Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Mindfulness Meditation On Emotional Distress In Adult Cancer Patients, Marie A. Benoit

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Significant advances in cancer treatments have been made over recent decades resulting in state of the art screening and treatment options that have contributed to higher rates of cancer survivorship. However, despite the increase in cancer survivors, a cancer diagnosis continues to be associated with a significant amount of emotional distress and psychological issues that further add to the burden of the disease. The Institute of Medicine (2008), recognizes that a failure to adequately address this problem results in needless suffering and may obstruct quality of care; thereby, leading to a potentially negative impact on the disease course. Among the …

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Knowledge And Intent To Participate In Cervical Cancer Screening, Ann Marie Trapp

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Globally, cervical cancer ranks third among cancers affecting women (Arbyn et al., 2013). In the United States, approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and approximately 4,000 women die yearly (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Papanicolaou (Pap) screening is an effective means of detecting precancerous cell changes of the cervix with early cervical cancer diagnosis carrying a 91% five-year survival rate (Gonzalez et al., 2012). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to identify interventions that increase adherence to cervical cancer screening and to implement best practices to reduce unnecessary deaths related to late diagnoses of …

Killer Cell Activation By A Novel Multifunctional Protein: An Immuno/Gene Therapy For Cancer, Ashlee Tietje

All Dissertations

One of the characteristics of advanced tumors is the evasion of the immune system. There are multiple methods that tumor cells employ to achieve this including reducing the expression of activating ligands on the cell surface and a shift in the tumor microenvironment toward pro-tumor cytokines. The purpose of this research is to develop a novel bifunctional fusion protein that will target these two deficiencies in the tumor microenvironment and activate killer cells that are already present. The proposed protein combines the extracellular domain of a ligand for the killer cell activating receptor NKG2D and Interleukin-12 (IL-12). It is hypothesized …

Multilevel Deregulation Of Survival Mechanisms In Npm-Alk+ T-Cell Lymphoma, Deeksha Vishwamitra

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a single chain transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase that belongs to the insulin receptor superfamily. Other members of this superfamily include the insulin receptor (IR), type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR), and the leukocyte tyrosine kinase. The common structural finding among these tyrosine kinases is the YXXXYY motif present within their respective tyrosine kinase domains. Binding of its ligands causes ALK receptor homodimerization and protein kinase activation. ALK has been previously shown to play a significant role during early developmental stages. In human embryos, the expression of ALK is mainly seen in …

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 …

Clinical And Pathologic Significance Of Integrin Α6Β4 Expression In Human Malignancies, Rachel L. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Integrins are cellular adhesion molecules that bind cells to the extracellular matrix. The integrin α6β4, a receptor for laminins, is predominantly expressed on epithelial cells where it is present at the basal surface adjacent to the basement membrane. This integrin plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular functions, yet has also been implicated in promoting invasion and metastasis in human malignancies. While overexpression of the integrin α6β4 has been detected in select human cancers, the clinical significance of integrin α6β4 expression in a number of malignancies has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to examine integrin …

Rna Aptamers For Molecular Chaperones Hsp27 And Hsp90, Sathishkumar Kumar Munusamy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Hsp90 and Hsp27 are members of the heat shock protein family of chaperones that perform multiple roles in cellular maintenance through protein folding and inhibition of apoptosis. They are abundantly expressed in cells and are over-expressed during conditions of stress. Hsp90 requires ATP for its chaperone function while Hsp27 self-associates into higher order oligomers enclosing its substrate. Their ability to interact with other proteins or with themselves lies at the heart of their mechanisms. The specific consequences of each of their interactions on global cellular health have not yet been fully discovered. The sheer diversity of proteins that interact with …