Life Sciences Commons^™

Why New Zealand’S Indigenous Reconciliation Process Has Failed To Empower Māori Fishers: Distributional, Procedural, And Recognition-Based Injustices, Hekia Bodwitch, Andrew M. Song, Owen Temby, John Reid, Megan Bailey, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

How is it that the New Zealand government’s process for re-establishing Indigenous fishing rights has failed to deliver thriving Māori fisheries? This paper examines why, at Te Waihora, a coastal lake, and site of one of the nation’s longest running and best-funded state-Māori co-governance agreements, Māori fishers have been unable to use their rights to support their fishery. As of 2018, the lake’s culturally and ecologically significant eel population was no longer commercially viable, a decline fishers have attributed to rampant dairy industry expansion upstream. Drawing on environmental justice literatures, we deploy a multi-dimensional framework to identify factors shaping possibilities …

Low Soil Nitrogen And Moisture Limit The Expansion Of The Invasive Grass, Megathyrsus Maximus (Guinea Grass) In Semi-Arid Soils, E. Penelope Holland, Vanessa Thomas, Pushpa G. Soti

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The goal of this study was to predict the range expansion potential of an invasive forage grass, Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus). We collected rhizosphere soil samples of M. maximus and coexisting species from 150 different locations and analysed them for soil properties. We estimated the probability of M. maximus presence as a function of soil moisture, organic matter, pH, salinity, total N, and CN ratio using logistic regression. Presence of M. maximus was associated with higher soil moisture, higher organic matter, pH, and nitrogen, but lower salinity and CN ratio. Soil nitrogen and moisture …

Intracellular Hemin Is A Potent Inhibitor Of The Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Kv10.1, Nirakar Sahoo, Kefan Yang, Alisa Bernert, Sandip M. Swain, Guido Gessner, Reinhard Kappl, Toni Kühl, Diana Imhof, Toshinori Hoshi, Roland Schönherr, Stefan H. Heinemann

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Heme, an iron-protoporphyrin IX complex, is a cofactor bound to various hemoproteins and supports a broad range of functions, such as electron transfer, oxygen transport, signal transduction, and drug metabolism. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of heme as a non-genomic modulator of ion channel functions. Here, we show that intracellular free heme and hemin modulate human ether à go-go (hEAG1, Kv10.1) voltage-gated potassium channels. Application of hemin to the intracellular side potently inhibits Kv10.1 channels with an IC50 of about 4 nM under ambient and 63 nM under reducing conditions in a weakly voltage-dependent manner, …

Analysis Of Sanitizer Rotation On The Susceptibility, Biofilm Forming Ability And Caco-2 Cell Adhesion And Invasion Of Listeria, Md Asfakur Rahman, Nirakar Sahoo, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sanitizer use conditions on the susceptibility, biofilm forming ability and pathogenicity of Listeria monocytogenes. Two different strains of L. monocytogenes and a non-pathogenic L. innocua were exposed to sodium hypochlorite, benzalkonium chloride and peroxyacetic acid at different concentrations (4 to 512 ppm) and treatment times (30 s to 5 min), respectively. Under the tested conditions, no significant difference (p > 0.05) in reduction was observed among the three tested sanitizers. A reduction of 1 to 8 log CFU/mL was observed depending upon the sanitizer concentration and treatment times. The survived …

Whole Genome Association Study Of The Plasma Metabolome Identifies Metabolites Linked To Cardiometabolic Disease In Black Individuals, Usman A. Tahir, Daniel H. Katz, Julian Avila-Pachecho, Alexander G. Bick, Akhil Pampana, John Blangero, Joanne Curran, Juan M. Peralta, Harald H. H. Goring, Michael Mahaney

School of Medicine Publications

Integrating genetic information with metabolomics has provided new insights into genes affecting human metabolism. However, gene-metabolite integration has been primarily studied in individuals of European Ancestry, limiting the opportunity to leverage genomic diversity for discovery. In addition, these analyses have principally involved known metabolites, with the majority of the profiled peaks left unannotated. Here, we perform a whole genome association study of 2,291 metabolite peaks (known and unknown features) in 2,466 Black individuals from the Jackson Heart Study. We identify 519 locus-metabolite associations for 427 metabolite peaks and validate our findings in two multi-ethnic cohorts. A significant proportion of these …

Habitat Loss Exacerbates Pathogen Spread: An Agent-Based Model Of Avian Influenza Infection In Migratory Waterfowl, Shenglai Yin, Yanjie Xu, Mingshuai Xu, Mart C M De Jong, Mees Rs Huisman, Andrea Contina, Herbert H T Prins, Zheng Y X Huang, Willem F. De Boer

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Habitat availability determines the distribution of migratory waterfowl along their flyway, which further influences the transmission and spatial spread of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). The extensive habitat loss in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) may have potentially altered the virus spread and transmission, but those consequences are rarely studied. We constructed 6 fall migration networks that differed in their level of habitat loss, wherein an increase in habitat loss resulted in smaller networks with fewer sites and links. We integrated an agent-based model and a susceptible-infected-recovered model to simulate waterfowl migration and AIV transmission. We found that extensive habitat loss …

Global Food Insecurity And Famine From Reduced Crop, Marine Fishery And Livestock Production Due To Climate Disruption From Nuclear War Soot Injection, Lilia Xia, Alan Robock, Kim J. N. Scherrer, Cheryl S. Harrison, Benjamin Leon Bodirsky, Isabelle Weindl, Jonas Jaegermeyr, Charles G. Bardeen, Owen B. Toon, Ryan F. Heneghan

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Atmospheric soot loadings from nuclear weapon detonation would cause disruptions to the Earth’s climate, limiting terrestrial and aquatic food production. Here, we use climate, crop and fishery models to estimate the impacts arising from six scenarios of stratospheric soot injection, predicting the total food calories available in each nation post-war after stored food is consumed. In quantifying impacts away from target areas, we demonstrate that soot injections larger than 5 Tg would lead to mass food shortages, and livestock and aquatic food production would be unable to compensate for reduced crop output, in almost all countries. Adaptation measures such as …

Keeping 21st Century Paleontology Grounded: Quantitative Genetic Analyses And Ancestral State Reconstruction Re-Emphasize The Essentiality Of Fossils, Tesla A. Monson, Marianne F. Brasil, Michael Mahaney, Christopher A. Schmitt, Catherine E. Taylor, Leslea J. Hlusko

School of Medicine Publications

Advances in genetics and developmental biology are revealing the relationship between genotype and dental phenotype (G:P), providing new approaches for how paleontologists assess dental variation in the fossil record. Our aim was to understand how the method of trait definition influences the ability to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history in the Cercopithecidae, the Linnaean Family of monkeys currently living in Africa and Asia. We compared the two-dimensional assessment of molar size (calculated as the mesiodistal length of the crown multiplied by the buccolingual breadth) to a trait that reflects developmental influences on molar development (the inhibitory cascade, IC) and …

Spatial Variation Of False Map Turtle (Graptemys Pseudogeographica) Bacterial Microbiota In The Lower Missouri River, United States, Joseph D. Madison, Madeline M. Butterfield, Drew R. Davis, Jacob L. Kerby

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Turtle populations around the world are continually confronted with changing environments that affect their ecology and conservation status. Among freshwater turtles, population dynamics are thought to be mediated by complex yet often cryptic causes. One recent direction of focus in addressing these causes is the turtle-associated microbiota. In turtles, the gut- associated microbiota is of exceptional interest due to its continual association with host species under changing conditions. Diet-based fluctuations and changes in microbial diversity may correspond to varying external environments at both the individual and population level. Environmental responses are of particular interest due to the anthropogenic changes that …

Cytochrome C: A Potential Early Biomarker Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Ileana G. Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic retinopathy is an ocular disease which appears in patients who experience progression of diabetes mellitus over a continuous period. Oftentimes, patients go undiagnosed due to the fact that there is no way to determine when the exact moment a patient develops diabetic retinopathy. Ophthalmologists and other eye specialists diagnose a patient with diabetic retinopathy once the patient begins to show progressed symptoms of the disease. Various experiments have been previously performed to increase our knowledge of the connection of diabetic retinopathy and early biomarkers of the disease. Several studies have determined the effects of diabetic retinopathy and apoptosis with …

Tree Ring Reconstructions Of Streamflow For The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Adedolapo Mutiyat Adeyanju

Theses and Dissertations

The Rio Grande River is a major water source for people living within the USA-Mexico border. The Rio Grande River has its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado and the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico before flowing into Texas through El-Paso. The water supply issues facing the Lower Rio Grande Basin (LRGB) are extremely complex from international restrictions to severe climate change. The river shares its flow between the U.S.A and Mexico based on the provisions of the 1944 treaty between the U.S.A and Mexico. The LRGB flow is regulated by releases from Falcon and Amistad Reservoirs managed …

Quantifying And Predicting Drought Performance In Woody Semi-Arid Seedlings In South Texas: Implications For Enhancing Drought Resilience In Restoration, Zarek Contreras

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly frequent and severe droughts in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge have been observed to cause large variation in species-specific mortality patterns in young seedlings, spanning 6 – 43 % mortality within the first year. To understand the underlying mechanisms behind this, we subjected seedlings of five woody semi-arid species (Celtis pallida, Forestiera angustifolia, Sideroxylon celastrinum, Phaulothalmnus spinescens, and Zanthoxylum fagara) to a point-of-no-return drought experiment in order to (1) identify potential metrics capable of predicting species wilting and mortality responses, and (2) to understand the underlying mechanisms that correspond to species drought performance …

Body Composition, Muscular Strength, Arterial Stiffness, And Hemodynamics Responses To Various Training Protocols In Young Males, Jorge Bejar

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 8 weeks performing various resistance training protocols with and without blood flow restriction (BFR) on muscular strength, body composition, arterial elasticity, and hemodynamics responses in young males.

RESULTS: Significant time*condition interactions occurred in HR period (p <0.05), HDI SBP (p <0.05), HDI MAP (p <0.05), and SV (p <0.05). Trends for time*condition interactions were found in HDI DBP (p=0.054), HDI HR (p=0.051), and HDI SVR (p=0.085). Significant time main effects occurred in all strength measures (p <0.05). Significant condition main effects occurred in Aortic DBP (p <0.05), Brachial DBP (p <0.05), and LAE (p <0.05). Total lean mass significantly increased from baseline the HI condition only (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Significant improvements in lean mass were seen following the HI and BFR protocols. However, decreases in LAE were found following the HI protocol only. It appears that performing aerobic exercise after resistance training can negatively affect muscle growth. However, only 15 min of moderate-intensity aerobic training can improve hemodynamics in young, …

Role Of Pote Ankyrin Domain Family Member 2 (Pote-2) In Liver Cancer, Samantha Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Liver cancer is the fifth leading cause of mortality attributed to cancer. Among various histological types, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of liver cancer. There is a need to identify new biomarkers to help the physician, and allow them to decide what may be the most effective treatment for the patient. POTE-2 is one of the 14 paralogs apart of the ancestral POTE gene family. POTE-2 has been shown to be upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer, and is associated with increased migration, invasion, tumor size and poor survival. Evaluation of the Cancer Genome …

Revealing The Effects Of Climate Change And Fungicides On Soil Microbial Communities In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Armida Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Fungicide applications are effective to prevent fungal pathogens that are known to cause crop damage and decrease yields. However, these pesticides can exert toxic or inhibitory effects on non-targeted organisms such as soil microbial communities. In addition, it is unknown to what extent shifts in temperature and soil moisture resulting from global climate change, alter the activities of non-targeted soil organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil biological parameters such as soil respiration and enzyme activities involved in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous (Beta-glucosidase, Fluorescein Diacetate (FDA) Hydrolysis, urease, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and N-acetyl-Beta-glucosaminidase) …

Examination Of The Realized Host Range Of North American Lacebug (Gargaphia Arizonica Drake & Carvalho) And Texas False Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa Texana Schaeffer) As A Potential Biocontrol Agents For Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum Elaeagnifoli Cav.), Samikshya Subedi

Theses and Dissertations

Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.) is a perennial forb native to South Texas and Central and South America, but it has become a serious agricultural weed across the world. Because silverleaf nightshade (SLN) is difficult and expensive to manage using chemical and mechanical controls, there is growing attention and research focused on biological control options. In this project, we used both field and laboratory studies to examine the suitability of two North American insects, namely North American lacebug (Gargaphia arizonica Drake & Carvalho) and Texas false potato beetle (Leptinotarsa texana Schaeffer) as prospective biological control agents for …

Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis) is a chronically understudied salamander species, with many aspects of its natural history, ecology, and distribution poorly known. Previous studies using traditional methodologies have had limited success documenting N. meridionalis on the landscape, detecting individuals at 6% (7 of 114) and 1% (2 of 221) of sites surveyed. A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay was designed and implemented with the goals of assessing the current distribution of N. meridionalis across south Texas, USA, and better understanding the conditions for positive eDNA detections. We conducted eDNA sampling and traditional surveys at 80 sites throughout …

Examination Of Amphibian Community And Environmental Relationships In South Texas Using Environmental Dna (Edna), Sean Michael Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Developing more efficient tools to assess amphibian biodiversity and understanding what environmental variables drive amphibian biodiversity are top priorities, as amphibians are facing extinction events across the globe. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are a promising new tool to asses amphibian biodiversity. Throughout the study eDNA metabarcoding along with a targeted eDNA assay and traditional survey methods were used to provide foundational information on amphibian community assemblages throughout South Texas. Water quality, habitat characteristics and soil composition data were collected and used to examine environmental relationships. eDNA metabarcoding detected significantly more amphibian taxonomic units compared to traditional survey …

Assessment Of Nitrogen-Based Fertilizer Transport And Microbial Activities In Sandy Soil Profiles In South Texas, Gladys De La Rosa

Theses and Dissertations

Conventional farming is a common practice in Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) and the application of nitrogen fertilizer is essential for plant growth and support. However, managing the rate of nitrogen that is applied can benefit farmers financially and reduce nitrate leaching that can have an adverse effect on the local environment and aquatic systems, e.g., rivers and estuaries. Sandy soils are more vulnerable to water infiltration due to the large proportion of macropores. This study aims to (i) assess how nitrate from a variety of fertilizers (i.e., synthetic and organic) distributes on the top 60 cm layer of a …

De Novo Transcriptome Analysis Of Orange Jasmine (Murraya Paniculata) Infected With Citrus Greening Disease, Jeffrey Aquino Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

Citrus greening disease, also known as Huanglongbing, is one of the most devastating citrus diseases in the world. Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) is a non-culturable, phloem-limited bacterium that serves as one of two vectors for the transmission of any of the three kinds of greening disease. In cooler climates, the African variant transmitted by the African citrus psyllid (Trioza erytreae) is more prevalent. The Asian form transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) where is predominant in warmer conditions and recently discover the American form who is also transmit by Diaphorina citri, was discover in Brazil but has also …

Effect Of Ultraviolet Light Treatment On Microbiological Safety And Quality Of Fresh Produce: An Overview, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy, Achyut Adhikari, Juan Moreira

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables have been associated in several foodborne illness outbreaks. Although investigations from those outbreaks reported that the contamination with pathogenic microorganisms may occur at any point in the farm to fork continuum, effective control strategies are still being widely investigated. In that direction, the concept of hurdle technology involving a sequence of different interventions have been widely explored. Among those interventions, ultraviolet (UV) light alone or in combination with other treatments such as use of organic acids or sanitizer solutions, has found to be a promising approach to maintain the microbiological safety and quality of …

Effects Of Soil Shrink-Swell On Bird Bones: An Experimental Taphonomy Pilot Study, Frank J. Dirrigl Jr., Adriana Diaz, Reyna Chavez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The soil burial context of a bird bone assemblage is affected by many different taphonomic factors. In this pilot study, we examined the potential effects of soil shrink-swell on white-tailed dove (Zenaida asiatica) bones experimentally buried in three soils of different clay contents. We predicted that bones buried in high clay soils would experience the most damage from soil shrink-swell. Dove wing and leg bones were buried and exposed to 60 days and eight episodes of cyclic soil shrink-swell. We recovered all bones (humeri, ulnae, radii, femora, and tibiotarsi) and found 77.1% of them to exhibit damage. …

Biological Flora Of Coastal Wetlands: Sporobolus Cynosuroides (L.) P.M. Peterson & Saarela, Richard Stalter, Robert I. Lonard

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Sporobolus cynosuroides (L.) P.M. Peterson & Saarela¼Spartina cynosuroides (L.) Roth is a temperate zone rhizomatous grass that often is a dominant species in coastal brackish marshes on the Gulf coast and Atlantic coasts of the United States where salinity ranges from 0 to 10 psu. Sporobolus cynosuroides (L.) P.M. Peterson & Saarela ¼ Spartina cynosuroides (L.) Roth is usually absent where salinity values are .12 psu. Sporobolus cynosuroides occurs in coastal habitats characterized by infrequent tidal flooding and moderate nutrient levels. Also known as big cordgrass, it may account for net productivity in high marshes that rivals productivity of Sporobolus …

The Apoe Ε4 Allele Association With Cholesterol Related Phenotypes In The Mexican American Population, Stephanie Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

Diseases linked to high cholesterol have been well studied and several diseases-associated candidate genes have been suggested. Among these, the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) gene associated with lipid metabolism and lipid-related traits was reported in the non-Hispanic population. There are three types of alleles APOE ε2, ε3, and ε4. The APOE ε4 allele has been identified as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In recent years, there have been limited studies regarding the association between the APOE gene and hypercholesterolemia in the Mexican American population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate …

Targeting Mutated Kras And Galectin-1 In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana Izavelle Martinez Bulnes

Theses and Dissertations

The poor patient survival rate in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a challenge. KRAS activating point mutation on codon-12 is found in 70–95 percent of PDAC patients, and no progress in inhibiting KRAS has been obtained thus far. KRASG12D is a transcription factor that controls cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Recent preliminary and published research indicates that Galectin-1 (Gal-1) levels are high in both PDAC and stromal cells, which modulates tumor microenvironment and metastasis. As a result, we created a new combination treatment for PDAC that targets both proliferation and metastasis in PDAC by targeting mutant KRASG12D and Gal-1. This …

Influence Of Paclitaxel Nanomedicine On The Pancreatic Tumor Immune Components, Godwin Peasah-Darkwah

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities in the U.S due to ineffective therapeutic options. Pancreatic tumors are highly desmoplastic and inhibit efficient uptake of therapeutic payloads. Paclitaxel (PTX) has been tested in PanCa therapy with marginally better clinical outcomes, but remain limited by its poor hemocompatibility, biodistribution and intracellular accumulation in tumor cells. Thus, we synthesized a next generation nanoparticle system for PTX to improve its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) in treating PanCa. We also examined ability of the nano formulation to potentiate gemcitabine (GEM) activity in combating chemoresistance in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment …

Targeting Ribosome Biogenesis For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Carlos Perez Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the United States. Currently, PanCa is one of the recalcitrant cancers that has very limited therapeutic options available for its treatment. The current standard care of PanCa is gemcitabine (GEM) alone or in combination with FOLFIRINOX, nab-paclitaxel, erlotinib, or 5-FU PanCa, which often show poor response. Therefore, new treatment strategies are required for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Ribosome biogenesis process is dysregulated in most of the cancer types of results in production of more ribosomes and synthesis of oncoproteins which lead to the induction, progression, …

What Are Mycorrhizal Traits?, V. Bala Chaudhary, E. Penelope Holland, Suw Charman-Anderson, Aidee Guzman, Lukas Bell-Dereske, Tanya E. Cheeke, Adriana Corrales, Jessica Duchicela, Cameron Egan, Pushpa G. Soti

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Highlights

• Applying trait-based approaches to ecological research on mycorrhizal symbioses broadens ecological inferences, but there is no single unified framework to unite disparate language, terminology, and methods across the many multidisciplinary scientists studying mycorrhizas.
• We propose an inclusive framework for trait-based mycorrhizal ecology aimed to stimulate scientists around the world to collect and use more mycorrhizal trait data, particularly in understudied areas. This would widen our understanding regarding the ecological role of mycorrhizal symbioses at individual, species, community, and ecosystem scales.
• Analyzing how mycorrhizal symbioses fit within existing trait definitions highlights significant theoretical and empirical knowledge gaps, novel questions, and …

A Rationally Designed Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptide Against Pseudomonas-Associated Corneal Keratitis: Structure-Function Correlation, Sk Abdul Mohid, Prerana Sharma, Amani Alghalayini, Tripti Saini, Debarun Datta, Mark D. P. Willcox, Haydar Ali, Sreyan Raha, Achintya Singha, Nirakar Sahoo

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Contact lens wearers are at an increased risk of developing Pseudomonas-associated corneal keratitis, which can lead to a host of serious ocular complications. Despite the use of topical antibiotics, ocular infections remain a major clinical problem, and a strategy to avoid Pseudomonas-associated microbial keratitis is urgently required. The hybrid peptide VR18 (VARGWGRKCPLFGKNKSR) was designed to have enhanced antimicrobial properties in the fight against Pseudomonas-induced microbial keratitis, including contact lens-related keratitis. In this paper, VR18's modes of action against Pseudomonas membranes were shown by live cell Raman spectroscopy, live cell NMR, live-cell fluorescence microscopy and measures taken using sparsely tethered bilayer …

Cucurbitacin B: A Potential Natural Agent For Targeting Tumor Immune Cell Population, Emmanuel Anning

Theses and Dissertations

Immune checkpoint blockade (PD1, PDL-1 and CTLA-4) immunotherapies have emerged as the breakthrough in cancer treatment. However, some malignancies show marginal response. One factor that influences the efficacy of immunotherapy is the development of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), caused by infiltration of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor associated macrophages (TAM) into the tumor, facilitating metastatic tumor growth and immunotherapy resistance. We have identified Cucurbitacin B (Cuc. B), a potent small molecule that targets TAM and MDSCs and inhibits Stat3, CSF-1R, and PI3Kγ signaling axis at lower doses compared to the pharmacological inhibitor of PI3Kγ (IPI-549). IL-4 polarization of …