Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Natural Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer cells/tissues imaging compared to radiological imaging. NIR fluorescence offers deep tissue penetration and have minimal obstruction by autofluorescence and photon scattering [1]. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) [2] and IR-1061 [3] that allow high-resolution tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some low-quality characteristics which limit their use, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives [4]. Therefore, more efficient and effective alternatives are urgently required to provide the desired clinical outcomes. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary NIR fluorescence emitting …

Development Of Targeted Drug Delivery System To Improve Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji, Ana Martinez Bulnes, Nirnoy Dan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: About 95% of tumor arises from epithelial cell lining ducts known to be pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, with less than 5-7% survival rate. Unfortunately, little progress has been seen in the outcomes of patients with PDAC as tumor develops high desmoplasia and chemo-resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as gemcitabine (Gem). Immunotherapy has shown promising results in other cancers but limited response in pancreatic cancer due to desmoplasia and fibrotic tumor microenvironment. A recently identified mucin, MUC13 is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic tumors but not in normal pancreas. Due to its high membrane expression, MUC13 may serve as an excellent target …

Hepatoprotective Role Of Cucurbitacin D On Benzo[A]Pyrene Induced Liver Injury, A. Rodriguez, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, M. Vela, Fathi T. Halaweish, Meena Jaggi, Sumeet S. Chauhan

Research Colloquium

Background: Epidemiological findings show the strong correlation of co-morbidity factors including smoking with the development and progression of liver cancer. Moreover, benzo[a]pyrene, a main component of tobacco smoke, is extremely carcinogenic and contributes to liver injury as well. Cucurbitacin, chemically classified as triterpenes, have shown diverse biological activities including potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. However, their hepatoprotective activities are not completely understood.

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the cytoprotective activity of novel analog of cucurbitacin, cucurbitacin D, against benzo[a]pyrene-induced liver injury in human HepG2 cells.

Method: Proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, invasion, Western blotting and qPCR analysis were conducted …

Pharmacological Restoration Of Pkd1: A Novel Strategy For Prostate Cancer Therapy, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, A. Rodriguez, Aditya Ganju, Bilal B. Hafeez, Fathi T. Halaweish, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

Research Colloquium

Background: Prostate cancer has poor prognosis owing to late diagnosis and ineffective multimodal clinical treatment. Extensive efforts are ongoing to establish methods that can resolve the expression of genes implicated in disease development and treatment. Previously, we reported that Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1), a serine threonine kinase, controls a number of tumor suppressor functions including cell aggregation, cell motility, cell proliferation, and cell invasion. Thus, PKD1 is considered as an emerging therapeutic target for prostate cancer treatment.

Objective: To investigate the restoration of PKD1 by a pharmacological modulator ormeloxifene, which showed well-defined PK/PD and safety profiles in humans.

Methods: Proliferation, …

Mucin 13 Expression Correlates With Tumor Development In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, Deepshikha Pande Katare, S. Mishra, S. K. Jain, P. Khan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

Research Colloquium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to ineffective therapeutic modality and lack of early diagnostic marker. Accumulating studies have shown that elevated expression of mucin 13 as potential oncogene and predictive biomarker for various cancer. However, very little is known about its expression and function for development and progression of HCC Objective: To investigate mucin 13 expression in chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methodology: Diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) and 2-Acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) induced method was employed for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Male Wistar rats. Serum and tissues were collected at regular interval of time and routinely validated …

Plasmid Midiprep: A Method To Purify Plasmids For Recombinant Dna Studies, Adithya Anilkumar, Kyle Doxtater, Samantha Lopez, Sudhir Kotnala, Justin Wendel, Manish Tripathi

Research Colloquium

A fundamental aspect of molecular biology involves exploring the properties and functions of specific genes. The rise of recombinant DNA technology has vastly improved and simplified functional studies by allowing scientists to isolate specific genes using restriction enzymes and plasmids providing greater precision. Plasmids take great significance in downstream studies, which is why quantity and quality of the plasmids purified is important. In this study, we isolated and purified recombinant plasmids in microgram quantities to confirm the yield, quantity, and quality using spectral and size fractionation methods. We also assessed the plasmids for application in downstream studies. We found the …

Molecular Event In Hrp Apoptosis, Laura Valdez

Research Colloquium

Background: Human retinal pericytes (HRP) are contractile cells providing support for endothelial cells of capillaries, essential in the regulation of retinal vasculature. Early stages of DR are characterized by the loss of HRP, leading to angiogenesis. Our preliminary studies identified monocyte-derived macrophages secrete TGF-β1, inducing the expression and secretion of a TGFβ1-Induced, pro-apoptotic BIGH3 protein leading to apoptosis of HRP. Based on a preliminary study in renal cells (unpublished data), CTP with an RGD domain is released from BIGH3 by proteolysis leading to renal cell apoptosis. In the present study, we employed Western Blots to determine if a similar molecular …

Irbp In Diabetic Retinopathy – Cell Culture & Ophthalmic Pathology Studies, Laura Valdez

Research Colloquium

Background: Interphotoreceptor-Retinoid-Binding-Protein (IRBP) is restricted to the subretinal space by the external limiting membrane and RPE zonulae occludens. Its expression is reduced in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and increased expression is protective. Hypoxia decreases viable conelike photoreceptors (661W) but increased VEGF, suggesting a role of photoreceptors in proliferative DR (PDR) (Rodriguez et al, Arch Clin Exp. Ophthal 3:23,2021). Here, we investigated the effects of high glucose and VEGF on IRBP expression by 661W and rod-like Y79 cells and distribution of IRBP and albumin in human globes with PDR and NPDR.

Methods:  661W and Y79 cells were cultured in DMEM or RPMI …

Sex Differences In Stress Reactivity, Brain Morphology, And Oxytocin In The Hypothalamus Of The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Zacarias, Daniela Rodriguez, Alexandra Chalons, Sasawan Heingraj, Nicole Altamirano, Joseph Rafac, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Understanding the effects of stress on behavior and cognition is important due to its impact on mental health and wellbeing (Schneiderman et al. 2005). Translational animal research can contribute to the development of new treatments that can improve therapeutic outcomes and our understanding of the neurobiology of stress. In the present study, we complement behavioral stress reactivity with immunohistochemical localization of oxytocin in the hypothalamus, a neuropeptide that regulates stress (Neumann & Slattery, 2016). Oxytocin has potential therapeutic use for mental health disorders (Neumann & Slattery, 2016), and the effects of oxytocin seem to be sexually dimorphic (Love, 2018). Using …

Igf-1 Reduce Protein O-Glcnacylation Via Ampk Activation In H9c2 Cardiomyoblast Cultured In High Glucose Media, Andres Medina, Lizbeth Trevino, Alejandra Salinas, Yadira Chaires, Erick Rodriguez, Genaro Antonio Ramirez-Correa

Research Colloquium

Background: Diabetes is a disease characterized by the increase in the serum glucose concentration. Therefore, this glucose excess shunts into the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway producing UDP-GlcNAc, which can be transfer to serine residues and modify the activity of different proteins, including contractile proteins in cardiomyocytes, decreasing their function. Here we show the effect of IGF-1 treatment on this posttranslational modification.

Methods: H9c2 cell line were cultured in DMEM media, 10% FBS, at 80% of confluence. Cells were incubated in high-glucose (30 mM) in the presence or absence of 10 µmol/L of IGF-1 (HG and HG+IGF-1). As control groups, we used …

Tox3 Rs3803662 Polymorphism Is Associated With Breast Cancer Protection In Northeastern Mexican Woman, Orlando D. Solis-Coronado, Hazyadee F. Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Monica P. Villarreal-Vela, Ricardo M. Cerda-Flores, Juan F. González-Guerrero, Oscar Vidal-Gutiérrez, Diana C. Pérez-Ibave, Maria Lourdes Garza-Rodríguez

Research Symposium

Introduction: Low penetrance genes are involved in breast cancer (BC) and confer risk for the development of this neoplasia. Different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BC have been identified, such as rs3803662 (TOX3), which is related to estrogen receptors in European and African-American women. The contribution of this variant in the Mexican population is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate, through a case-control design, the association of the SNP rs3803662 (TOX3), with the risk of BC in women from northeastern Mexico.

Methods: We included 434 cases and 228 controls. Genotyping was carried out using RFLPs. The …

Understanding An Inflammatory Pathway In Diabetic Retinopathy, Reanna R. Rodriguez

Research Symposium

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. However, not much is known of its molecular pathway and how it attributes to increases in inflammatory response in the eye. One avenue we will investigate is the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling pathway and its effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and cell viability. VEGF is the hallmark that exacerbates DR progression in prolonged diabetes. Some major concern that have arisen are the underlying effects of oxidants and antioxidants in elevating VEGF secretion in diabetes. In attempt to learn more, we evaluated how an …

Therapeutic Efficacy Of Ormeloxifene Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Mohammed Sikander, M. Vela, Shabnam Malik, A. Rodriguez, A. Lopez, Daniel Zubieta, Fathi T. Halaweish, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Severe toxicity and drug resistance to available chemotherapeutic agents display ineffective clinical response. Therefore, drug repurposing is gaining attention owing to their known biological activities and excellent safety profiles. Ormeloxifene (ORM), non-steroidal, selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), and exhibit diverse pharmacological activities. The aim of this study is to assess the therapeutic activity of ORM and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic activity of ormeloxifene in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Methodology: MTT and …

The Intensity Of Physical Activity Improves Cognitive Performance Among Aging Americans, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah, Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga, Gladys E. Maestre, Ulku S. Karabulut, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Background: Currently there is no pharmacological cure for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, physical activity (PA) has emerged as a promising approach. The optimal intensity of PA to improve cognitive health remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate associations between different durations and intensities of PA on performance across cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory) among aging Americans.

Methods: 2377 adults aged ≥ 60 years from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014, were included. Linear regression in hierarchical blocks and the size of effect (η2) were analyzed with R software.

Results: The mean age …

Tc-Ptp Overexpression Attenuates Skin Cancer Formation During Environmental Skin Carcinogenesis, Zahidur Rahmann, Carson Bogatto, Serena Olivarez, Dae Joon Kim

Research Symposium

Background: T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP), encoded by Ptpn2, has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor during skin carcinogenesis.

Methods: we generated a novel epidermal specific TC-PTP-overexpressing (K5HA.Ptpn2) mouse model to show that TC-PTP contributes to the attenuation of chemically induced skin carcinogenesis through the synergistic regulation of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, and PI3K/AKT signaling.

Results: We found overexpression of TC-PTP increased epidermal sensitivity to DMBA-induced apoptosis and it decreased TPA-mediated hyperproliferation, coinciding with reduced epidermal thickness. Inhibition of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5 or AKT reversed the effects of TC-PTP overexpression on epidermal survival and proliferation. Mice overexpressing TC-PTP in …

Targeting Cellular Signaling Pathways In Cancer By Lactobacilli, Varish Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad, Quazi Muhammad Sajid Jamal

Research Symposium

Purpose: Presenting lactobacilli therapy for cancer treatment targeting cancer signaling Lactobacilli as Probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of fermentative gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria that produces a large number of intracellular and extracellular metabolites used in the food manufacture industry as well as complementary and alternative medicines against many diseases including cancer.

Description: Some LAB has been found to have inhibitory activity against colon liver cancer, cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer in vivo or in vitro. These fermentative bacteria induced the autophagy cell death either by GRP78 and Beclin-1 or by induction of Bak …

Stem Cell Technology For Age Related Macular Degeneration Intervention, Laura Valdez

Research Symposium

Retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells are located between the choroid and photoreceptors within the eye and are essential to provide nutrients from blood to rods and cones, as well retinoids of the visual cycle. Vision loss and various ocular diseases are attributable to the degeneration or dysfunction of the RPE cells, leading to blindness.One of the major ocular problem from RPE dysfunction is macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be frequently diagnosed in patients over the age of 60. In the early stages of AMD, some symptoms may not be noticeable but will lead to vision loss in both …

Precise Method To Identify Kinase Drug Targets In Complex Diseases: The First Step Towards Sustainable And Effective Treatment, Hasbanny Irisson, Marzieh Ayati

Research Symposium

Background: Kinases are enzymes that have proven to be important drug targets due to their role in critical biological mechanisms such as phosphorylation. Phosphorylation happens when a kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group to a protein in a phosphorylated site, which then becomes known as the substrate of the kinase. Any dysregulation of protein phosphorylation causes a wide range of complex diseases including cancer. Thus, discovering the links between kinases and their substrates (i.e. predicting kinase-substrate associations (KSAs)) is crucial in developing effective and sustainable treatments. Presently, less than 5% of phosphorylated sites have an associated kinase, and …

Piperine Encourages Apoptosis In Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma Cells Through Ros Generation, Dna Fragmentation, Caspase-3 Activation And Cell Cycle Arrest, Asif Jafri, Juhi Rais, Sudhir Kumar, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Cancer is one of the most common destructive diseases and the second leading cause of death in humans. Among cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women globally. Thus, there is a continuous need to search for chemotherapeutic chemicals or naturally occurring drugs to resolve this global health problem. Piperine (1-piperoylpeperdine) is present in the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.). It possesses several pharmacological properties and in the present study we have evaluated its anti-cancer potential on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells.

Methods: The anti-proliferative effect …

Novel Nanoparticle Formulation Of Sabizabulin (Veru-111) For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Vivek K. Kashyap, Godwin P. Darkwah, Neeraj Chauhan, Prashanth Kb Nagesh, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Qinghui Wang, Duane D. Miller, Wei Li, Bilal B. B. Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States due to very limited therapeutic options. Thus, developing novel therapeutic strategies will help for the management of this disease. We recently identified VERU-111, a novel synthetic molecule which showed potent anti-cancer effect against PanCa via targeting clinically important βIII and βIV tubulin isoforms. In this study, we synthesized and characterized its novel nanoformulation (MNP-VERU) and evaluated its therapeutic effects in vitro and xenograft mouse model.

Methods: MNPs were prepared by chemical precipitation method and loaded with VERU-111 using diffusion method. This formulation was …

Natural Remedies To Combat Aberrant Hallmark Signatures Including Altered Glycosylation In Oral Carcinoma, Kruti A. Mehta, Jayendra B. Patel, Prabhudas S. Patel

Research Symposium

Background: Tobacco associated oral cancers remain a major concern in India with higher incidence and mortality making it an Indian-centric burning issue. To combat this dreadful disease, we investigated effects of certain natural compounds on the hallmark signatures including glycosylation transcripts levels in oral carcinoma.

Methods: The tongue carcinoma cells- SAS cells were treated with tobacco compounds, natural compounds and Cisplatin. RNA was isolated from the cells and converted to cDNA. RT-qPCR was performed to evaluate expression levels of various genes.

Results: The treatment of tobacco compounds resulted in similar pattern of altered makers (ST3GAL1, NEU3, FUT5, FUT6, MMP2, BCL2) …

Multiple Rsv Strains Infecting Hep-2 And A549 Cells Reveal Cell Line-Dependent Differences In Resistance To Rsv Infection, Anubama Rajan, Felipe-Andres Piedra, Letisha Aideyan, Trevor Mcbride, Matthew Robertson, Hannah L. Johnson, Gina Marie Aloisio, David Henke, Cristian Coarfa, Fabio Stossi, Vipin Kumar Menon, Harshavardhan Doddapaneni, Donna Marie Muzny, Sara Joan Javornik Cregeen, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Joseph Petrosino, Richard A. Gibbs, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Pedro A. Piedra

Research Symposium

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major viral driver of a global pediatric respiratory disease burden disproportionately borne by the poor¹. Thus, RSV, like SARS-CoV-2, combines with congenital and environmental and host-history-dependent factors to create a spectrum of disease with greatest severity most frequently occurring in those least able to procure treatment.

Methods: Here we apply whole genome sequencing and a suite of other molecular biological techniques to survey host-virus dynamics in infections of two distinct cell lines (HEp2 and A549) with four strains representative of known RSV genetic diversity.

Results: We observed non-gradient patterns of RSV …

Mutational And Expression Analysis Of Fbxw7 Gene In Colorectal Cancer Patients Among North Indian Population, Laraib Uroog

Research Symposium

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide with the incidence rate of 1.8 million (10.2%) (GOBOCON-2018). CRC is endemic to Kashmir Valley due to both, kangri use and non-veg food habit. The current study was designed to explore the possible correlation between that FBXW7 and colorectal cancer progression.

Methods: FBXW7 gene mutations and expression was analyzed in 173 colorectal carcinoma tissues along with the adjacent non-cancerous matched tissues using polymerase chain reaction-single stranded confirmation polymorphism assay. Gene expression analysis was conducted using qRT-PCR, western blot and IHC.

Results: In total, six mutations were found …

Molecular Basis For The Pharmacological Activities Of Piperlongumine Against Breast Cancer: Role Of Glucose Import, Ros, Nf-Κb And Lncrnas, Nikee Awasthee, Anusmita Shekher, Vipin Rai, Sumit Singh Verma, Shruti Mishra, Subash Chandra Gupta

Research Symposium

Background: Piperlongumine (PL, piplartine) is an alkaloid derived from the Piper longum L. (long pepper) root. The activities PL against breast cancer and the underlying mechanism is not thoroughly investigated.

Aim: We examined the anti-cancer activities of PL against breast cancer cells. The molecular basis for the pharmacological activities of this alkaloid was also examined.

Methods: The breast cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, T-47D, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-453 were used during the study. We used MTT assay, clonogenic and soft agar colony formation assay for cytotoxicity. The cell cycle analysis, phosphatidylserine externalization assay, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential, …

Microrna-145 Replacement As A Therapeutic Tool To Improve Trail Therapy, Sheema Khan, Saini Setua, Nirnoy Dan, Melida Flores Cantu, Ana Martinez Bulnes, Murali M. Yallapu, Stephen W. Behrman, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Symposium

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is a third leading cause of cancer related deaths in US. Unlike other cancers, PanCa is highly resistant to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) that emerges as one of the most-promising therapy in clinical trials. Our group has previously identified microRNA-145 (miR-145) is downregulated in PanCa, the restoration of which inhibits tumor growth and enhances gemcitabine sensitivity. In this study, we have observed that miR-145 restoration in PanCa cells renders them sensitive to TRAIL treatment. Therefore, we have engineered unique superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPs) for co-delivering miR-145 and TRAIL in PanCa for improving their therapeutic response to TRAIL. The …

Investigating Monodelphis Domestica As An Alternative To The Mus Musculus As An Animal Model, Cristian M. Botello, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Mus Musculus is one of the first and one of the most widely used animal models in current neuroscience literature (Phifer-Riley & Nachmann, 2015). However, the research community needs alternatives to rodent models to study the mammalian brain. Research is needed to see if antibodies that target tyrosine hydroxylase, which are well researched in mice, can also be used to study the Monodelphis domestica brain.

Methods: Following transcardial perfusions and brain extractions, mouse and opossum brains were processed and stained for tyrosine hydroxylase (and with Nissl). Opossum brains will then be sliced and processed using IHC methods to compare …

International Conference On Cancer Health Disparities, Juhi Rais, Asif Jafri, Neelam Shivnath, Habiba Khan, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Biochanin A, an isoflavone that is mainly present in red clover, has potent chemopreventive properties against many cancers. Ovarian carcinoma is fifth most common and deadliest gynaecological malignancy that causes the highest mortality in females worldwide. Hence a substantial need for new therapies for combating this gynaecological malignancy arises.

Methods: The present study aimed to investigate anti-cancerous potentials of biochanin A on cultured human ovarian carcinoma PA-1 cells through the cell viability assay, cellular apoptosis, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), involvement of ROS, cell cycle kinetics, and expression of apoptosis-related genes namely, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, Noxa and Puma. …

Identification And Characterization Of Anticancer Potential Of A Novel Small Molecule, Mortaparibmild, Hazna Noor Meidinna, Anissa Nofita Sari, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background: The development of new anticancer drugs and treatment modalities form a priority research field. The tumor suppressor protein p53 is frequently mutated or functionally inactivated in a large variety of cancers. Its inactivation by mortalin, a member of the heat shock 70 protein family, has been shown to contribute to carcinogenesis. The small molecule inhibitors of mortalin-p53 interactions have been shown to reactivate p53 yielding apoptosis/growth arrest in cancer cells. Therefore, abrogators of mortalin-p53 interaction have emerged as possible new therapeutic anticancer reagents.

Methods: We performed chemical library screening based on the imaging of mortalin-p53 interaction, leading to the …

Immunepotent Crp Enhances Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cytotoxicity Through A Caspase Independent But Ros Dependent Mechanism In Triple Negative-Breast Cancer Cells, Ana L. Rivera, A. C. Martínez-Torres, C. Rodríguez-Padilla

Research Symposium

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Cyclophosphamide (CYP) remains a mainstay in cancer therapy mainly in the triple negative breast cancer subtype (TNBC) in spite of harmful adverse effects and cell death-resistances. To face this, combination of chemotherapies and immunotherapies has been proposed. IMMUNEPOTENT CRP (ICRP) is an immunotherapy that has cytotoxic effects in several cancer cells without affecting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CD3+ cells, beside improving clinical parameters of chemotherapy-treated patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by ICRP in combination with …

Human Ipsc Derived Cardiomyocyte Model Reveals The Transcriptomic Bases Of Covid-19 Associated Myocardial Injury, Kashish Kumar, Satish Kumar, Erica De Leon, Joanne E. Curran, Sarah Williams-Blangero, John Blangero

Research Symposium

Background: Multi-organ complications have been the hallmark of severe COVID-19; cardiac injuries were reported in 20% to 30% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, although the disease etiology remains poorly understood. This study leveraged genome-wide RNA-sequence data generated using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) differentiated cardiomyocytes (CMs) and in vitro modeling of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CMs, to understand the molecular mechanisms of COVID-19 myocardial injuries for novel diagnostic and therapeutic development.

Methods: Raw RNA-sequence data sets, GSE165242 and GSE150392 were aligned to human genome assembly GRCh38 and gene expressions were quantified. Differentially expressed (DE) genes between experimental groups were identified using moderated …