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Full-Text Articles in Cell and Developmental Biology

Targeted Osmotic Lysis: A Novel Approach To Targeted Cancer Therapies, Harry J. Gould, Dennis Paul Apr 2022

Targeted Osmotic Lysis: A Novel Approach To Targeted Cancer Therapies, Harry J. Gould, Dennis Paul

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The conventional treatment of cancer has been based on the delivery of non-selective toxins and/or ionizing energy that affect both the cancer and normal tissues in the hope of destroying the offending disease before killing the patient. Unfortunately, resistance often develops to these treatments and patients experience severe, dose-limiting adverse effects that reduce treatment efficacy and compromise quality of life. Recent advances in our knowledge of the biology of tumor cells and their microenvironment, the recognition of surface proteins that are unique to specific cancers and essential to cell growth and survival and signaling pathways associate with invasion and metastasis …


Investigating The Role Of The Basolateral Amygdala Plays In The Incubation Of Cue-Induced Cocaine Seeking Behavior, Claire Marie Corbett Apr 2022

Investigating The Role Of The Basolateral Amygdala Plays In The Incubation Of Cue-Induced Cocaine Seeking Behavior, Claire Marie Corbett

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Cocaine use disorder is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. Sex and ovarian hormones are known to influence cocaine addiction liability and relapse vulnerability. However, little is known regarding the cellular and synaptic mechanisms contributing to sex differences in relapse vulnerability, including how these measures are influenced by hormonal fluctuations. To investigate sex differences in relapse vulnerability we use a rodent model of cocaine craving and relapse called the incubation model in which cue-induced seeking progressively increases or “incubates” during the first month of withdrawal from extended-access cocaine self-administration. Using this model, we have recently shown that females in the estrus …


Generating A Colorimetric Ssa4 Transcript Export Reporter For Multicopy Suppression Screen In S. Cerevisiae, Zaid Hatem Apr 2022

Generating A Colorimetric Ssa4 Transcript Export Reporter For Multicopy Suppression Screen In S. Cerevisiae, Zaid Hatem

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The export of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is a regulatory point that is essential to the pathway of gene expression in eukaryotic cells. The export of mRNA transcripts is mediated through selective doorways called the nuclear pore complexes (NPC). Additionally, there are proteins associated with the nuclear pore complex that assist in facilitating the export. This includes association with the export receptor, Mex67, which binds to the transcript and ferries it through NPCs. During cellular stress, such as heat shock, the export of housekeeping mRNA transcripts is halted, forcing these transcripts to remain inside the nucleus and …


Developing An Electroporation Method For Transforming Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis, Heather Knott, Stephen Baron Apr 2022

Developing An Electroporation Method For Transforming Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis, Heather Knott, Stephen Baron

Honors Projects

Streptomyces species are notoriously difficult to transform. Streptomyces nymphaeiformis is no different, so a method of electroporation was used to attempt to transform the cells. Multiple growth stages were used in order to alter the degree of development of the cell wall. The procedure did not kill the cells, but the cells were not transformed. Due to the lack of transformation with S. nymphaeiformis, transformation was attempted on two other Streptomyces strains, S. lividans and S. coelicolor. Neither was successfully transformed to thiostrepton (tsr) resistance, nor did they grow on a plate lacking thiostrepton. One possibility for the …


The Roles Of Individual Proteins In De Novo Recruitment Of Pcg Repressive Complexes To Giant, Anni Kum Apr 2022

The Roles Of Individual Proteins In De Novo Recruitment Of Pcg Repressive Complexes To Giant, Anni Kum

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Epigenetic gene regulation is the process by which external factors regulate the genome. This research studies Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins which function as epigenetic agents that work together in complexes to maintain gene silencing for multiple cellular generations. Drosophila melanogaster PcG proteins can be organized into three canonical complexes: Pho-RC, PRC1, and PRC2. Though there are multiple proposed models for the order of recruitment, it is generally accepted that PhoRC, PRC1, and PRC2 interact with each other to stably recruit to a target gene. Since these proteins are highly conserved, this project studies PcG proteins in the model organism, Drosophila …


Identification And Characterization Of An Ftsq-Null Suppressor Gene In Streptomyces, Alexandra Sherman Apr 2022

Identification And Characterization Of An Ftsq-Null Suppressor Gene In Streptomyces, Alexandra Sherman

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Streptomyces coelicolor is a filamentous Gram-positive soil bacterium that grows similarly to fungi. The bacteria grow together in a mycelium-like structure that produces aerial hyphae above the media surface for sporulation. Evenly spaced crosswalls develop during cell division of the aerial filaments with the aid of division genes, including ftsZ and ftsQ. These cell division genes are essential for growth in the common bacterium and if silenced will cause the bacterium to die. Streptomyces uniquely retains the ability for growth after a deletion of either the ftsZ or ftsQ gene which causes a loss of septum formation in the …


Characterization Of A Medium-Dependent Streptomyces Developmental Mutant, Dylan Gray, Jennifer A. Bennett Apr 2022

Characterization Of A Medium-Dependent Streptomyces Developmental Mutant, Dylan Gray, Jennifer A. Bennett

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Streptomyces coelicolor is a soil-dwelling, Gram-positive Actinobacteria. Streptomyces species produce thousands of secondary metabolites which include many antibiotics used in medicine today. In Streptomyces development, as colonies grow, secondary metabolites are produced, and ultimately mature spores are dispersed. The production of each of these secondary metabolites in wild-type Streptomyces is determined by a distinct biosynthetic pathway. In order to identify new genes for antibiotic production and other aspects of development, an engineered Tn5-derived transposon was used to mutagenize wild-type cells in vivo and produce single, stable insertions.

Colonies that were visually distinct from the wild type were selected for further …


College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, March & April 2022, College Of Natural Sciences Apr 2022

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, March & April 2022, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 3, Issue 3

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2-3 Awards and Recognition
Page 4 2022 URSCAD - CNS Snaps
Page 5 Geography Convention Recap
Page 6 Attention Students!
Page 7-8 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 9 Spring Break Outreach, Adopt the Pantry,
Page 10 Discovery on Tap Event
Page 11 CNS Students Visit State Capital
Page 12 Celebrating 50 Years of Sally
Page 13 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 14 Grants Awarded and Bio-Micro Day of Scholars
Page 15 -17 2022 Geography Convention Snaps
Page 18 Sally Krueger's 50th Work Anniversary


Paratesticular Solitary Fibrous Tumour Mimicking Cellular Angiofibroma: An Unusual Morphology And Rare Site, Madiha Bilal Qureshi, Muhammad Usman, Qurratulain Chundriger, Nasir Uddin Apr 2022

Paratesticular Solitary Fibrous Tumour Mimicking Cellular Angiofibroma: An Unusual Morphology And Rare Site, Madiha Bilal Qureshi, Muhammad Usman, Qurratulain Chundriger, Nasir Uddin

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is a ubiquitous benign mesenchymal tumour of fibroblastic origin, which occurs most often in middle-aged adults. It usually presents as lung mass originating from pleura, but extrapleural occurrence is also common. Tumour is characterised by hypo- and hyper-cellular areas of spindle-shaped cells, arranged in haphazard manner with dispersed staghorn-shaped vessels. Surgical excision is the curative treatment. SFTs of the primary testicular or paratesticular region are extremely rare, but they exhibit histologic findings similar to SFTs originating at other body sites. Here, we report the case of a paratesticular SFT in a 37-year male, who presented with …


Analysis Of Invasion Proteins Mmp2, Mmp9, Adam12, And Adam17 In Glioblastoma U87mg Cells Treated With Anti-Cancer Compound 3,4-Dimethoxybenzaldehyde, Andras Muranyi Apr 2022

Analysis Of Invasion Proteins Mmp2, Mmp9, Adam12, And Adam17 In Glioblastoma U87mg Cells Treated With Anti-Cancer Compound 3,4-Dimethoxybenzaldehyde, Andras Muranyi

Honors Theses

This research tested the effectiveness of novel compound 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties. U87MG Glioblastoma cells were exposed to the compound at its LC50 concentration, then processed to collect proteins from the cells. Proteins were analyzed via Western blotting for specific protein levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP) and disintegrin and metalloprotease 12 and 17 (ADAM). Previous research indicates these proteins are involved in the invasive properties of glioblastoma cells. Westerns were quantified with ImageJ and compared using a one-way ANOVA. Results indicate the compound has minimal effect upon the expression of MMP2, MMP9, ADAM12, ADAM17 proteins.


A Descriptive Analysis Of Severe Maternal Morbidities In Southern Arizona, Joseph Sherman Mar 2022

A Descriptive Analysis Of Severe Maternal Morbidities In Southern Arizona, Joseph Sherman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction

Maternal morbidities and maternal deaths are rising at an alarming rate throughout the United States, despite advances in medicine and technology (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). In 2020, maternal deaths climbed to its highest peak in thirty years, at 23.8 deaths per 100,000 births (CDC 2020; CDC 2022b). Maternal morbidities have also increased by nearly 200% from 1993 to 2014 (CDC, 2021). The startling rise in both maternal morbidities and maternal deaths is likely exacerbated by limited access to healthcare and the pervasiveness of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (Carroll, 2017; Geller …


Synthesis Of Thiol-Acrylate Hydrogels For 3d Cell Culture And Microfluidic Applications, Anowar Hossain Khan Mar 2022

Synthesis Of Thiol-Acrylate Hydrogels For 3d Cell Culture And Microfluidic Applications, Anowar Hossain Khan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Globally cell culture is an $18.98 billion industry as of 2020, with an 11.6 percent annual growth rate. Drug discovery has an estimated worth of $69.8 billion in 2020 and is predicted to grow to $110.4 billion by 2025. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture of cancer cells is one of the rapidly growing felids since it better recapitulates in vivo conditions compared to two-dimensional (2D) models. However, it is challenging to grow 3D tumor spheroids outside the body, and some of the existing technology can generate these spheroids outside the human body but poorly mimic in vivo tumor models. Therefore, there …


Defining And Modeling Pericyte-Induced Capillary Network Assembly, Capillary Regression Preceding Pericyte-Stimulated Fibrosis, And Lymphatic Capillary Regression, Scott Stephen Kemp Mar 2022

Defining And Modeling Pericyte-Induced Capillary Network Assembly, Capillary Regression Preceding Pericyte-Stimulated Fibrosis, And Lymphatic Capillary Regression, Scott Stephen Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capillary formation and maturation can only occur through a series of highly orchestrated events that requires the coordinated efforts of both endothelial cells (ECs) and pericytes. While ECs are perfectly capable of creating tube networks on their own, the maturation and stabilization of these tube networks require the presence of a second cell type, pericytes, to create stable capillary networks. Previous studies have identified factors required for pericyte recruitment to EC tube networks, however, we hypothesized that there were still unaccounted for EC-derived molecules that were contributing to pericyte recruitment. In the first part of this study, we used serum-free, …


Geotemporospatial And Causal Inferential Epidemiological Overview And Survey Of Usa Cannabis, Cannabidiol And Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Expressed In Cancer Incidence 2003–2017: Part 2 – Categorical Bivariate Analysis And Attributable Fractions, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse Mar 2022

Geotemporospatial And Causal Inferential Epidemiological Overview And Survey Of Usa Cannabis, Cannabidiol And Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Expressed In Cancer Incidence 2003–2017: Part 2 – Categorical Bivariate Analysis And Attributable Fractions, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: As the cannabis-cancer relationship remains an important open question epidemiological investigation is warranted to calculate key metrics including Rate Ratios (RR), Attributable Fractions in the Exposed (AFE) and Population Attributable Risks (PAR) to directly compare the implicated case burden between emerging cannabinoids and the established carcinogen tobacco. Methods: SEER*Stat software from Centres for Disease Control was used to access age-standardized state census incidence of 28 cancer types (including “All (non-skin) Cancer”) from National Cancer Institute in US states 2001–2017. Drug exposures taken from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2003–2017, response rate 74.1%. Federal seizure data provided …


Geotemporospatial And Causal Inferential Epidemiological Overview And Survey Of Usa Cannabis, Cannabidiol And Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Expressed In Cancer Incidence 2003–2017: Part 3 – Spatiotemporal, Multivariable And Causal Inferential Pathfinding And Exploratory Analyses Of Prostate And Ovarian Cancers, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse Mar 2022

Geotemporospatial And Causal Inferential Epidemiological Overview And Survey Of Usa Cannabis, Cannabidiol And Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Expressed In Cancer Incidence 2003–2017: Part 3 – Spatiotemporal, Multivariable And Causal Inferential Pathfinding And Exploratory Analyses Of Prostate And Ovarian Cancers, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The epidemiology of cannabinoid-related cancerogenesis has not been studied with cutting edge epidemiological techniques. Building on earlier bivariate papers in this series we aimed to conduct pathfinding studies to address this gap in two tumours of the reproductive tract, prostate and ovarian cancer. Methods: Age-standardized cancer incidence data for 28 tumour types (including “All (non-skin) Cancer”) was sourced from Centres for Disease Control and National Cancer Institute using SEER*Stat software across US states 2001–2017. Drug exposure was sourced from the nationally representative household survey National Survey of Drug Use and Health conducted annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental …


Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Natural And Unnatural Amino Acids As Drug Delivery Agents, David Salehi, Saghar Mozaffari, Khalid Zoghebi, Sandeep Lohan, Dindyal Mandal, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang Mar 2022

Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Natural And Unnatural Amino Acids As Drug Delivery Agents, David Salehi, Saghar Mozaffari, Khalid Zoghebi, Sandeep Lohan, Dindyal Mandal, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

A series of cyclic peptides, [(DipR)(WR)4], [(DipR)2(WR)3], [(DipR)3(WR)2], [(DipR)4(WR)], and [DipR]5, and their linear counterparts containing arginine (R) as positively charged residues and tryptophan (W) or diphenylalanine (Dip) as hydrophobic residues, were synthesized and evaluated for their molecular transporter efficiency. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized peptides was determined in human epithelial ovary adenocarcinoma cells (SK-OV-3), human lymphoblast peripheral blood cells (CCRF-CEM), human embryonic epithelial kidney healthy cells (HEK-293), human epithelial mammary gland adenocarcinoma cells (MDA-MB-468), pig epithelial kidney normal cells (LLC-PK1), and human epithelial …


Defining The Role Of Oxidized Mitochondrial Dna In Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Grace Anne Ward Mar 2022

Defining The Role Of Oxidized Mitochondrial Dna In Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Grace Anne Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous bone marrow (BM) failure malignancies characterized by constitutive innate immune activation, NLRP3 inflammasome (IFM) driven pyroptotic cell death, and the induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). MDS often diagnostically resembles other hematologic disorders, as such, additional tools are needed for the discrimination from overlapping disorders. We observed that oxidized mitochondrial DNA (ox-mtDNA) is released upon cytolysis. We hypothesize that levels of ox-mtDNA are high in MDS, allowing us to use it as a diagnostic biomarker; and that cell free ox-mtDNA is contributing to feedforward BM failure.

ROC/AUC analysis demonstrated that ox-mtDNA is a sensitive and specific …


The Sglt2 Inhibitor Canagliflozin Reduces Androgen Receptor Expression And Nuclear Localization Of Beta-Catenin In Human Prostate Cancer Cells, Kalkidan Bekele, Tunde Smith, Lamonica Stewart Mar 2022

The Sglt2 Inhibitor Canagliflozin Reduces Androgen Receptor Expression And Nuclear Localization Of Beta-Catenin In Human Prostate Cancer Cells, Kalkidan Bekele, Tunde Smith, Lamonica Stewart

Student Research

Drugs that inhibit the protein sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) are commonly used in the United States to treat type 2 diabetes. Recent studies suggest that SGLT2 inhibitors reduce growth of lung, liver, and breast cancer cells in vitro. Therefore, administration of SGLT2 inhibitors may also limit the growth of malignant tumors. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that one SGLT2 inhibitor, canagliflozin, reduces the proliferation of C4-2B cells, a castration-resistant human prostate cancer cell line. Concentrations of canagliflozin that reduce proliferation also lower levels of the androgen receptor (AR), a protein known to promote growth of prostate cancers. The goal …


Effects Of Dibutyltin Exposures On Translation Regulatory Factor S6 In Human Immune Cells, Meaghan Lewis, Amanda Ruff, Margaret Whalen Mar 2022

Effects Of Dibutyltin Exposures On Translation Regulatory Factor S6 In Human Immune Cells, Meaghan Lewis, Amanda Ruff, Margaret Whalen

Student Research

Dibutyltin is an organotin contaminating the environment through its use as a stabilizer in polyvinylchloride, PVC plastics. DBT has been found in drinking water and beverages, such as beer and wine, due to leaching from the PVC plastics used during the distribution of these drinks. Along with PVC plastics, DBT has been used as a deworming agent in poultry, infiltrating additional food products and increasing the exposure of the toxin to humans. Due to its multiple uses, it has entered the food chain and has been detected in human blood at levels as high as 0.3μM. Inflammatory cytokines are important …


Developmental Staging And Morphological Comparisons Of Four Fern Gametophyte Species From The Santa Monica Mountains, Tristan Furlong Mar 2022

Developmental Staging And Morphological Comparisons Of Four Fern Gametophyte Species From The Santa Monica Mountains, Tristan Furlong

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The fern life cycle alternates between two distinct phases: a diploid sporophyte phase consisting of the “adult” fern, and a haploid gametophyte phase. Early events and changes in gametophyte development can have considerable consequences in the morphologies of these different fern species and may facilitate the various adaptive strategies employed by the gametophytes in their different habitats. This study investigates early developmental events in the gametophytes of four different fern species found in the Santa Monica Mountains, Adiantum jordanii (chaparral understory, summer deciduous sporophyte), Woodwardia fimbriata (riparian stream), Dryopteris arguta (chaparral understory, evergreen), and Pentagramma triangularis (chaparral understory, resurrection sporophyte). …


Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals And Breast Cancer: Disparities In Exposure And Importance Of Research Inclusivity, Ashlie Santaliz Casiano, Annah Lee, Dede Teteh, Zeynep Madak Erdogan, Lindsey Trevino Mar 2022

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals And Breast Cancer: Disparities In Exposure And Importance Of Research Inclusivity, Ashlie Santaliz Casiano, Annah Lee, Dede Teteh, Zeynep Madak Erdogan, Lindsey Trevino

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are known contributors to breast cancer development. EDC exposures commonly occur through food packaging, cookware, fabrics, and personal care products as well as through the environment. Increasing evidence highlights disparities in EDC exposure across racial/ethnic groups, yet breast cancer research continues to lack the inclusion necessary to positively impact treatment response and overall survival in these socially disadvantaged populations. Additionally, the inequity in environmental exposures has yet to be remedied. Exposure to EDCs due to structural racism poses an unequivocal risk to marginalized communities. In this review, we summarize recent epidemiological and molecular studies on two lesser-studied …


The Role Of Eicosanoid Metabolism In Mammalian Wound Healing And Inflammation, Kenneth D. Maus Mar 2022

The Role Of Eicosanoid Metabolism In Mammalian Wound Healing And Inflammation, Kenneth D. Maus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory wounds, both chronic and acute, lead to increased morbidity and mortality rates, especially in the elderly population. The annual healthcare cost for chronic wound care alone is over $39B in the US and the demographic of susceptible patients is steadily increasing due to an aging population and lifestyle-related diseases (e.g., hyperlipidemia, obesity, and type 2 diabetes). In fact, many chronic wounds currently have a worse 5-year outlook than certain types of cancers. This shows the need for expediting the wound healing process in such a way that compresses inflammatory signaling and encourages wound resolution without sacrificing pathogen removal and …


Body Mass Index And Diabetes Mellitus May Predict Poorer Overall Survival Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: A Retrospective Cohort From A Tertiary-Care Center Of A Resource-Limited Country, Yumna Adnan, Syed Muhammad Adnan Ali, Mohammad Sohail Awan, Nida Zahid, Muhammad Ozair Awan, Hammad Afzal Kayani, Hasnain Ahmed Farooqui Mar 2022

Body Mass Index And Diabetes Mellitus May Predict Poorer Overall Survival Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: A Retrospective Cohort From A Tertiary-Care Center Of A Resource-Limited Country, Yumna Adnan, Syed Muhammad Adnan Ali, Mohammad Sohail Awan, Nida Zahid, Muhammad Ozair Awan, Hammad Afzal Kayani, Hasnain Ahmed Farooqui

Department of Surgery Docs

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the highest-ranking cancers among both genders in Pakistan. Obesity is linked to a much higher risk for developing multiple cancer types. Individuals with Diabetes mellitus (DM) face an increased risk for developing oral cancer. Hence, the objective of this study was to identify the effect of obesity and DM on the prognosis of OSCC patients.
Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on 386 patients diagnosed and treated for OSCC at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Patient information was obtained from hospital medical records. Obesity was defined as having …


Delineating The Exocytic Fusion Machinery Required For Mast Cell Exocytosis, Pratikshya Adhikari Mar 2022

Delineating The Exocytic Fusion Machinery Required For Mast Cell Exocytosis, Pratikshya Adhikari

Dissertations

Mast cells undergo exocytosis to release a wide array of inflammatory mediators by utilizing membrane fusion proteins-SNAREs (soluble-N-ethyl-maleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) along with essential regulatory Munc18 and Munc13 proteins. Accumulating evidence in mast cell biology suggests the existence of distinct pools of mast cell mediators. However, the precise mechanism underlying the release of each mast cell mediator is not clear. To determine whether different exocytic machineries are required for differential mediator release, I used reconstitution to investigate the differential role of Munc18s in fusion machinery regulation. Munc18a and Munc18c stimulated VAMP2 and VAMP3-mediated lipid mixing, whereas Munc18b only …


Re-Evaluation Of The Fijianolide/Laulimalide Chemotype Suggests An Alternate Mechanism Of Action For C-15/C-20 Analogs., Joseph D. Morris, Leila Takahashi-Ruiz, Lauren N. Persi, Jonathan C. Summers, Erin P. Mccauley, Peter Y. W. Chan, Gabriella Amberchan, Itzel Lizama-Chamu, David A. Coppage, Phillip Crews, April L. Risinger, Tyler A. Johnson Mar 2022

Re-Evaluation Of The Fijianolide/Laulimalide Chemotype Suggests An Alternate Mechanism Of Action For C-15/C-20 Analogs., Joseph D. Morris, Leila Takahashi-Ruiz, Lauren N. Persi, Jonathan C. Summers, Erin P. Mccauley, Peter Y. W. Chan, Gabriella Amberchan, Itzel Lizama-Chamu, David A. Coppage, Phillip Crews, April L. Risinger, Tyler A. Johnson

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

Herein, we report on naturally derived microtubule stabilizers with activity against triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, including paclitaxel, fijianolide B/laulimalide (3), fijianolide B di-acetate (4), and two new semisynthetic analogs of 3, which include fijianolide J (5) and fijianolide L (6). Similar to paclitaxel, compound 3 demonstrated classic microtubule stabilizing activity with potent (GI50 = 0.7–17 nM) antiproliferative efficacy among the five molecularly distinct TNBC cell lines. Alternatively, compounds 5 or 6, generated from oxidation of C-20 or C-15 and C-20 respectively, resulted in a unique profile with …


Impact Of Arginine Metabolism And Sensing In Mouse Models Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Chao Ma Mar 2022

Impact Of Arginine Metabolism And Sensing In Mouse Models Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Chao Ma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains the most common neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system (CNS), with amyloidosis and tauopathy as their two main hallmarks. Typical AD pathologies include cerebral plaques deposited by amyloid-β, neurofibrillary tangles aggregated by tau, and neuroinflammation caused by activated brain myeloid cells. A critical theme is centered on impaired brain metabolism. Emerging evidence showed that impaired arginine metabolism was a novel biomarker pathway for AD. The manipulation of arginine metabolism by a critical enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1) in neurons indicated therapeutic benefits in alleviating tau pathology. Balanced cellular proteostasis was governed by the mechanistic target of …


Assessment Of Diversity Of Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotypes And Genotypes Of Mannheimia Haemolytica Isolates From Bovine Nasopharyngeal Swabs, Hannah F. Carter, Robert W. Wills, Matthew A. Scott, Alexis C. Thompson, Randall S. Singer, John Dustin Loy, Brandi B. Karisch, William B. Epperson, Amelia R. Woolums Mar 2022

Assessment Of Diversity Of Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotypes And Genotypes Of Mannheimia Haemolytica Isolates From Bovine Nasopharyngeal Swabs, Hannah F. Carter, Robert W. Wills, Matthew A. Scott, Alexis C. Thompson, Randall S. Singer, John Dustin Loy, Brandi B. Karisch, William B. Epperson, Amelia R. Woolums

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The threat of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) for cattle operations is exacerbated by increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mannheimia haemolytica, a leading cause of BRD. Characterization of AMR in M. haemolytica by culture and susceptibility testing is complicated by uncertainty regarding the number of colonies that must be selected to accurately characterize AMR phenotypes (antibiograms) and genotypes in a culture. The study objective was to assess phenotypic and genotypic diversity of M. haemolytica isolates on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) from 28 cattle at risk for BRD or with BRD. NPS were swabbed onto five consecutive blood agar plates; …


Characterization Of SccMec Instability In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Affecting Adjacent Chromosomal Regions, Including The Gene For Staphylococcal Protein A (Spa), Isabella A. Tickler, Fred C. Tenover, C. R. Scharn, R. V. Goering Mar 2022

Characterization Of SccMec Instability In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Affecting Adjacent Chromosomal Regions, Including The Gene For Staphylococcal Protein A (Spa), Isabella A. Tickler, Fred C. Tenover, C. R. Scharn, R. V. Goering

Biology Faculty Publications

Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) represents a sequence of clear clinical and diagnostic importance in staphylococci. At a minimum the chromosomal cassette contains the mecA gene encoding PBP2a but frequently also includes additional antibiotic resistance genes (e.g., ermA and aadC; macrolide and aminoglycoside resistance, respectively). Certain regions within SCCmec elements are hot spots for sequence instability due to cassette-specific recombinases and a variety of internal mobile elements. SCCmec changes may affect not only cassette stability but the integrity of adjacent chromosomal sequences (e.g., the staphylococcal protein A gene; spa). We investigated SCCmec stability …


Breaks In Longitudinal Elastic Fibers Of Human Femoropopliteal Arteries, Elham Zamani Mar 2022

Breaks In Longitudinal Elastic Fibers Of Human Femoropopliteal Arteries, Elham Zamani

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Breaks in Longitudinal Elastic Fibers of Human Femoropopliteal Arteries

Elham Zamani1, Majid Jadidi1

1 Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE

Introduction: Elastin is a major protein in the body with half-life >50 years. It is thought that elastic fibers are formed before the postnatal period. In the femoropopliteal artery (FPA), the main artery in the leg, longitudinal elastic fibers are present in External Elastic Lamina (EEL). Our team has studied more than 1000 cadaveric human FPA and has noticed that there are big breaks in their longitudinal elastic fibers in some subjects. Our goal in this work …


Conventional Therapies Deplete Brain-Infiltrating Adaptive Immune Cells In A Mouse Model Of Group 3 Medulloblastoma Implicating Myeloid Cells As Favorable Immunotherapy Targets, Zahra Abbas, Courtney George, Mathew Ancliffe, Meegan Howlett, Anya C. Jones, Mani Kuchibhotla, Robert J. Wechsler-Reya, Nicholas G. Gottardo, Raelene Endersby Mar 2022

Conventional Therapies Deplete Brain-Infiltrating Adaptive Immune Cells In A Mouse Model Of Group 3 Medulloblastoma Implicating Myeloid Cells As Favorable Immunotherapy Targets, Zahra Abbas, Courtney George, Mathew Ancliffe, Meegan Howlett, Anya C. Jones, Mani Kuchibhotla, Robert J. Wechsler-Reya, Nicholas G. Gottardo, Raelene Endersby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Medulloblastoma is the most common childhood brain cancer. Mainstay treatments of radiation and chemotherapy have not changed in decades and new treatment approaches are crucial for the improvement of clinical outcomes. To date, immunotherapies for medulloblastoma have been unsuccessful, and studies investigating the immune microenvironment of the disease and the impact of current therapies are limited. Preclinical models that recapitulate both the disease and immune environment are essential for understanding immune-tumor interactions and to aid the identification of new and effective immunotherapies. Using an immune-competent mouse model of aggressive Myc-driven medulloblastoma, we characterized the brain immune microenvironment and changes induced …