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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Relationships Between Telomeric Sequences And Structures, Dna Replication, And The Function Of The Werner Syndrome Protein, Deanna Edwards
Relationships Between Telomeric Sequences And Structures, Dna Replication, And The Function Of The Werner Syndrome Protein, Deanna Edwards
Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology
All human chromosomes end with protective structures called telomeres, which consist of thousands of double-stranded TTAGGG repeats and end in a 3’ guanine-rich overhang. These structures shorten normally during each round of replication, and extremely short telomeres along with telomere dysfunction are thought to contribute to the development of aging and cancer. Although many proteins have roles in telomere maintenance, WRN, which is a 3’ to 5’ helicase that is deficient in the premature aging disorder Werner’s syndrome, has been proposed to play multiple roles at telomeres. In this study, I focus on the effect of telomeric sequences and/or structures …
Proteasome Regulation Of Caspase-8: Significance In Cancer, Michael Vincent Fiandalo
Proteasome Regulation Of Caspase-8: Significance In Cancer, Michael Vincent Fiandalo
Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Anti-tumor therapeutic strategies based on combinations of chemotherapeutic agents with a death inducing ligand such as TNF-α Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand (TRAIL), are directed towards selective and effective cancer cell apoptosis and enhanced therapeutic response. We previously demonstrated that proteasome inhibition sensitizes TRAIL resistant prostate cancer cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis via stabilization of the active p18 subunit of initiator caspase-8. The present study investigated the functional link between caspase-8 and the proteasome, by analyzing the impact of caspase-8 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation on the outcomes of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway in cancer cells. Caspase-8 ubiquitination status was assessed by polyubiquitin …
Prion Characterization Using Cell Based Approaches, Vadim Khaychuk
Prion Characterization Using Cell Based Approaches, Vadim Khaychuk
Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
Prions are the causative agents of a group of lethal, neurodegenerative conditions that include sheep scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Prions are derived from the conversion of a normal, primarily alpha-helical, cellular prion protein (PrPC), to an infectious, beta sheet-rich conformer (PrPSc). Many unresolved issues surround the process of PrP conversion, and we know very little about cellular responses to these unique pathogens. Our lack of knowledge relates, in part, to the difficulty of infecting cells in vitro with prions. While expression of PrPC is an absolute requirement for prion …
Signaling Mechanisms Involved In The Generation Of Human Peripheral Itregs, Mary Catherine Reneer
Signaling Mechanisms Involved In The Generation Of Human Peripheral Itregs, Mary Catherine Reneer
Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
Maintaining balance in the human immune system is critical for the body’s ability to discriminate between foreign and self-antigens. This balance is achieved, in part, by a subpopulation of T cells known as induced regulatory T cells (iTregs). Dysregulation of this population may contribute to the onset and progression of cancer, chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, manipulation of iTreg development holds promising therapeutic potential; however, studying this vital population has proven difficult due to low numbers, heterogeneous cell populations, substantial phenotypic differences between mouse and human cells, and the high plasticity seen in iTregs. These current limitations have prevented …