer agents selectively to cancer cells is desirable to improve the efficacy and to reduce the side effects of anticancer therapy. Previously reported passive tumor targeting by PEGylated liposomes (stealth liposomes) have resulted in their higher tumor accumulation. However their interaction with cancer cells has been minimal due to the steric hindrance of the PEG coating. This dissertation reports two approaches to enhance the interaction of stealth liposomes with cancer cells. First, we designed a lipid-hydrazone-PEG conjugate that removes the PEG coating at acidic pH as in the tumor interstitium. However, such a conjugate was highly unstable on …

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Molecular Approaches For Studying Root Herbivores, Cm Benefer, Rp Blackshaw

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The use of molecular techniques in insect ecology has expanded rapidly, allowing ever more challenging questions to be addressed. Compared to their aboveground equivalents, root herbivore molecular ecology has received less attention, despite essentially the same ecological questions being of importance in both the above- and belowground ecosystems. Studies so far have concentrated on economically important taxa, using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing and a variety of markers to investigate the species identity and relationships, population dynamics and dispersal, distribution, feeding behaviour and interactions with other organisms. Although this has proved useful for elucidating these aspects of their ecology, there …

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Loss Of Sox10 Function Contributes To The Phenotype Of Human Merlin-Null Schwannoma Cells., Robin D.S. Doddrell, Xin Peng Dun, Aditya Shivane, M. Laura Feltri, Lawrence Wrabetz, Michael Wegner, Elisabeth Sock, C. Oliver Hanemann, David B. Parkinson

Peninsula Medical School

Loss of the Merlin tumour suppressor causes abnormal de-differentiation and proliferation of Schwann cells and formation of schwannoma tumours in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2. Within the mature peripheral nerve the normal development, differentiation and maintenance of myelinating and non-myelinating Schwann cells is regulated by a network of transcription factors that include SOX10, OCT6 (now known as POU3F1), NFATC4 and KROX20 (also known as Egr2). We have examined for the first time how their regulation of Schwann cell development is disrupted in primary human schwannoma cells. We find that induction of both KROX20 and OCT6 is impaired, whereas enforced expression …

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Relative Sensitivity Of Two Marine Bivalves For Detection Of Genotoxic And Cytotoxic Effects: A Field Assessment In The Tamar Estuary, South West England., Lorna J. Dallas, Victoria V. Cheung, Andrew S. Fisher, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The input of anthropogenic contaminants to the aquatic environment is a major concern for scientists, regulators and the public. This is especially relevant in areas such as the Tamar valley in SW England, which has a legacy of contamination from industrial activity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Following on from previous laboratory validation studies, this study aimed to assess the relationship between genotoxic and cytotoxic responses and heavy metal concentrations in two bivalve species sampled from locations along the Tamar estuary. Adult cockles, Cerastoderma edule, and blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were sampled from five locations in the Tamar and …

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Isolation And Characterization Of A New Family Of Cysteine Rich Proteins Involved In The Assembly Process Of Dragline Silk From The Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus Hesperus, Thanh Due Pham

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Spider silks are protein-based fibers that possess remarkable mechanical properties. Major ampullate silk, also referred to as dragline silk, is renowned for its high tensile strength, extensibility and toughness. Dragline silk is produced from a liquid spinning dope that undergoes chemical and physical changes during extrusion. To date, no proteins that participate in the assembly process of major ampullate silk proteins have been identified. The goal of this project is the identification of such protein products. De novo sequencing of peptides from in pollution tryptic digestion of black widow spider dragline silk identified several novel peptides that were not derived …

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Macrophage Subset Sensitivity To Endotoxin Tolerisation By Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Andrew D. Foey, St John Crean

School of Biomedical Sciences

Macrophages (MΦs) determine oral mucosal responses; mediating tolerance to commensal microbes and food whilst maintaining the capacity to activate immune defences to pathogens. MΦ responses are determined by both differentiation and activation stimuli, giving rise to two distinct subsets; pro-inflammatory M1- and anti-inflammatory/regulatory M2- MΦs. M2-like subsets predominate tolerance induction whereas M1 MΦs predominate in inflammatory pathologies, mediating destructive inflammatory mechanisms, such as those in chronic P.gingivalis (PG) periodontal infection. MΦ responses can be suppressed to benefit either the host or the pathogen. Chronic stimulation by bacterial pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as LPS, is well established to induce …

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Novel Polyomaviruses Of Nonhuman Primates: Genetic And Serological Predictors For The Existence Of Multiple Unknown Polyomaviruses Within The Human Population, Nelly Scuda, Nadege Freda Madinda, Chantal Akoua-Koffi, Edgard Valerie Adjogoua, Diana Wevers, Jörg Hofmann, Kenneth N. Cameron, Saj Leendertz, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Martha Robbins, Christophe Boesch, Michael A. Jarvis, Ugo Moens, Lawrence Mugisha, Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer, Fh Leendertz, Bernhard Ehlers

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

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A Fimh Inhibitor Prevents Acute Bladder Infection And Treats Chronic Cystitis Caused By Multidrug-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli St131., Makrina Totsika, Maria Kostakioti, Thomas J. Hannan, Mathew Upton, Scott A. Beatson, James W. Janetka, Scott J. Hultgren, Mark A. Schembri

School of Biomedical Sciences

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli O25b:H4-ST131 represents a predominant clone of multidrug-resistant uropathogens currently circulating worldwide in hospitals and the community. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by E. coli ST131 are typically associated with limited treatment options and are often recurrent. METHODS: Using established mouse models of acute and chronic UTI, we mapped the pathogenic trajectory of the reference E. coli ST131 UTI isolate, strain EC958. RESULTS: We demonstrated that E. coli EC958 can invade bladder epithelial cells and form intracellular bacterial communities early during acute UTI. Moreover, E. coli EC958 persisted in the bladder and established chronic UTI. Prophylactic antibiotic administration …

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Tailoring 3d Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Anchored To Indium Tin Oxide For Natural Cellular Uptake And Intracellular Sensing, F. J. Rawson, C. L. Yeung, S. K. Jackson, P. M. Mendes

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Tetab(46), A Predicted Heterodimeric Abc Transporter Conferring Tetracycline Resistance In Streptococcus Australis Isolated From The Oral Cavity, Philip J. Warburton, Lena Ciric, Avigdor Lerner, Lorna A. Seville, Adam P. Roberts, Peter Mullany, Elaine Allan

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Wap Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2 Mediates The Proliferation Of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells Through The Regulation Of Growth- And Apoptosis-Associated Genes, Yao Chen, Xia Mu, S Wang, L Zhao, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

The WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2 (WFDC2) is frequently overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancer cells and has been proposed as a potential biomarker. The biological function of WFDC2 in tumor progression remains unclear. In this study, the stable expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against WFDC2 in the human ovarian SKOV3 cell line was established. Cell proliferation in vitro was determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by FACS. The expression of genes related to cell proliferation and survival was detected by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting. In vivo tumor growth assay was performed by establishing …

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In Vitro And In Vivo Anticancer Activity Of The Fruit Peels Of Solanum Melongena L. Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Maha Salama, Shahira Mohammed Ezzat, Laila Rashed

Pharmacy

Background: The fruit peels’ of Solanum melongena L. which is a common vegetable in Egypt, were investigated for biologically active metabolites in an approach to find any medicinal benefits from such waste products. Methods: The Methanol Extract of the Peels (MEP) was subjected to fractionation and purification for the isolation of its major constituents. Identification of the compounds was carried out on the basis of physico-chemical properties and spectral analysis (1H NMR, 13C NMR, COSY and HMBC). The MEP together with the isolated compounds were tested against five human cancer cell lines representing the most common types of cancer in …

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Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Turning Stealth Liposomes Into Cationic Liposomes For Anticancer Drug Delivery, Vijay Gyanani

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Molecular Approaches For Studying Root Herbivores, Cm Benefer, Rp Blackshaw

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Loss Of Sox10 Function Contributes To The Phenotype Of Human Merlin-Null Schwannoma Cells., Robin D.S. Doddrell, Xin Peng Dun, Aditya Shivane, M. Laura Feltri, Lawrence Wrabetz, Michael Wegner, Elisabeth Sock, C. Oliver Hanemann, David B. Parkinson

Peninsula Medical School

Relative Sensitivity Of Two Marine Bivalves For Detection Of Genotoxic And Cytotoxic Effects: A Field Assessment In The Tamar Estuary, South West England., Lorna J. Dallas, Victoria V. Cheung, Andrew S. Fisher, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Isolation And Characterization Of A New Family Of Cysteine Rich Proteins Involved In The Assembly Process Of Dragline Silk From The Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus Hesperus, Thanh Due Pham

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Macrophage Subset Sensitivity To Endotoxin Tolerisation By Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Andrew D. Foey, St John Crean

School of Biomedical Sciences

School of Biomedical Sciences

A Fimh Inhibitor Prevents Acute Bladder Infection And Treats Chronic Cystitis Caused By Multidrug-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli St131., Makrina Totsika, Maria Kostakioti, Thomas J. Hannan, Mathew Upton, Scott A. Beatson, James W. Janetka, Scott J. Hultgren, Mark A. Schembri

School of Biomedical Sciences

Tailoring 3d Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Anchored To Indium Tin Oxide For Natural Cellular Uptake And Intracellular Sensing, F. J. Rawson, C. L. Yeung, S. K. Jackson, P. M. Mendes

School of Biomedical Sciences

Tetab(46), A Predicted Heterodimeric Abc Transporter Conferring Tetracycline Resistance In Streptococcus Australis Isolated From The Oral Cavity, Philip J. Warburton, Lena Ciric, Avigdor Lerner, Lorna A. Seville, Adam P. Roberts, Peter Mullany, Elaine Allan

School of Biomedical Sciences

Wap Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2 Mediates The Proliferation Of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells Through The Regulation Of Growth- And Apoptosis-Associated Genes, Yao Chen, Xia Mu, S Wang, L Zhao, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

In Vitro And In Vivo Anticancer Activity Of The Fruit Peels Of Solanum Melongena L. Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Maha Salama, Shahira Mohammed Ezzat, Laila Rashed

Pharmacy