Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Photon Irradation And Cisplatin Enrich Cancer Stem Cells In Ovarian Cancer, Ashley Antonissen

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) has a 5-year survival rate of less than 50%. Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest gynecological diseases and the 7th most common female cancer worldwide. Ovarian cancer patients generally have a poor prognosis despite the relatively successful treatments. When conventional cancer treatments, such as cisplatin chemotherapy and photon irradiation, are administered, residual cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) can survive, leading to CSC enrichment. CSCs are a small population of cancer cells that exhibit stem-like characteristics: quiescence (slowing of the cell cycle), differentiation, proliferation, and self-renewal to regenerate new CSCs. We hypothesized that providing cancer …

Near Infrared Gumbos And Nanogumbos For Biomedical Applications, Mi Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent advances in development of nanomaterials have provided great opportunities for cancer research. In this dissertation, nanoGUMBOS derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS) were investigated for several biomedical applications including chemotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), and drug delivery. GUMBOS are solid-phase organic salts consisting of bulky cations and anions. Similar to ionic liquids, GUMBOS display highly tunable properties with counter-ions variation, but with a defined melting point range of 25–250 °C. Nanomaterials derived from GUMBOS, i.e. nanoGUMBOS, display enhanced properties at the nanoscale level. This dissertation focuses on development of near infrared IR780 nanoGUMBOS for …

Hazardous Drug Administration In The Home Setting: Reducing Exposure Risks, Cynthia D. Huff Msn, Rn, Ocn, Crni, Cnl

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hazardous drug (HD) administration used to be contained in controlled-healthcare settings, however, the introduction of HDs for home administration has become a growing area of concern for home health agencies. The objectives of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) project aims to improve homecare nurses' knowledge of HDs and improve competency with personal protective equipment (PPE). The microsystem provides short-term homecare services for acute and chronically-ill patients. One team leader, two home infusion coordinators, and twelve registered infusion nurses participated in learning about exposure risks and PPE use with HD administration. Kotter's 8-step change theory was used to develop behavior change …

A Cytotoxic Evaluation Of A Chalcone Derivative Library On A549 Cells, Mary Elaine Kuo

Undergraduate Theses

Chalcones, a precursor to flavonoids, are chemical compounds found naturally in plants. The chalcones’ structure consists of a ketone bridge attached to two aromatic rings. Varying substituents on the aromatic rings allow for different affects, including anti-cancer properties. As a Michael acceptor, chalcones interact with pathways that cause inhibition of the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer tumors. We have screened 32 compounds for growth inhibition in lung cells that vary the flexibility and confirmation of the 3 carbon bridge between the two aromatic rings as well as the effects of electronic modifications to the aromatic ring. We have found …

Paclitaxel Enhances Oncolytic Potential Of Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 In Cancer Cells, Misagh Naderi

LSU Master's Theses

Taxanes are spindle poisons that bind to and stabilize microtubules resulting in mitotic arrest. Herpes simplex Typ-1 (HSV-1) virions utilize the microtubular network for intracellular transport during both virus entry and virus egress from infected cells. It has been reported previously that taxanes may synergize with oncolytic herpes simplex viruses in the treatment of experimental prostate and breast tumors in mice. Other reports have indicated that taxanes may inhibit viral replication in infected cells. In this study the previously characterized Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (OSVP), which was constructed in Kousoulas lab was used in conjugation with paclitaxel (taxol) …

Synthesis Of 2,4,6-Substituted Pyrrolo[2,3-D]Pyrimidines As Potential Anticancer Agents, Si Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis mainly focuses on the introduction of the background and work have been done in the areas of antifolates development, such as folate function, its three uptake mechanisms inside human cells, antifolates’ role in chemotherapy, et. al. In addition, the Structure-Activity-Relationship design rationale for the series of antifolates will also be discussed. Nevertheless, the details of synthesizing these pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as potential antifolates have been described, including chemistry reviews on the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine scaffold, and the challenges encountered and the solutions how to solve or improve in order to achieve better yield.

An Analysis Of Neurogenesis In A Mouse Model Of Chemotherapy Related Cognitive Impairment, Maxwell A. Hennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy often experience cognitive decline following treatment. This phenomenon, often dubbed “chemo brain” or “chemo fog” is usually temporary, but for a subset of survivors, these cognitive impairments can be long-lasting (>10 years) and negatively affect patients’ quality of life, career performance, and social fulfillment. While it is unclear what neurobiological mechanisms underlie chemotherapy related cognitive impairment, the majority of the animal literature has focused on adult neurogenesis. One process important for neurogenesis is the proliferation of new neurons within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. It is evident that many chemotherapy agents can …

Discovery Of Pyrimidine-Based Heterocycles As Single Agents With Combination Chemotherapy Potential And As Inhibitors Of Purine Nucleotide Biosynthesis For The Treatment Of Cancer, Rishabh Mohan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of monocyclic and bicyclic pyrimidine-base heterocycles as single agents with combination chemotherapy potential having both antiangiogenic effects and cytotoxic effects. This dissertation also describes selective tumor targeting with 5-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines analogs with heteroatom bridge substitution as GARFTase inhibitors.

The work in this dissertation is centered on identifying structural features that are necessary for inhibition of tubulin polymerization as well as for inhibition of one or more of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs)- vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2), platelet derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) and epidermal growth factor receptor …

Cancer Stem Cells In The Screening Of Anticancer Drugs For Central Nervous System Tumors, Sarah Elizabeth Daron-Mathis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

There is a growing need (in the medical field) to design personalized therapy for cancer patients. Decades of cancer research have found no silver bullet that can cure all or even most patients. This study evaluated four patients affected by central nervous system (CNS) tumors (Ependymoma and Glioblastoma), and found that tumors with the same histology had unique responses to treatment. Each sample presented different levels of heterogeneity in expressed biomarkers and responded to drugs at varying levels.

Oncologists conventionally treat cancer patients with drugs tested in large clinical trials. However, often patients do not experience positive outcomes following treatments …

Does The Addition Of Muramyl Tripeptide To Chemotherapy Improve Overall Survival For Patients With Osteosarcoma?, Jennifer Jones

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Does the addition of muramyl tripeptide to chemotherapy improve overall survival for patients with osteosarcoma?”

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trials published between 2005 and 2009.

DATA SOURCES: Randomized controlled trials evaluating the addition of muramyl tripeptide (MTP) to chemotherapy for patients with osteosarcoma were found using Medline/PubMed databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival were the outcome measures used to determine the effectiveness of the additional chemotherapy treatment in osteosarcoma patients. EFS was defined as …

Specific, Reversible Cytostatic Protection Of Normal Cells Against Negative Effects Of Chemotherapy, Benjamin B. Mull

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Chemotherapy is a common and effective method to treat many forms of cancer. However, treatment of cancer with chemotherapy has severe side effects which often limit the doses of therapy administered. Because some cancer chemotherapeutics target proliferating cells and tissues, all dividing cells, whether normal or tumor, are affected. Cell culture studies have demonstrated that UCN-01 is able to reversibly and selectively arrest normal dividing cells; tumor cells lines do not undergo this temporary arrest. Following UCN-01 treatment, normal cells displayed a 50-fold increase in IC50 for camptothecin; tumor cells showed no such increased tolerance.

We have examined the response …

Photochemical Delivery Of Bleomycin In Malignant Glioma Cells, Joseph William Blickenstaff Iii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite continued efforts, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains an incurable form of primary brain cancer. Surgical resection followed by radiation treatment and chemotherapy have been the most effective modalities in prolonging median survival time to 14 months. This research aims to study the response of two different cell culture models to a novel drug delivery method termed photochemical internalization (PCI). PCI is a technique to improve the utilization of macromolecules (e.g. the chemotherapeutic drug bleomycin) in site-specific cancer therapy. This concept is based on the use of specially designed photosensitizers (e.g. aluminum phthalocyanine disulfonate; AlPcS _2a ) which preferentially localize in …

Contribution Of Organic Cation Transporter 2 (Oct2) To Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity, Kelly K. Filipski

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Cisplatin is the most widely used anticancer agent; however, the cellular pharmacokinetics are poorly understood. Cisplatin is predominantly eliminated through the urine via active secretion and is associated with nephrotoxicity. Currently, prehydration therapy is employed to prevent toxic renal side effects; however it has not been completely ameliorated. The studies described herein aim to determine the mechanism in which cisplatin enters the kidney cell from the blood and how it is subsequently secreted into the urine. Organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) and ABCC2 are highly expressed in the kidney on the basolateral and apical membrane, respectively. We determined the contribution …