The Role Of The Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition (Emt) In Lung Cancer Progression, David H. Peng

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths due to conventional therapy resistance and metastatic disease, therefore understanding the mechanisms governing these biological functions is vital for improving patient survival. Approximately 30% of patients with the adenocarcinoma histologic subset of lung cancer possess an activating KRAS mutation, characterized by a lack of response to chemotherapies with a poor overall 5-year survival rate. Despite the mutational frequency, KRAS remains a challenge to pharmacologically inhibit and current drugs undergoing clinical trials that target specific downstream effector proteins of KRAS, such as MEK inhibitors, have failed to produce significant clinical benefits. Previous …

Gsk3b Regulates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Cancer Stem Cell Properties And Is A Novel Drug Target For Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Geraldine Vidhya Raja

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Abstract

GSK3β regulates Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition and Cancer Stem Cell properties and is a novel drug target for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Geraldine Vidhya Raja, MS.

Advisory Professor: Sendurai Mani, Ph.D.

Triple-Negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are highly aggressive and lack the expression of Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR) as well as Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER2). Consequently, patients diagnosed with TNBCs have poor overall- and disease-free survival rates compared to other subtypes of breast cancer due to lack of targeted therapies as well as de novo or acquired chemoresistance, disease recurrence, and lack of targeted therapy. Hence it is critical to …