Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Inflammation And Detection: Rethinking The Biomarker Landscape In Gastric Cancer, Keykavous Parang, Koosha Paydary

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Gastric carcinoma is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, yet reliable noninvasive biomarkers for its early detection remain limited. As research continues to elucidate the inflammatory underpinnings of tumor initiation and progression, it has become increasingly clear that pro-inflammatory cytokines may hold promise as diagnostic adjuncts. Serum cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and interferon-gamma have been frequently reported as elevated in gastric cancer patients compared to healthy individuals. These molecules, known for their roles in modulating tumor-promoting inflammation, angiogenesis, and immune evasion, may serve as accessible indicators of disease presence or progression. Several studies have shown that …

A Novel Sialylation Pathway Mediated By Extracellular Vesicles In Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Camila A. Bach, Md Niamat Hossain, Ishan J. Chaudhari, Cecilia E. Verrillo, Nicole M. Naranjo, Isabella Amoroso, Anna Testa, Samuel Sey, W. Kevin Kelly, Susan L. Bellis, Aurelio Lorico, Ada G. Blidner, Gabriel A. Rabinovich, Lucia R. Languino

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Altered cell surface glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer; among aberrant glycan structures, hypersialylated proteins contribute to disease progression. The enzyme ST6 β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) mediates α2,6-linked sialylation of N-glycosylated proteins and is upregulated in many cancers, including prostate cancer (PrCa). We propose that ST6GAL1 may be released by cancer cells in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in the PrCa tumor microenvironment to potentially modulate cell surface sialylation in recipient cells. We isolated sEVs from PrCa cells by density gradient separation and characterized them by nanoparticle tracking analysis using ZetaView and immunoblotting analysis. We identified ST6GAL1 in both its membrane-bound …

The Colonic Crypt: Cellular Dynamics And Signaling Pathways In Homeostasis And Cancer, Anh L. Nguyen, Molly A. Lausten, Bruce M. Boman

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

The goal of this review is to expand our understanding of how the cellular organization of the normal colonic crypt is maintained and elucidate how this intricate architecture is disrupted during tumorigenesis. Additionally, it will focus on implications for new therapeutic strategies targeting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). The colonic crypt is a highly structured epithelial unit that functions in maintaining homeostasis through a complex physiological function of diverse cell types: SCs, transit-amplifying (TA) progenitors, goblet cells, absorptive colonocytes, Paneth-like cells, M cells, tuft cells, and enteroendocrine cells. These cellular subpopulations are spatially organized and regulated by multiple crucial signaling pathways, including …

Subtype-Specific Her3 Enrichment In Basal-Like Breast Cancer Is Regulated Via The Gata2/Gata3–Foxa1 Axis, Congcong Tan, Hui Lyu, Sanbao Ruan, Yakun Wu, Margaret E. Larsen, Shou Ching Tang, Bolin Liu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is a major subtype of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by aggressive behavior, limited treatment options, and poor prognosis. While HER3 overexpression is frequently observed in TNBC and associated with poor outcomes, its subtype-specific expression and therapeutic potential remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated that HER3 signaling is selectively hyperactivated in BLBC compared to claudin-low breast cancer (CLBC) using transcriptomic profiling. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), Romidepsin and Panobinostat, exerted potent antitumor effects on BLBC by selectively downregulating HER3 expression. HER3 levels were positively correlated with FOXA1, a key transcriptional activator. Mechanistically, we identified GATA2 and GATA3 as …

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

Advanced Interactions Of Directed Energy With Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells And Their Photochemical And Photothermal Responses, Jin B. Ha

Theses & Dissertations

Excess optical radiation can injure the retina through either rapid heat deposition (photothermal damage) or cumulative photo‑oxidative stress (photochemical damage), yet current laser‑safety limits treat these mechanisms as independent. To test that assumption, this dissertation integrated systematic wavelength, duration and temperature‑controlled laser exposures with live/dead fluorescence imaging in a melanin‑loaded hTERT‑RPE1 monolayer model. First, concurrent 447 nm (blue) and 2 µm (infra‑red) beams delivered for 200 s demonstrated a strong thermal–photochemical synergy: each beam alone was sub‑threshold (≤25 % lethality) but together produced 100 % RPE death without exceeding 50 °C, proving that modest heating markedly lowers the photon dose …

In Silico Prediction Of Cytotoxic T-Cell Epitopes From Helicobacter Pylori Virulence Factors Using An Immunoinformatics Approach, Demy Valerie Chacon, Kiana Alika Co, Daphne Noreen Enriquez, Aubrey Love Labarda, Reanne Eden Manongsong, Edward Kevin B. Bragais

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Helicobacter pylori infects approximately half of the global population, leading to gastric and duodenal ulcers. Despite the availability of antibiotics, challenges such as patient reluctance, high treatment costs, and antibiotic resistance limit their effectiveness, making vaccination a promising alternative. This study used immunoinformatics to identify candidate epitopes for a multiepitope vaccine construct against H. pylori.

Material and methods: The protein variability server was utilized for conservation analysis. The epitopes were screened for antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, cross-reactivity, and population coverage. Selected epitopes were docked with their corresponding human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, and thermodynamic quantities were determined. Five virulence …

Combination Of Irreversible Electroporation And Clostridium Novyi-Nt Bacterial Therapy For Colorectal Liver Metastasis, Zigeng Zhang, Guangbo Yu, Qiaoming Hou, Farideh Amirrad, Sha Webster, Surya M. Nauli, Jianhua Yu, Vahid Yaghmai, Aydin Eresen, Zhuoli Zhang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) poses a significant challenge in oncology due to its high incidence and poor prognosis in unresectable cases. Current treatments, including surgical resection, systemic chemotherapy, and liver-directed therapies, often fail to effectively target hypoxic tumor regions, which are inherently more resistant to these interventions. This review examines the potential of a novel therapeutic strategy combining irreversible electroporation (IRE) ablation and Clostridium novyi-nontoxic (C. novyi-NT) bacterial therapy. IRE is a non-thermal tumor ablation technique that uses high-voltage electric pulses to create permanent nanopores in cell membranes, leading to cell death while preserving surrounding structures, and …

A Cancer Education Needs Assessment: Informing Middle-Aged Female Patients About The Relationships Between Obesity And Women’S Health Concerns In The Reproductive System, Breast, And Endometrial Health, Batul Mirza

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Obesity significantly impacts women’s health, particularly among middle-aged women, by increasing the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, endometrial, and reproductive system cancers. This study examines the educational needs of this demographic group regarding obesity-related cancer risks and explores effective intervention strategies. Obesity-induced mechanisms – hormonal imbalances, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance – drive cancer susceptibility, emphasizing the need for targeted health education. The study employs a qualitative design, which includes interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) and surveys of middle-aged women. The goal is to assess awareness, perceived barriers, and preferred learning methods. Findings suggest that with many …

Surface Keratin 1, A Tumor-Selective Peptide Target In Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Shih-Jing Yao, Farideh Amirrad, Elmira Ziaei, Azam Saghaeidehkordi, Moom R. Roosan, Kiumars Shamloo, Ajay Sharma, Rachita K. Sumbria, Surya M. Nauli, Christopher G. Bunick, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Targeting drugs to cancer cells via overexpressed cell-surface receptors has emerged as an effective therapeutic strategy for several cancers. However, identifying cell-surface receptors that allow selective uptake of targeting ligands by cancer cells—while sparing normal cells—remains a challenge, especially for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks a well-defined receptor for targeted delivery. In this study, immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis revealed that human TNBC patient tissues have significantly higher levels of keratin 1 (K1) compared to normal breast tissues. Among TNBC tissues, grade 3 tumors showed significantly higher (threefold) K1 expression compared to grade 2 tumors. We analyzed human TNBC and normal …

The Only Constant Is Change: The Role Of Genetic Diversification In Cancer And Beyond, Malgorzata Tyczynska Weh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genetic diversification, the process by which genetic variation arises in a population, is fundamental to evolution by natural selection. Mutation, a central diversification process, fuels adaptation across species, including in cancer. Yet most new mutations are neutral or deleterious on cell fitness, raising the question of how mutation-driven adaptation persists. To explore this paradox, I developed a spatial agent-based model (ABM) in which population fitness emerges from individual cells acquiring mutations at varied rates and with diverse fitness effects. I evaluated model behavior across adaptive states, mutation rates, and distributions of fitness effects. The results show that high mutation rates …

Neovascular Pruning By Ido1 Inhibitors Can Potentiate Immunogenic Cytotoxicity Of Ischemia-Targeted Agents To Synergistically Enhance Anti-Pd-1 Responsiveness, Shih-Chun Shen, Souvik Dey, James B. Duhadaway, Erika Sutanto-Ward, Maurice T. Hampton, Serguei V. Kozlov, George C. Prendergast, Alexander J. Muller

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Strategies for deploying indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1)-targeted therapies for use against cancer have focused on IDO1's role in promoting peripheral immune tolerance that shields tumors from effector T cells. However, preclinical investigation of both primary and metastatic tumor development in the lungs has uncovered a previously unappreciated role for IDO1 in directing a counterregulatory response to interferon (IFN)-γ that realigns the local inflammatory environment to promote tumor neovascularization. Understanding how to therapeutically leverage the ability of IDO1 inhibitors to subvert inflammatory neovascularization within the tumor microenvironment has potential ramifications for future clinical development of these compounds.

METHODS: Pulmonary metastases …

Targeting Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase (Nnos) As A Novel Approach To Enhancing The Anti-Melanoma Activity Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Anika R. Patel, Shirley Tong, Kate Alison Lozada, Amardeep Awasthi, Richard B. Silverman, Jennifer Totonchy, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objectives: Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) overexpressed in melanoma plays a critical role in disease progression. Our previous studies demonstrated that nNOS inhibitors exhibited potent anti-melanoma activity and regulated PD-L1 expressions in the presence of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). However, the role of nNOS in the melanoma immune response has not been well defined. Methods: Changes in gene expression profiles after nNOS inhibitor treatment were determined by transcriptomic analysis. A melanoma mouse model was used to determine the effects of nNOS inhibition on peripheral T cells and the in vivo anti-tumor activity of combining nNOS inhibitors with immune …

Early Hematopoietic Differentiation Of An Inducible Pluripotent Stem Cell Model Of Infant Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Meagan Vacek, Jacqelyn Nemechek, Irina Pushel, Bradley Thornton, Priyanka Kumar, Jay L. Vivian, John M. Perry

Research Days

This abstract describes our work regarding the differentiation of human inducible pluripotent stem cells into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells as the groundwork for the development of a genomics driven inducible pluripotent stem cell model of KMT2A rearranged infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Cholestasis And Fluid Flow Are Biomechanic Regulators Of Cholangiocarcinoma Progression, Andrew Oleksijew

Theses & Dissertations

Cholestasis, altered or absent bile flow, is associated with poor survival in patients with cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the biliary epithelium. Changes in bile flow often result in stricture or obstruction. Experimental cholestasis promoted tumor growth and progression. However, studies are needed that directly assess the mechanical interaction between bile flow, or bile shear stress, and cholangiocarcinoma signaling. We hypothesized that cholestasis and absent bile shear stress activated cancer signaling and increased aggressive cellular behaviors such as proliferation and migration. Fluid shear stress approximating bile flow was applied by orbital culture plate method and compared to identical static culture …

Accelerated Tumor Growth And Lymphatic Spread Of Transplantable Melanomas In Tumor Necrosis Factor(Tnf)-Transgenic Mice, Catherine F. Alapatt, Robert Hughes, Roger Sheffmaker, Gillian Mcguire, Daniel Deegan, Igor Kuzin, Andrea Bottaro

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer among American adults, with significant morbidity and mortality at 5 years remaining >60% for patients with stage IV disease. The malignancy is due to the transformation of melanocytes, with one of the major risk factors being ultraviolet light exposure. Although as many as one in five human cancers have been linked to chronic inflammation, the role of inflammatory signals in melanoma growth and metastasis remains poorly understood.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-transgenic (TNFtg) mice are a well-established model of chronic systemic inflammation, with involvement of joints and other organ systems. To assess the effect …

Fc Gamma Receptors Facilitate Antigenic Modulation Of Lilrb4 And Function As Predictive Biomarkers In Acute Monocytic Leukemia, Joshua Morse

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Acute monocytic leukemia (monocytic AML) is a subtype of AML marked by a proliferation of abnormal monoblasts. This subtype represents approximately 10% of AML cases. The prognosis of monocytic AML is poor, with a 5-year survival of ~30%. Most patients are diagnosed at an age when they are unlikely to survive first-line non-targeted cytotoxic chemotherapy as a bridge to hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Even patients who achieve remission commonly relapse. This population of patients would greatly benefit from precision-targeted therapies but currently there are none approved for monocytic AML.

Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 (LILRB4) is an immune checkpoint expressed …

Targeting Bard1 Suppresses A Myc-Dependent Transcriptional Program And Tumor Growth In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Sohum Patel, Eleanor Jenkins, Rutuj P. Kusurkar, Sherry Lee, Wei Jiang, Avinoam Nevler, Matthew Mccoy, Michael J. Pishvaian, Rosalie C. Sears, Jonathan R. Brody, Charles J. Yeo, Aditi Jain

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers demanding better and more effective therapies. BARD1 or BRCA1-Associated -Ring Domain-1 plays a pivotal role in homologous recombination repair (HRR). However, its function and the underlying molecular mechanisms in PDAC are still not fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that BARD1 is overexpressed in PDAC and its genetic inhibition suppresses c-Myc and disrupts c-Myc dependent transcriptional program. Mechanistically, BARD1 stabilizes c-Myc through ubiquitin-proteasome system by regulating FBXW7. Importantly, targeting BARD1 using either siRNAs or CRISPR/Cas9 deletion blocks PDAC growth in vitro and in vivo, without any signs of toxicity to mice. …

Ascl2 Positive Tumor Cells Modulate The Response Of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer To Mapk-Targeting Therapy, Oscar Eduardo Villarreal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths with nearly a quarter of patients presenting with metastatic disease at the time of their diagnosis. Therapeutic management of metastatic CRC continues to be a major challenge due to therapy resistance and disease heterogeneity. Due to its central role in tumorigenesis, CRC is commonly treated with MAPK pathway inhibitors (MAPKi). However, clinical trials repeatedly demonstrates that durability of benefit is short-lived in many patients. While genomic mechanisms of acquired resistance have been described, they explain a minority of patients, and further research is needed to determine the underlying …

Relationship Between Processing Body Formation, Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition, And Invasion In Lung Adenocarcinoma, Amanda Warner

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, largely due to its ability to metastasize. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process that enhances the ability of cells to lose their cell-cell contacts, invade, and enter the blood stream which are essential during metastasis. Many transcriptional gene programs are altered during EMT such as activation of mesenchymal transcription factors, like ZEB1, and enhanced response to the TGFβ1 cytokine. In oncogenic contexts, TGFβ1 enhances the formation of processing-bodies (P-bodies) where P-body proteins are required for invasion in multiple cancerous cell lines. P-bodies are a type of ribonucleoprotein …

Understanding Challenges To Breast Cancer Screening For African American Women In Detroit: A Study Of Social And Healthcare Inequities, Miranda Goodson, Whitney Bowyer, Erika Lopez, Anna Lundh

Medical Student Research Symposium

African American (AA) women have lower adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines, which may contribute to delayed diagnoses and reduced survival rates. These disparities are often influenced by limited access to quality healthcare and persistent inequities faced within Michigan. With Detroit's population being 77% AA, examining studies focused on the experiences of Black women within urban healthcare networks is essential to understanding the connections between demographic, socioeconomic factors, and breast cancer outcomes. To assess these studies, a literature search was conducted using Ovid Medline yielding 24 associated articles.

Mammogram rates among AA women in Detroit remain low, reflecting a complex …

Characterizing Kmt2d In Endometrial Cancer, Katherine R. Davanzo

Medical Student Research Symposium

Endometrial cancer is rising in incidence in the United States, notably among premenopausal women. This increase and the trend of delayed childbearing warrant the need for further advancement in fertility-sparing treatment for endometrial cancer. A gene left widely unexplored in its possible clinical utility as a target for fertility-sparing treatment is KMT2D, a lysine-specific methyltransferase and tumor suppressor. Preliminary gene set enrichment analysis on a 12Z endometriotic epithelial cell line identified TIMP3 as a gene that is possibly regulated by KMT2D expression. TIMP3 encodes an irreversible inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a well-recognized class of proteins as contributing to the …

Ccr7 Regulated Mechanisms That Limit The Adaptive Immune Response, Jaisel Amilcar Cervantes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) is critical in guiding T cell migration within the thymus and peripheral lymphoid tissues, shaping the adaptive immune response by promoting central tolerance and regulating immune homeostasis. Although its role in lymphocyte trafficking is well established, the molecular mechanisms by which CCR7 influences thymocyte development and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire formation remain less understood. This study examines how CCR7 deficiency impacts thymic selection, TCR diversity, and the signaling events that shape repertoire restriction. Using a homozygously deleted CCR7 murine model, we found that the absence of CCR7 results in a less restricted TCR repertoire …

Steroid Receptors And Coregulators: Dissemination Of Sex Differences And Emerging Technologies, Sally Pauss, Evelyn A. Bates, Genesee J. Martinez, Zane T. Bates, Zachary A. Kipp, Cassandra D. Gipson, Terry D. Hinds Jr.

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Steroid receptors are ligand-induced transcription factors that have broad functions among all living animal species, ranging from control of sex differences, body weight, stress responses, and many others. Their binding to coregulator proteins is regulated by corepressors and coactivators that interchange upon stimulation with a ligand. Coregulator proteins are an imperative and understudied aspect of steroid receptor signaling. Here, we discuss steroid receptor basics from protein domain structures that allow them to interact with coregulators and other proteins, their essential functions as transcription factors, and other elemental protein–protein interactions. We deliberate about the mechanisms that coregulators control in steroid receptor …

Artesunate Enhances The Efficacy Of Enzalutamide In Advanced Prostate Cancer, Xinyi Wang, Jinghui Liu, Fengyi Mao, Yifan Kong, Qiongsi Zhang, Chaohao Li, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Yanquan Zhang, Ruixin Wang, Sally R. Ellingson, Qiou Wei, Zhiguo Li, Xiaoqi Liu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men worldwide. Treatments targeting the androgen receptor pathway remain the standard therapy for PCa patients. Enzalutamide (ENZ), a second-generation androgen receptor inhibitor, was developed to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, while patients initially respond to ENZ, drug resistance typically develops within a few months. Artesunate (ART), a semisynthetic derivative of the Artemisinin plant, is approved for antimalaria treatment. In this study, we conducted an FDA-approved drug screening and identified ART as a potential candidate for overcoming ENZ resistance in PCa. Mechanistically, ART induces the degradation of c-Myc, enhancing …

Staying Sane In The Membrane: Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 As A Master Regulator Of Plasma Membrane Ceramide, Zainuddin Quadri, Erhard Bieberich

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Ceramide, a key signaling sphingolipid in the plasma membrane, plays a pivotal role in fundamental cellular processes such as adhesion, polarity, and programmed cell death. The generation of plasma membrane ceramide is largely attributed to the activity of two types of sphingomyelinases: neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2, Smpd3) and acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase, Smpd1). While many studies have explored ceramide generation following experimental activation of these enzymes, the mechanisms governing basal or steady- state ceramide levels have remained poorly understood. Using an innovative mass spectrometry approach developed in the Canals’ lab, the team has quantified the distinct contributions of nSMase2 and aSMase …

Crosstalk Between Nnos/No And Cox-2 Enhances Interferon-Gamma-Stimulated Melanoma Progression, Anika Patel, Shirley Tong, Moom R. Roosan, Basir Syed, Amardeep Awasthi, Richard B. Silverman, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background/Objectives: Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in the melanoma tumor microenvironment plays opposing roles, orchestrating both pro-tumorigenic activity and anticancer immune responses. Our previous studies demonstrated the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in IFN-γ-stimulated melanoma progression. However, the underlying mechanism has not been well defined. This study determined whether the nNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathways crosstalk and augment the pro-tumorigenic effects of IFN-γ in melanoma. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis of patient and cellular proteomic data was conducted to identify proteins of interest associated with IFN-γ treatment in melanoma. Changes in protein expression were determined using various analytical techniques including …

Sigma1 Inhibitor Suppression Of Adaptive Immune Resistance Mechanisms Mediated By Cancer Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles, Paola A. Castagnino, Derick A. Haas, Luca Musante, Nathalia A. Tancler, Bach V. Tran, Rhonda Kean, Alexandra R. Steck, Luis A. Martinez, Elahe A. Mostaghel, D. Craig Hooper, Felix J. Kim

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Adaptive immune resistance in cancer describes the various mechanisms by which tumors adapt to evade anti-tumor immune responses. IFN-γ induction of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was the first defined and validated adaptive immune resistance mechanism. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is central to adaptive immune resistance as immune modulatory secreted and integral membrane proteins are dependent on ER. Sigma1 is a unique ligand-regulated integral membrane scaffolding protein enriched in the ER of cancer cells. PD-L1 is an integral membrane glycoprotein that is translated into the ER and processed through the cellular secretory pathway. At the cell surface, PD-L1 is an immune …

An In Vivo Study Of Lns8801, A Gper Agonist, In A Spontaneous Melanoma-Prone Mouse Model, Tgs., Christina Marinaro, John Sauer, Christopher A Natale, Todd Ridky, Suzie Chen

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer that arises from the transformation of melanocytes, the pigment producing cells of the skin. In the year 2024 there will be approximately 10,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed and approximately 8,000 deaths attributed to melanoma in the United States. In this study we treated a group of male and female transgenic mice that spontaneously develop metastatic melanoma, TGS, with a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor agonist LNS8801 to assess the efficacy on disease progression. A second group of male and female TGS mice was also exposed to UVB irradiation to mimic …

Exosomes And Encapsulated Exomirs In Breast Cancer: Theragnostic Applications And Clinical Implications, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Shafia Bukhari, Hamid Ilyas, Rubina Malik, Minahil Fatima, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Surya M. Nauli, Khawaja Husnain Haider

Pharmacy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Exosomes, released by cells, are small vesicles that have emerged as critical theranostic tools in breast cancer due to their unique ability to transport diverse biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, and RNAs, including microRNAs (ExomiRs). These vesicles are critical in modulating the tumor microenvironment, driving processes like cancer proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Exosomal microRNAs such as ExomiR-21, ExomiR-1246, and ExomiR-155, with their profound influence on the gene expressions in the recipient cells, are the unsung heroes in tumor progression and immune modulation. This chapter delves into exosome's dual diagnostic and therapeutic potential in breast cancer. It highlights their …