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Full-Text Articles in Cancer Biology
Host Cell Responses Modulate Oncolytic Viral Treatment Of Neuroblastoma Cells, Kritika Kedarinath
Host Cell Responses Modulate Oncolytic Viral Treatment Of Neuroblastoma Cells, Kritika Kedarinath
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Neuroblastoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer that is poorly responsive to traditional cancer therapies. Oncolytic viral (OV) vectors such as Zika virus (ZIKV) and Parainfluenza virus type 5 (P/V virus) are promising neuroblastoma therapeutics, but the role of innate immune responses in the effectiveness of OV killing is not well understood. Previous studies showed the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS (expressing low CD24) had low permissivity for ZIKV infection, and this restriction was relieved by ectopic CD24 expression (CD24-high cells). Compared to permissive CD24-high cells, the non-permissive CD24-low cells had elevated basal levels of IRF-1, NF?B and phosphorylated STAT1; these cells …
Deciphering The Role And Clinical Application Of The Fgfr4-Klb-Fgf19 Axis In Colorectal Neoplastic Progression, Michael Rohr
Deciphering The Role And Clinical Application Of The Fgfr4-Klb-Fgf19 Axis In Colorectal Neoplastic Progression, Michael Rohr
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common and third deadliest cancer worldwide with rising incidence rates attributed to environmental risk factors like diet. Investigating how these factors impact carcinogenesis requires an understanding of how transcriptional events evolve with respect to neoplastic progression. We employed meta-transcriptomics and latent trajectory modeling to establish a compendium of profiled healthy, adenoma, and CRC samples scored by their position along a pseudotemporal axis. By interpolating a continuous scale from cross-sectional data, dynamic processes occurring throughout disease progression can be analyzed more accurately. For example, smaller pseudotimes represented pre-malignant dysplasia and was characterized by cellular …
Evaluating Novel Combinations Of Polyamine Targeting Therapeutics In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Sai Preethi Nakkina
Evaluating Novel Combinations Of Polyamine Targeting Therapeutics In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Sai Preethi Nakkina
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Pancreatic cancer overall has a poor five-year survival rate of less than 8%. Well-tolerated regimens and immune cell infiltration to promote anti-cancer treatments are major challenges. Studies described herein leveraged testing different combinations/doses of polyamine targeting inhibitors to further understand the impact of targeting key polyamine pathway mediators in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Placebo controls were compared to groups treated with difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, a polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase), different polyamine transport inhibitors, and compound combinations in strategies for polyamine blockage therapy (PBT). Informatic analyses showed that the dysregulation of key polyamine pathway mediators are associated with poor patient …
The Motuporamines Act Through Rho1 And Rac To Control Actin Dynamics In Drosophila, Corey Seavey
The Motuporamines Act Through Rho1 And Rac To Control Actin Dynamics In Drosophila, Corey Seavey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Given that most cancer patients die from metastatic disease, there is an urgent need to develop drugs that inhibit the spread of tumors. Studies show that the motuporamines activate the small GTPase RhoA to prevent cancer cell migration, but little is known about the mechanism of action of dihydromotuporamine C (Motu33) and its synthetic derivative Motu-(CH2)-33. In the present study, I investigated the biomolecular processes of these compounds in Drosophila by reducing the gene dose of positive and negative regulators of actin dynamics. Consistent with previous findings, reduced gene dose of Rho1 (the Drosophila RhoA ortholog) attenuates motuporamine activity confirming …
Development Of Adjunctive Agents For Difluoromethylornithine Anti-Cancer Therapy, Aiste Dobrovolskaite
Development Of Adjunctive Agents For Difluoromethylornithine Anti-Cancer Therapy, Aiste Dobrovolskaite
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The native polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are small positively-charged molecules that can interact with negatively-charged macromolecules like DNA, RNA and proteins. These interactions aid in nucleic acid and protein conformational stability, thereby, making polyamines essential building blocks for cells. Polyamines are involved in various cellular functions including gene regulation, protein synthesis, and cell proliferation. Rapidly-proliferating cells, such as cancer cells, utilize high polyamine levels for cell growth. Targeting the polyamine addiction of cancers is a validated anti-cancer strategy. To achieve the maximal reduction of polyamine levels, polyamine blocking therapy (PBT) employs several compounds in combination. First, one can inhibit …
Bacterial Association Networks From Healthy And Cancer-Associated Gut Microbiomes, Mark Loftus
Bacterial Association Networks From Healthy And Cancer-Associated Gut Microbiomes, Mark Loftus
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The human gastrointestinal tract is colonized by a diverse community of symbiotic microorganisms, mainly bacteria, that are known to play essential roles in maintaining the health of their human host. Disruption of this bacterial community has been associated with numerous diseases, including Colorectal Cancer (CRC). CRC is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. As such, focus has been placed on the modulation of the bacterial community within the cancer-associated gut microbiome as the next step in possible CRC treatment and prevention strategies. To use the bacterial community for these purposes, a better understanding of the associations that …