Biochemistry Commons^™

Secretory Mucin Muc5ac In Gastrointestinal Malignancies, Shiv Ram Krishn

Theses & Dissertations

Secretory mucin MUC5AC is an extensively glycosylated high molecular weight protein that forms a polymeric gel layer over the epithelial layers under physiological conditions, to protect these surfaces from myriad of insults. MUC5AC is known to be implicated in various malignancies including pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. MUC5AC is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer compared to no expression in normal pancreas. However, its functional implications and associated mechanistic basis in pancreatic cancer remains obscure. Therefore, we investigated the role of MUC5AC in onset and progression of pancreatic cancer. Our study showed that MUC5AC expression is elevated during pancreatic cancer progression while …

Regulation Of The Transmembrane Mucin Muc4 By Wnt/Β-Catenin In Gastrointestinal Cancers, Priya Pai

Theses & Dissertations

The transmembrane mucin MUC4 is a high molecular weight glycoprotein that is expressed de novo in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). MUC4 has been shown to play a tumor-promoting role in malignancies such as PDAC, ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Unlike the normal pancreas, MUC4 is ordinarily expressed by goblet and absorptive cells in the normal colonic epithelium. However, its expression/role in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well studied.

In this dissertation, the goal was to identify factor(s) that may differentially regulate MUC4 in these two disparate malignancies. Furthermore, in light of its pro-tumorigenic role in other malignancies, we analyzed the …

Characterization And Target Identification Of Non-Toxic Ikkβ Inhibitors For Anticancer Therapy, Elizabeth Blowers

Theses & Dissertations

IKKβ is a key kinase in the canonical NF-κB pathway. Transient activation of IKKβ is required for normal immune response while sustained activation has been implicated in cancer. To date, no IKKβ inhibitor has been approved for clinical use as a chemotherapeutic, likely due to unexpected toxicities associated with blocking the transient activation of IKKβ. We hypothesized that an IKKβ inhibitor that allows transient activation of IKKβ, but not sustained activation of IKKβ, could inhibit cancer growth without inducing toxicity.

As such, we identified a small molecule inhibitor, 13-197, that allows the transient activation of IKKβ but not the sustained …

Investigation Of Behavioral And Cellular Changes In The Maternal Immune Activation Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Shreya Roy

Theses & Dissertations

Maternal infection during pregnancy, which leads to maternal immune activation (MIA), is an environmental risk factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). MIA can be induced in mice and their offspring exhibit behaviors that model the core symptoms of ASD. One of the core behavioral symptoms in ASD patients is presence of increased repetitive behavior, which is modeled by an increase in marble burying in MIA mice. It has been shown that the deficits seen in MIA mice are associated with the dysregulation of cytokine levels in the developing brain, specifically an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this thesis, I tested …