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Cancer Biology Commons

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Medicine and Health Sciences

2015

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Full-Text Articles in Cancer Biology

Pvt1 Exon 9: A Potential Biomarker Of Aggressive Prostate Cancer?, Adeodat Ilboudo, Jyoti Chouhan, Brian K. Mcneil, Joseph R. Osborne, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi Dec 2015

Pvt1 Exon 9: A Potential Biomarker Of Aggressive Prostate Cancer?, Adeodat Ilboudo, Jyoti Chouhan, Brian K. Mcneil, Joseph R. Osborne, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi

Publications and Research

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer as well as the greatest source of cancer-related mortality in males of African ancestry (MoAA). Interestingly, this has been shown to be associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms around regions 2 and 3 of the 8q24 human chromosomal region. The non-protein coding gene locus Plasmacytoma Variant Translocation 1 (PVT1) is located at 8q24 and is overexpressed in PCa and, therefore, is also a candidate biomarker to explain the well-known disparity in this group. PVT1 has at least 12 exons that make separate transcripts which may have different functions, all of which are …


Erbeta Regulation Of Nf-Kb Activation In Prostate Cancer Is Mediated By Hif-1, Paul Mak, Jiarong Li, Sanjoy Samanta, Arthur M. Mercurio Dec 2015

Erbeta Regulation Of Nf-Kb Activation In Prostate Cancer Is Mediated By Hif-1, Paul Mak, Jiarong Li, Sanjoy Samanta, Arthur M. Mercurio

Arthur M. Mercurio

We examined the regulation of NF-kappaB in prostate cancer by estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) based on the inverse correlation between p65 and ERbeta expression that exists in prostate carcinomas and reports that ERbeta can inhibit NF-kappaB activation, although the mechanism is not known. We demonstrate that ERbeta functions as a gate-keeper for NF-kappaB p65 signaling by repressing its expression and nuclear translocation. ERbeta regulation of NF-kappaB signaling is mediated by HIF-1. Loss of ERbeta or hypoxia stabilizes HIF-1alpha, which we found to be a direct driver of IKKbeta transcription through a hypoxia response element present in the promoter of the …


The Tumor Suppressor Notch Inhibits Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Hnscc) Tumor Growth And Progression By Modulating Proto-Oncogenes Axl And Ctnnal1 (Α-Catulin), Shhyam Moorthy, Shhyam Moorthy Dec 2015

The Tumor Suppressor Notch Inhibits Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Hnscc) Tumor Growth And Progression By Modulating Proto-Oncogenes Axl And Ctnnal1 (Α-Catulin), Shhyam Moorthy, Shhyam Moorthy

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Background: Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide, with roughly 300,000 cancer related deaths occurring globally each year. The survival of patients with HNSCC has not changed significantly over the past decade, leading investigators to search for promising molecular targets. To identify new treatment targets and biomarkers that could better guide therapy, we previously characterized the genomic alterations from primary HNSCC patient samples. We were among the first to discover that NOTCH1 is one of the most frequently mutated genes in this cancer type. The spectrum of inactivating NOTCH1 mutations in HNSCC suggested …


Identifying Protein Kinase Tbk1 As A Novel Inhibitor Of Intestinal Tumorigenesis, Amber L. Mathews Dec 2015

Identifying Protein Kinase Tbk1 As A Novel Inhibitor Of Intestinal Tumorigenesis, Amber L. Mathews

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer diagnosed in women and men, causing almost 600,000 annual deaths worldwide. There is a clear need to understand how CRC forms and progresses in order to improve the strategies of CRC prevention and therapy. A major factor that drives the development of CRC is genetic mutations that lead to activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). In addition, the initiation and progression of CRC involve environmental and immunological factors. In particular, chronic inflammatory conditions are known as an important risk factor for CRC. Intestinal …


Normal Glycolytic Enzyme Activity Is Critical For Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a Activity And Provides Novel Targets For Inhibiting Tumor Growth, Geoffrey Grandjean Phd Dec 2015

Normal Glycolytic Enzyme Activity Is Critical For Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a Activity And Provides Novel Targets For Inhibiting Tumor Growth, Geoffrey Grandjean Phd

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Normal Glycolytic Enzyme Activity is Critical for Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α Activity and Provides Novel Targets for Inhibiting Tumor Growth

By Geoffrey Grandjean

Advisory Professor: Garth Powis, D. Phil

Unique to proliferating cancer cells is the observation that their increased need for energy is provided by a high rate of glycolysis followed by lactic acid fermentation in a process known as the Warburg Effect, a process many times less efficient than oxidative phosphorylation employed by normal cells to satisfy a similar energy demand [1]. This high rate of glycolysis occurs regardless of the concentration of oxygen in the cell and …


The Chemopreventive Effect Of Polymethoxyflavones: Targeting The Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells, Fei Xu Nov 2015

The Chemopreventive Effect Of Polymethoxyflavones: Targeting The Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells, Fei Xu

Doctoral Dissertations

Among all the cancers, the death rate of colorectal cancer is one of the highest. Evidence from both murine xenograft model and human trials have shown cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for the initiation, metastasis and recurrence of multiple cancers therefore targeting colorectal CSCs would be a promising chemo-preventive/ therapeutic strategy. Polymethoxyflavones including nobiletin (NBT) and 5-demethylatednobiletin (5DN) are exclusively found in citrus peels and have been shown to have anti-cancer effects. Our previous studies in the biotransformation and tissue distribution of NBT and 5DN have shown that in order to fuller evaluate the biological impact of those two …


Real-Time Detection Of Breast Cancer Cells Using Peptidefunctionalized Microcantilever Arrays, Hashem Etayash, Keren Jiang, Sarfuddin Azmi, Thomas Thundat, Kamaljit Kaur Oct 2015

Real-Time Detection Of Breast Cancer Cells Using Peptidefunctionalized Microcantilever Arrays, Hashem Etayash, Keren Jiang, Sarfuddin Azmi, Thomas Thundat, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ligand-directed targeting and capturing of cancer cells is a new approach for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Ligands such as antibodies have been successfully used for capturing cancer cells and an antibody based system (CellSearch®) is currently used clinically to enumerate CTCs. Here we report the use of a peptide moiety in conjunction with a microcantilever array system to selectively detect CTCs resulting from cancer, specifically breast cancer. A sensing microcantilever, functionalized with a breast cancer specific peptide 18-4 (WxEAAYQrFL), showed significant deflection on cancer cell (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) binding compared to when exposed to noncancerous (MCF10A and HUVEC) cells. …


Clinical Significance Of The Integrin Α6Β4 In Human Malignancies, Rachel L Stewart, Kathleen L O'Connor Sep 2015

Clinical Significance Of The Integrin Α6Β4 In Human Malignancies, Rachel L Stewart, Kathleen L O'Connor

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Integrin α6β4 is a cellular adhesion molecule that binds to laminins in the extracellular matrix and nucleates the formation of hemidesmosomes. During carcinoma progression, integrin α6β4 is released from hemidesmosomes, where it can then signal to facilitate multiple aspects of tumor progression including sustaining proliferative signaling, tumor invasion and metastasis, evasion of apoptosis, and stimulation of angiogenesis. The integrin achieves these ends by cooperating with growth factor receptors including EGFR, ErbB-2, and c-Met to amplify downstream pathways such as PI3K, AKT, MAPK, and the Rho family small GTPases. Furthermore, it dramatically alters the transcriptome …


Engineering Novel Detection And Treatment Strategies For Bacterial Therapy Of Cancer, Jan T. Panteli Aug 2015

Engineering Novel Detection And Treatment Strategies For Bacterial Therapy Of Cancer, Jan T. Panteli

Doctoral Dissertations

Finding and treating cancer is difficult due to limited sensitivity and specificity of current detection and treatment strategies. Many chemotherapeutic drugs are small molecules that are limited by diffusion, making it difficult to reach cancer sites requiring high doses that lead to systemic toxicity and off-target effects. Tomographic detection techniques, like PET, MRI and CT, are good at identifying macroscopic lesions in the body but are limited in their ability to detect microscopic lesions. Biomarker detection strategies are extremely sensitive and able to identify ng/ml concentrations of protein, but are poor at discriminating between healthy and disease state levels due …


Mimicking The Arterial Microenvironment With Peg-Pc To Investigate The Roles Of Physicochemical Stimuli In Smc Phenotype And Behavior, William G. Herrick Aug 2015

Mimicking The Arterial Microenvironment With Peg-Pc To Investigate The Roles Of Physicochemical Stimuli In Smc Phenotype And Behavior, William G. Herrick

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation was to parse the roles of physical, mechanical and chemical cues in the phenotype plasticity of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in atherosclerosis. We first developed and characterized a novel synthetic hydrogel with desirable traits for studying mechanotransduction in vitro. This hydrogel, PEG-PC, is a co-polymer of poly(ethylene glycol) and phosphorylcholine with an incredible range of Young’s moduli (~1 kPa - 9 MPa) that enables reproduction of nearly any tissue stiffness, exceptional optical and anti-fouling properties, and support for covalent attachment of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. To our knowledge, this combination of mechanical range, low …


Crosstalk Between Brca-Fanconi Anemia And Mismatch Repair Pathways Prevents Msh2-Dependent Aberrant Dna Damage Responses, Min Peng, Jenny X. Xie, Anna J. Ucher, Janet Stavnezer, Sharon B. Cantor Aug 2015

Crosstalk Between Brca-Fanconi Anemia And Mismatch Repair Pathways Prevents Msh2-Dependent Aberrant Dna Damage Responses, Min Peng, Jenny X. Xie, Anna J. Ucher, Janet Stavnezer, Sharon B. Cantor

Janet M. Stavnezer

Several proteins in the BRCA-Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway, such as FANCJ, BRCA1, and FANCD2, interact with mismatch repair (MMR) pathway factors, but the significance of this link remains unknown. Unlike the BRCA-FA pathway, the MMR pathway is not essential for cells to survive toxic DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), although MMR proteins bind ICLs and other DNA structures that form at stalled replication forks. We hypothesized that MMR proteins corrupt ICL repair in cells that lack crosstalk between BRCA-FA and MMR pathways. Here, we show that ICL sensitivity of cells lacking the interaction between FANCJ and the MMR protein MLH1 is …


Investigating The Role Of Cholesterol Metabolism And Synthesis In Metastasis And Radiation Response In Aggressive Subtypes Of Breast Cancer, Adam Wolfe Aug 2015

Investigating The Role Of Cholesterol Metabolism And Synthesis In Metastasis And Radiation Response In Aggressive Subtypes Of Breast Cancer, Adam Wolfe

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Aggressive breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), metastasize at a high rate and are notoriously resistant to standard treatments. Research has shown diets high in cholesterol increase the incidence of aggressive breast cancers and pre-clinical research has shown cholesterol can fuel the growth of breast cancer in vivo. Studies at MD Anderson have shown that IBC patients taking cholesterol lowering drugs, statins, have improved survival outcomes, and also statins can improve the response to radiation in vitro. Furthermore, statins have been shown to target the cells with stem like-properties called cancer stem cells (CSCs) which …


Na/K-Atpase Mimetic Pnaktide Peptide Inhibits The Growth Of Human Cancer Cells, Zhichuan Li, Zhongbing Zhang, Joe X. Xie, Xin Li, Jiang Tian, Ting Cai, Hongaun Cui, Hanfei Ding, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Zijian Xie Jul 2015

Na/K-Atpase Mimetic Pnaktide Peptide Inhibits The Growth Of Human Cancer Cells, Zhichuan Li, Zhongbing Zhang, Joe X. Xie, Xin Li, Jiang Tian, Ting Cai, Hongaun Cui, Hanfei Ding, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Zijian Xie

Zijian Xie

Cells contain a large pool of non-pumping Na/K-ATPase that participates in signal transduction. Here, we show that the expression of α1 Na/K-ATPase is significantly reduced in human prostate carcinoma as well as in several human cancer cell lines. This down-regulation impairs the ability of Na/K-ATPase to regulate Src-related signaling processes. Supplement of pNaKtide, a peptide derived from α1 Na/K-ATPase, reduces activities of Src and Src effectors. Consequently, these treatments stimulate apoptosis and inhibit growth in cultures of human cancer cells. Moreover, administration of pNaKtide inhibits angiogenesis and growth of tumor xenograft. Thus, the new findings demonstrate the in vivo effectiveness …


Na/K-Atpase Mimetic Pnaktide Peptide Inhibits The Growth Of Human Cancer Cells, Zhichuan Li, Zhongbing Zhang, Joe X. Xie, Xin Li, Jiang Tian, Ting Cai, Hongaun Cui, Hanfei Ding, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Zijian Xie Jul 2015

Na/K-Atpase Mimetic Pnaktide Peptide Inhibits The Growth Of Human Cancer Cells, Zhichuan Li, Zhongbing Zhang, Joe X. Xie, Xin Li, Jiang Tian, Ting Cai, Hongaun Cui, Hanfei Ding, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Zijian Xie

Joseph I Shapiro MD

Cells contain a large pool of non-pumping Na/K-ATPase that participates in signal transduction. Here, we show that the expression of α1 Na/K-ATPase is significantly reduced in human prostate carcinoma as well as in several human cancer cell lines. This down-regulation impairs the ability of Na/K-ATPase to regulate Src-related signaling processes. Supplement of pNaKtide, a peptide derived from α1 Na/K-ATPase, reduces activities of Src and Src effectors. Consequently, these treatments stimulate apoptosis and inhibit growth in cultures of human cancer cells. Moreover, administration of pNaKtide inhibits angiogenesis and growth of tumor xenograft. Thus, the new findings demonstrate the in vivo effectiveness …


Targeting Neddylation Induces Dna Damage And Checkpoint Activation And Sensitizes Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells To Alkylating Agents, C Paiva, J C. Godbersen, A Berger, J R. Brown, A V. Danilov Jul 2015

Targeting Neddylation Induces Dna Damage And Checkpoint Activation And Sensitizes Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells To Alkylating Agents, C Paiva, J C. Godbersen, A Berger, J R. Brown, A V. Danilov

Dartmouth Scholarship

Microenvironment-mediated upregulation of the B-cell receptor (BCR) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling in CLL cells resident in the lymph node and bone marrow promotes apoptosis evasion and clonal expansion. We recently reported that MLN4924 (pevonedistat), an investigational agent that inhibits the NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE), abrogates stromal-mediated NF-κB pathway activity and CLL cell survival. However, the NAE pathway also assists degradation of multiple other substrates. MLN4924 has been shown to induce DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, but the importance of this mechanism in primary neoplastic B cells has not been studied. Here we mimicked the lymph node microenvironment using CD40 …


Selenoprotein P Influences Colitis-Induced Tumorigenesis By Mediating Stemness And Oxidative Damage., C. W. Barrett, V. K. Reddy, S. P. Short, A. K. Motley, M. K. Lintel, A. M. Bradley, T. Freeman, J. Vallance, W. Ning, B. Parang, Shenika Poindexter Toliver Jul 2015

Selenoprotein P Influences Colitis-Induced Tumorigenesis By Mediating Stemness And Oxidative Damage., C. W. Barrett, V. K. Reddy, S. P. Short, A. K. Motley, M. K. Lintel, A. M. Bradley, T. Freeman, J. Vallance, W. Ning, B. Parang, Shenika Poindexter Toliver

Faculty and Staff Publications

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are at increased risk for colon cancer due to augmented oxidative stress. These patients also have compromised antioxidant defenses as the result of nutritional deficiencies. The micronutrient selenium is essential for selenoprotein production and is transported from the liver to target tissues via selenoprotein P (SEPP1). Target tissues also produce SEPP1, which is thought to possess an endogenous antioxidant function. Here, we have shown that mice with Sepp1 haploinsufficiency or mutations that disrupt either the selenium transport or the enzymatic domain of SEPP1 exhibit increased colitis-associated carcinogenesis as the result of increased genomic instability and …


Targeting Il13ralpha2 Activates Stat6-Tp63 Pathway To Suppress Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis, Panagiotis Papageorgis, Sait Ozturk, Arthur W. Lambert, Christiana M. Neophytou, Alexandros Tzatsos, Chen K. Wong, Sam Thiagalingam, Andreas I. Constantinou Jul 2015

Targeting Il13ralpha2 Activates Stat6-Tp63 Pathway To Suppress Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis, Panagiotis Papageorgis, Sait Ozturk, Arthur W. Lambert, Christiana M. Neophytou, Alexandros Tzatsos, Chen K. Wong, Sam Thiagalingam, Andreas I. Constantinou

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Introduction

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is an aggressive subtype often characterized by distant metastasis, poor patient prognosis, and limited treatment options. Therefore, the discovery of alternative targets to restrain its metastatic potential is urgently needed. In this study, we aimed to identify novel genes that drive metastasis of BLBC and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action.

Methods

An unbiased approach using gene expression profiling of a BLBC progression model and in silicoleveraging of pre-existing tumor transcriptomes were used to uncover metastasis-promoting genes. Lentiviral-mediated knockdown of interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Ralpha2) coupled with whole-body in vivo bioluminescence imaging was …


Numerical Simulation Of Terahertz Wave Interaction With Breast Cancer Tumor Tissue Sections, Abayomi Omotola Omolewu Jul 2015

Numerical Simulation Of Terahertz Wave Interaction With Breast Cancer Tumor Tissue Sections, Abayomi Omotola Omolewu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents numerical simulation of terahertz (THz) wave interaction with breast cancer tumor tissue sections. The obtained results are expressed in THz images of heterogeneous material that mimics the excised breast cancer tissue sections. The finite-element software package ANSYS High Frequency Structural Simulator (HFSS) was used in this work. HFSS is a full wave frequency domain three-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic simulation package. In this work, four breast cancer tissue models based on pathology images were simulated and images of the models were obtained at 1 THz. An incident Gaussian beam was raster scanned over tissue model configurations and the reflected …


Effect Of Sirna Pre-Exposure On Subsequent Response To Sirna Therapy, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Parvin Mahdipoor, Cezary Kucharski, Nicole Chan, Hasan Uludag Jul 2015

Effect Of Sirna Pre-Exposure On Subsequent Response To Sirna Therapy, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Parvin Mahdipoor, Cezary Kucharski, Nicole Chan, Hasan Uludag

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. An alternative cancer therapy based on RNA interference (RNAi) has shown considerable promise but the possibility of resistance development is not known. This study explored the possibility of therapeutic resistance against siRNA nanoparticles in human cancer cells. METHODS. Two approaches to siRNA treatment were undertaken using lipid-modified polyethylenimines, a single high concentration (shock) and repeated increasing concentrations (gradual). The targets were Mcl-1, RPS6KA5 and KSP in MDA-MB-435 cells. RESULTS. There was no evidence of resistance development in shock-treated cells, while the decrease in mRNA levels of targeted proteins was not as robust in naïve cells in gradual treatment. However, …


Investigating The Role Of Hydrogen Sulfide In The Survival, Growth And Angiogenic Potential Of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines And Xenografts, Eric Sonke Jun 2015

Investigating The Role Of Hydrogen Sulfide In The Survival, Growth And Angiogenic Potential Of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines And Xenografts, Eric Sonke

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized by Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-deficiency, resulting in pseudohypoxic, angiogenic and glycolytic tumours. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenously-produced gasotransmitter that accumulates under hypoxia and has been shown to be pro-angiogenic and cytoprotective in cancer. It was hypothesized that H2S levels are elevated in VHL-deficient ccRCC, contributing to survival, metabolism, and angiogenesis. Using H2S-specific probes, it was found that H2S levels were higher in VHL-deficient ccRCC cell lines compared to cells with wild-type VHL. Inhibition of H2S-producing enzymes could reduce the proliferation, metabolism …


Klf4-Sqstm1/P62-Associated Prosurvival Autophagy Contributes To Carfilzomib Resistance In Multiple Myeloma Models., Irene Riz, Teresa S. Hawley, Robert G. Hawley Jun 2015

Klf4-Sqstm1/P62-Associated Prosurvival Autophagy Contributes To Carfilzomib Resistance In Multiple Myeloma Models., Irene Riz, Teresa S. Hawley, Robert G. Hawley

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable clonal plasma cell malignancy. Because of a high rate of immunoglobulin synthesis, the endoplasmic reticulum of MM cells is subjected to elevated basal levels of stress. Consequently, proteasome inhibitors, which exacerbate this stress by inhibiting ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated protein degradation, are an important new class of chemotherapeutic agents being used to combat this disease. However, MM cells still develop resistance to proteasome inhibitors such as carfilzomib. Toward this end, we have established carfilzomib-resistant derivatives of MM cell lines. We found that resistance to carfilzomib was associated with elevated levels of prosurvival autophagy, and Kruppel-like factor 4 …


Prostate Tumorigenesis Induced By Pten Deletion Involves Estrogen Receptor Beta Repression, Paul Mak, Jianrong Li, Sanjoy Samanta, Cheng Chang, D. Joseph Jerry, Roger J. Davis, Irwin Leav, Arthur M. Mercurio May 2015

Prostate Tumorigenesis Induced By Pten Deletion Involves Estrogen Receptor Beta Repression, Paul Mak, Jianrong Li, Sanjoy Samanta, Cheng Chang, D. Joseph Jerry, Roger J. Davis, Irwin Leav, Arthur M. Mercurio

Arthur M. Mercurio

The role of ERbeta in prostate cancer is unclear, although loss of ERbeta is associated with aggressive disease. Given that mice deficient in ERbeta do not develop prostate cancer, we hypothesized that ERbeta loss occurs as a consequence of tumorigenesis caused by other oncogenic mechanisms and that its loss is necessary for tumorigenesis. In support of this hypothesis, we found that ERbeta is targeted for repression in prostate cancer caused by PTEN deletion and that loss of ERbeta is important for tumor formation. ERbeta transcription is repressed by BMI-1, which is induced by PTEN deletion and important for prostate tumorigenesis. …


A Laminin 511 Matrix Is Regulated By Taz And Functions As The Ligand For The Alpha6bbeta1 Integrin To Sustain Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Cheng Chang, Hira Lal Goel, Huijie Gao, Bryan M. Pursell, Leonard D. Shultz, Dale L. Greiner, Sulev Ingerpuu, Manuel Patarroyo, Shiliang Cao, Elgene Lim, Junhao Mao, Karen Kulju. Mckee, Peter D. Yurchenco, Arthur M. Mercurio May 2015

A Laminin 511 Matrix Is Regulated By Taz And Functions As The Ligand For The Alpha6bbeta1 Integrin To Sustain Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Cheng Chang, Hira Lal Goel, Huijie Gao, Bryan M. Pursell, Leonard D. Shultz, Dale L. Greiner, Sulev Ingerpuu, Manuel Patarroyo, Shiliang Cao, Elgene Lim, Junhao Mao, Karen Kulju. Mckee, Peter D. Yurchenco, Arthur M. Mercurio

Arthur M. Mercurio

Understanding how the extracellular matrix impacts the function of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a significant but poorly understood problem. We report that breast CSCs produce a laminin (LM) 511 matrix that promotes self-renewal and tumor initiation by engaging the alpha6Bbeta1 integrin and activating the Hippo transducer TAZ. Although TAZ is important for the function of breast CSCs, the mechanism is unknown. We observed that TAZ regulates the transcription of the alpha5 subunit of LM511 and the formation of a LM511 matrix. These data establish a positive feedback loop involving TAZ and LM511 that contributes to stemness in breast cancer.


Analyzation Of Metabolic Reprogramming In Drug-Resistant Mcf-7 Cells, Derick Han, Ho Leung, Andrew Vo May 2015

Analyzation Of Metabolic Reprogramming In Drug-Resistant Mcf-7 Cells, Derick Han, Ho Leung, Andrew Vo

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Warburg effect states that cancer cells mainly receive their energy from anaerobic glycolysis. Thus, mitochondria play a different role in the metabolism of cancer cells as opposed to normal, healthy cells. In chemotherapy, there is always a chance of the cancer regressing. Making drug-resistant cancer cells to analyze their metabolism may change how cancer is treated. This study aimed to create drug-resistant MCF-7 cell lines with doxorubicin in order to determine the metabolic changes that have occurred in the process of becoming resistant to drug treatments.


Exploring Egr-1 As A Master Regulator Of Prostate Field Cancerization, Kristin Gabriel, Marco Bisoffi May 2015

Exploring Egr-1 As A Master Regulator Of Prostate Field Cancerization, Kristin Gabriel, Marco Bisoffi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Field cancerization denotes the presence of molecular aberrations (genetic, epigenetic, biochemical) in structurally intact cells residing in histologically normal tissues adjacent to tumors. Markers of field cancerization in prostate tissues have the potential to improve the clinical management of this malignancy through their potential to act as indicators of early disease and to serve as molecular targets for early intervention. However, for this, a detailed understanding of the functional pathways underlying field cancerization is necessary. We have recently identified four protein markers of prostate field cancerization, i.e. the key transcription factor early growth response 1 (EGR-1), the lipogenic enzyme fatty …


Prostate Field Cancerization – Thinking Outside The Tumor, Dor Shoshan May 2015

Prostate Field Cancerization – Thinking Outside The Tumor, Dor Shoshan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Analysis of tumor adjacent tissue is assumed to reveal a temporal record of molecular pathways that define oncogenesis. The present study determines expression of the key transcription factor and potential marker of field cancerization early growth response 1 (EGR-1) in human prostate tissues derived from prostatectomies and biopsies. Expression was detected using immunofluorescence and quantified using ImageJ software. Accordingly, EGR-1 expression was similar in cancerous and in histologically normal adjacent tissues from prostatectomy and biopsy specimens. EGR-1 could be exploited as pre-surgical disease indicator in false negative biopsies, identify areas of repeat biopsy, and add molecular information to surgical margins.


Clinical Applications Of A Combination Chemotherapy Using 8-Chloro Camp And 8-Chloro Adenosine, Erik Munoz, Andrea Saich, Andrew Cox, Yu-An Peter Chang May 2015

Clinical Applications Of A Combination Chemotherapy Using 8-Chloro Camp And 8-Chloro Adenosine, Erik Munoz, Andrea Saich, Andrew Cox, Yu-An Peter Chang

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Dr. Cho-Chung from the NIH first thought to use halogenated cAMP derivatives as competitive inhibitors of cAMP to slow down cancer cell mitosis. While the iodine and bromine substituted versions showed very little therapeutic actions, 8-Chloro cAMP has been shown to have strong anti-cancer effects. This has been shown in the phase II clinical trials this drug has undergone. However, these trials have had issues with solubility and toxicity. The drug is similar to vitamin C and is excreted quickly. Scientists tried to overcome this by using a peristaltic pump to give patients a continuous dosage, but this proved too …


Effect Of Curcumin Analog Ca27 On Androgen Receptor Translocation In Prostate Cancer Cells, Lijah Vann Gardner May 2015

Effect Of Curcumin Analog Ca27 On Androgen Receptor Translocation In Prostate Cancer Cells, Lijah Vann Gardner

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The androgen receptor (AR) plays an essential role in promoting the development and progression of metastatic prostate cancer and represents an important molecular target for therapeutic intervention. We have recently described a series of synthetic analogs of the natural product diferuloylmethane (curcumin), some of which induce the down-regulation of AR expression in prostate cancer cells by an as yet largely unknown mechanism of action. While such analogs may in the long term be lead structures for the development of therapeutic drugs, we hypothesize here that they represent ideal molecular probes to identify the mechanism(s) of action for AR down-regulation. We …


Effect Of Cmvil-10 On Exosome Production By Human Breast Cancer Cells, Susanna N. Basappa May 2015

Effect Of Cmvil-10 On Exosome Production By Human Breast Cancer Cells, Susanna N. Basappa

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous virus that infects 70-90% of the general population, primarily the immunocompromised, but has been implicated in several forms of cancer, including breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women in North America, usually from metastasis. Exosomes are 30-100nm vesicles produced by most cells which carry protein and RNA to cells in their microenvironment. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of HCMV-infection of a secreted viral cytokine, cmvIL-10, on exosome production by highly metastatic breast cancer cells.

MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in vitro, …


Investigation Of Zyflamend On Ampk Signaling And Potential Interactions Of Its Components, Yi Zhao May 2015

Investigation Of Zyflamend On Ampk Signaling And Potential Interactions Of Its Components, Yi Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

The reductionist approach contributes greatly to our understanding of anticancer properties of phytonutrients, but in vitro studies demand concentrations that are 100-1000 times higher than achievable in humans, producing results with little physiologic relevance, resulting in disappointing outcomes in clinical trials. However, maintaining these bioactives in the presence of other compounds originally derived from the food/extract of origin may synergistically lower the bioactive dose so translatability becomes feasible. The first objective of this study was to determine if bioefficacy of phytonutrients can be enhanced when used in combination at doses that are ineffective when used in isolation. In this project, …