Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Microrna 1207-3p In Prostate Cancer, Dibash Das

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed male cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in the United States. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in progression from the asymptomatic androgen-dependent PCa to the lethal castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a major challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), are known to be dysregulated in PCa. MicroRNA-1207-3p (miR-1207-3p) is encoded by the non-protein coding gene locus PVT1 on the 8q24 human chromosomal region, an established PCa susceptibility locus. However, the role of miR-1207-3p in PCa is unclear. We have discovered that miR-1207-3p is significantly underexpressed in PCa cell lines …

Nanoparticle Elasticity Directs Tumor Uptake, Peng Guo, Daxing Liu, Kriti Subramanyam, Biran Wang, Jiang Yang, Jing Huang, Debra T. Auguste, Marsha A. Moses

Publications and Research

To date, the role of elasticity in drug delivery remains elusive due to the inability to measure microscale mechanics and alter rheology without affecting chemistry. Herein, we describe the in vitro cellular uptake and in vivo tumor uptake of nanolipogels (NLGs). NLGs are composed of identical lipid bilayers encapsulating an alginate core, with tunable elasticity. The elasticity of NLGs was evaluated by atomic force microscopy, which demonstrated that they exhibit Young’s moduli ranging from 45 ± 9 to 19,000 ± 5 kPa. Neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells exhibited significantly greater uptake of soft NLGs (Young’s modulus13.8 MPa). In an orthotopic breast …

Component Tree Analysis Of Cystovirus Φ6 Nucleocapsid Cryo-Em Single Particle Reconstructions, Lucas Oliveira, Ze Ye, Al Katz, Alexandra Alimova, Hui Wei, Gabor T. Herman, Paul Gottlieb

Publications and Research

The 3-dimensional structure of the nucleocapsid (NC) of bacteriophage φ6 is described utilizing component tree analysis, a topological and geometric image descriptor. The component trees are derived from density maps of cryo-electron microscopy single particle reconstructions. Analysis determines position and occupancy of structure elements responsible for RNA packaging and transcription. Occupancy of the hexameric nucleotide triphosphorylase (P4) and RNA polymerase (P2) are found to be essentially complete in the NC. The P8 protein lattice likely fixes P4 and P2 in place during maturation. We propose that the viral procapsid (PC) is a dynamic structural intermediate where the P4 and P2 …

Healthy People Are Bad For Capitalism, Eri King

Theses and Dissertations

Healthy People are Bad For Capitalism is a four part installation that creates an alternative space for the chemicals, Red 40 and Monosodium Glutamate. Presented as a holistic center that offers healing services and remedies, Center for the Red 40 and MSG Healing explores the homeopathic doctrine of Like Cures Like (what make a human ill also cures them) through the relationship between Traditional Japanese Healing Practices, and Western Capitalism.

Healthy People are Bad For Capitalism presents Red 40 MSG Apothecary, Red 40 Zen MSG Healing Rock Garden, Theta Wave Eternal Flame Meditation and Red 40 MSG …

Potential Modifications To Enzyme Replacement Therapy In Anderson-Fabry Disease, Mariam Meghdari

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mutations in the GLA gene that encodes the lysosomal enzyme α-galactosidase A (αGal) result in the sphingolipidoses named Fabry disease. This enzymatic defect is inherited as an X-linked recessive disorder and is associated with a progressive deposition of glycosphingolipids, including globotriaosylceramide (GB3), galabioasylceramide, and blood group B substance in the cell. In affected males, and in some females, this leads to early death due to occlusive disease of the heart, kidney, and brain. This disease is currently treated by infusions of αGal, prolonging patients’ lives but producing antibodies against the enzyme reducing the treatment efficacy. Treatment also causes numerous and …

Roles Of Gabab, Muscarinic And Nicotinic Receptor Signaling In The Acquisition And Expression Of Fructose And Fat-Conditioned Flavor Preferences And Acquisition Of Quinine-Conditioned Flavor Avoidances In Rats, Francis M. Rotella

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In addition to increased intake of sweet solutions by mammals, learning, particularly classically-conditioned “Pavlovian-like” learning, also plays an important role. An orosensory conditioned flavor preference (CFP) can be elicited by pairing one novel flavor (conditioned stimulus, CS+) with a fructose solution and a second novel flavor (CS-) with a saccharin solution. Rats will prefer the CS+ flavor in a subsequent 2-bottle choice test with both flavors mixed in saccharin. Previous pharmacological analyses revealed that systemic administration of dopamine (DA) D1 and D2 as well as NMDA, but not opioid, receptor antagonists eliminated the acquisition (learning) of fructose-CFP. Further, expression of …

Effects Of Synthetic Cannabinoid Use, Susan H. Davide

Publications and Research

Synthetic Cannabinoid Use: Oral health professionals need to be aware of the systemic and oral health effects of the substances in this class of drugs.

Naturally-Derived Molecular Ensembles In Medicine, Materials Science And Evolutionary Biology: An Interdisciplinary Study, Silvio Panettieri

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The first chapter will introduce the work carried out in collaboration with the Govind laboratory at CCNY. Our quest was set forth to investigate the intimate relationship lying between chronic inflammation and tumor development. For at least the last fifteen years much research has been conducted on this topic; yet, the level of complexity arising from exceedingly interwoven biochemical pathways in mammals has resulted in slow advancements in this field. This is why we resorted to a simple yet powerful immunogenetic model organism, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, in combination with the administration of the most common anti-inflammatory drug, …

Acute Memory And Psychotomimetic Effects Of Cannabis And Tobacco Both ‘Joint’ And Individually: A Placebo-Controlled Trial, C. Hindocha, T. P. Freeman, J. X. Xia, N. D. C. Shaban, H. V. Curran

Publications and Research

Background. Cannabis and tobacco have contrasting cognitive effects. Smoking cannabis with tobacco is prevalent in many countries and although this may well influence cognitive and mental health outcomes, the possibility has rarely been investigated in human experimental psychopharmacological research.

Method. The individual and interactive effects of cannabis and tobacco were evaluated in 24 non-dependent cannabis and tobacco smokers in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 2 (cannabis, placebo) × 2 (tobacco, placebo) crossover design. Verbal memory (prose recall), working memory (WM) performance including maintenance, manipulation and attention (N-back), psychotomimetic, subjective and cardiovascular measures were recorded on each of four sessions.

Results. Cannabis …

Detection Of Cathinone And Mephedrone In Plasma By Lc-Ms/Ms Using Standard Addition Quantification Technique, Theron W. Ng-A-Qui

Student Theses

Designer drugs are structural analogs of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule I and II substances. They are synthesized to mimic the effects of illegal drugs of abuse and to bypass the provisions of drug regulations. Despite the increased availability of designer drugs, few studies have focused on specific analytical extraction techniques for their detection and quantification in biological samples. Solid phase extraction (SPE) is the most commonly used technique for sample preparation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extraction efficiency of the various SPE columns with different sorbent materials for two designer drugs, cathinone and mephedrone in …

Stability Of Synthetic Cathinones In Oral Fluid Samples, Briana Miller, Jiyoung Kim, Marta Concheiro

Publications and Research

Synthetic cathinones are new stimulant drugs derived from cathinone that have been sold as “legal highs” worldwide. These compounds can elicit powerful effects such as delusions, hallucinations as well as other potentially dangerous behavior. New analogs with varying effects and potencies are constantly introduced in the market to evade legislation, and they are not detected by routine screening and confirmation methods. Oral fluid is an alternative matrix of increasing interest in forensic toxicology. Its collection is non-invasive and easily supervised, and positive drug findings typically reflect recent drug exposure. The focus of this research was to develop a method for …

Worldwide Use Of Triclosan: Can Dentistry Do Without This Antimicrobial?, Diana V. Macri

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Analysis Of Opioids And Cannabinoids In Wastewater Samples, Alethea Jacox, Jillian Wetzel, Shu-Yuan Cheng, Marta Concheiro-Guisan

Publications and Research

Wastewater-based epidemiology is an innovative approach that uses the analysis of human excretion products in wastewater to obtain information about exposure to drugs in defined population groups. We developed and validated an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of opioids (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone and hydromorphone), and cannabinoids (Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) and THCCOOH-glucuronide) in raw-influent wastewater samples by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Method validation included linearity (5–1 000 ng/L for opioids, 10–1 000 ng/L for cannabinoids), imprecision (<21.2%), accuracy (83%–131%), matrix effect (from –35.1% to –14.7%) and extraction efficiency (25%–84%), limit of detection (1–5 ng/L) and quantification (5–10 ng/L) and auto-sampler stability (no loss detected). River and wastewater samples were collected in triplicate from different locations in New York City and stored at −20 °C until analysis. Water from sewage overflow location tested positive for morphine (10.7 ng/L), oxycodone (4.2–23.5 ng/L), oxymorphone (4.8 ng/L) and hydromorphone (4.2 ng/L). Raw influent wastewater samples tested positive for morphine (133.0–258.3 ng/L), oxycodone (31.1–63.6 ng/L), oxymorphone (16.0–56.8 ng/L), hydromorphone (6.8–18.0 ng/L), hydrocodone (4.0–12.8 ng/L) and THCCOOH (168.2–772.0 ng/L). This method is sensitive and specific for opioids and marijuana determination in wastewater samples.

Borneol, A Novel Agent That Improves Central Nervous System Drug Delivery By Enhancing Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability, Qun-Lin Zhang, Bingmei M. Fu, Zhang-Jin Zhang

Publications and Research

The clinical application of central nervous system (CNS) drugs is limited by their poor bioavailability due to the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Borneol is a naturally occurring compound in a class of ‘orificeopening’ agents often used for resuscitative purposes in traditional Chinese medicine. A growing body of evidence confirms that the ‘orifice-opening’ effect of borneol is principally derived from opening the BBB. Borneol is therefore believed to be an effective adjuvant that can improve drug delivery to the brain. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of information accumulated over the past two decades on borneol’s chemical …

All-Cause Mortality In Hiv-Positive Adults Starting Combination Antiretroviral Therapy: Correcting For Loss To Follow-Up, Nanina Anderegg, Leigh F. Johnson, Elizabeth Zaniewski, Keri N. Althoff, Eric Balestre, Matthew Law, Denis Nash, Bryan E. Shepherd, Constantin T. Yiannoutsos, Matthias Egger

Publications and Research

Objective: To estimate mortality in HIV-positive patients starting combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) and to discuss different approaches to calculating correction factors to account for loss to follow-up.

Methods: A total of 222 096 adult HIV-positive patients who started ART 2009–2014 in clinics participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS collaboration in 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America were included. To allow for underascertainment of deaths due to loss to follow-up, two correction factors (one for the period 0–6 months on ART and one for later periods) or 168 correction factors (combinations of …

Taurine's Effect On Cocaine Reward And Neurogenesis In The Adolescent Male Rat Brain., Avery E. Villa-Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescence is a developmentally critical transition from childhood to adulthood including both maturation of the body and the brain. Neuroplastic changes result in dynamic organization of the brain during adolescence, leaving them vulnerable to development of mental illness and drug-seeking behavior. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the psychostimulant cocaine is the second most popular illicit drug in the world. Cocaine, amongst having many detrimental effects, has shown to also decrease hippocampal neurogenesis, resulting in decreased neuroplasticity and cognitive dysfunction. Previous students in our laboratory have shown that treatment of adult male rats with the essential …

Traversing The Triangulum: The Intersection Of Tobacco, Legalised Marijuana And Electronic Vaporisers In Denver, Colorado, Emily Anne Mcdonald, Lucy Popova, Pamela M. Ling

Publications and Research

Objective: To explore the intersection of tobacco, legalised marijuana and electronic vaporiser use among young adults in the ‘natural laboratory’ of Colorado, the first state with legalised retail marijuana.

Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 32 young adults (18–26 years old) in Denver, Colorado, in 2015 to understand the beliefs and practices related to the use of tobacco, marijuana and vaporisers.

Results: We found ambiguity about whether the phrase ‘to smoke’ refers to the use of tobacco or marijuana products. Smoking marijuana blunts (emptied cigarillo or tobacco wrap filled with marijuana) was common, but few interpreted this as tobacco use. …

Kcnq Channel Openers Reverse Depressive Symptoms Via An Active Resilience Mechanism, Allyson K. Friedman, Barbara Juarez, Stacy M. Ku, Hongxing Zhang, Rhodora C. Calizo, Jessica J. Walsh, Depish Chaudhury, Song Zhang, Angel Hawkins, David M. Dietz, James W. Murrogh, Maria Ribadeneira, Erik H. Wong, Rachael L. Neve, Ming-Hu Han

Publications and Research

Less than half of patients suffering from major depressive disorder, a leading cause of disability worldwide, achieve remission with current antidepressants, making it imperative to develop more effective treatment. A new therapeutic direction is emerging from the increased understanding of natural resilience as an active stress-coping process. It is known that potassium (Kþ) channels in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are an active mediator of resilience. However, no druggable targets have been identified to potentiate active resilience mechanisms. In the chronic social defeat stress model of depression, we report that KCNQ-type Kþ channel openers, including FDA-approved drug retigabine (ezogabine), show …

Titanocene−Gold Complexes Containing N‑Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands Inhibit Growth Of Prostate, Renal, And Colon Cancers In Vitro, Yiu Fung Mui, Jacob FernáNdez-Gallardo, Benelita T. Elie, Ahmed Gubran, Irene Maluenda, Mercedes Sanau, Marıá Contel

Publications and Research

We report on the synthesis, characterization, and stability studies of new titanocene complexes containing a methyl group and a carboxylate ligand (mba = −OC(O)-p-C6H4-S−) bound to gold(I)−N-heterocyclic carbene fragments through the thiolate group: [(η5-C5H5)2TiMe(μ-mba)Au(NHC)]. The cytotoxicities of the heterometallic compounds along with those of novel monometallic gold−N-heterocyclic carbene precursors [(NHC)Au(mbaH)] have been evaluated against renal, prostate, colon, and breast cancer cell lines. The highest activity and selectivity and a synergistic effect of the resulting heterometallic species was found for the prostate and colon cancer cell lines. The colocalization of both titanium and gold metals (1:1 ratio) in PC3 prostate cancer …

Comparative Error-Free And Error-Prone Translesion Synthesis Of N2‑2′-Deoxyguanosine Adducts Formed By Mitomycin C And Its Metabolite, 2,7-Diaminomitosene, In Human Cells, Arindam Bose, Chaitra Surugihalli, Paritosh Pande, Elise Champeil, Ashis K. Basu

Publications and Research

Mitomycin C (MC) is a cytotoxic and mutagenic antitumor agent that alkylates DNA upon reductive activation. 2,7-Diaminomitosene (2,7-DAM) is a major metabolite of MC in tumor cells, which also alkylates DNA. MC forms seven DNA adducts, including monoadducts and inter- and intrastrand cross-links, whereas 2,7-DAM forms two monoadducts. Herein, the biological effects of the dG-N2 adducts formed by MC and 2,7-DAM have been compared by constructing single-stranded plasmids containing these adducts and replicating them in human embryonic kidney 293T cells. Translesion synthesis (TLS) efficiencies of dG-N2-MC and dG-N2-2,7-DAM were 38 ± 3 and 27 …

Drug Repurposing To Target Ebola Virus Replication And Virulence Using Structural Systems Pharmacology, Zheng Zhao, Che Martin, Raymond Fan, Philip E. Bourne, Lei Xie

Publications and Research

Background: The recent outbreak of Ebola has been cited as the largest in history. Despite this global health crisis, few drugs are available to efficiently treat Ebola infections. Drug repurposing provides a potentially efficient solution to accelerating the development of therapeutic approaches in response to Ebola outbreak. To identify such candidates, we use an integrated structural systems pharmacology pipeline which combines proteome-scale ligand binding site comparison, protein-ligand docking, and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation.

Results: One thousand seven hundred and sixty-six FDA-approved drugs and 259 experimental drugs were screened to identify those with the potential to inhibit the replication and virulence …

Human Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course: Part 1 Of 4 (Interactive), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The overall purpose of these preparatory course set of learning objectives is to help students familiarize with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later in the Human Anatomy and Physiology I course.

These 40+ learning objectives to prepare for Human Anatomy and Physiology can be downloaded and played in a desktop, or laptop (windows exe file).

The entire course has four parts:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Each learning objective is followed by a set of multiple choice question similar to those found later in a Human Anatomy and Physiology course.

The organization and …

Special Muscles, Annamaria C. Scaccia

Capstones

Special Muscles is a documentary that explores living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal degenerative disease that weakens the muscles at an aggressive rate. The film will give an uncensored look at how one family copes with inevitability of the disease and their journey chasing a promising experimental cure.

Special Muscles follows 7-year-old Pietro Scarso and his family as they face the challenges, complications and promise of treating Pietro’s progressive muscle disorder. The film travels from New York to Los Angeles to Philadelphia to document the Scarso family’s race against time as Pietro undergoes a 96-week clinical trial for Eteplirsen, …

Prescription Drug Diversion: Predictors Of Illicit Acquisition And Redistribution In Three U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Shana Harris, Valentina Nikulina, Camila Gelpi-Acosta, Cory Morton, Valerie Newsome, Alana Gunn, Heidi Hoefinger, Ross Aikins, Vivian Smith, Victoria Barry, Martin J. Downing Jr.

Publications and Research

Objective: Prescription drug diversion, the transfer of prescription drugs from lawful to unlawful channels for distribution or use, is a problem in the United States. Despite the pervasiveness of diversion, there are gaps in the literature regarding characteristics of individuals who participate in the illicit trade of prescription drugs. This study examines a range of predictors (e.g., demographics, prescription insurance coverage, perceived risk associated with prescription drug diversion) of membership in three distinct diverter groups: individuals who illicitly acquire prescription drugs, those who redistribute them, and those who engage in both behaviors.

Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional Internet …

Human Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course (1st Edition), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The overall purpose of this preparatory course textbook is to help students familiarize with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later in the Human Anatomy and Physiology I course.

The organization and functioning of the human organism generally is discussed in terms of different levels of increasing complexity, from the smallest building blocks to the entire body. This Anatomy and Physiology preparatory course covers the foundations on the chemical level, and a basic introduction to cellular level, organ level, and organ system levels. There is also an introduction to homeostasis at the beginning.

Sample Limited Characterization Of A Novel Disulfide- Rich Venom Peptide Toxin From Terebrid Marine Snail Terebra Variegata, Prachi Anand, Alexandre Grigoryan, Mohammed H. Bhuiyan, Beatrix Ueberheide, Victoria Russell, Jose Quiñonez, Patrick Moy, Brian T. Chait, Sébastien F. Poget, Mandë Holford

Publications and Research

Disulfide-rich peptide toxins found in the secretions of venomous organisms such as snakes, spiders, scorpions, leeches, and marine snails are highly efficient and effective tools for novel therapeutic drug development. Venom peptide toxins have been used extensively to characterize ion channels in the nervous system and platelet aggregation in haemostatic systems. A significant hurdle in characterizing disulfide-rich peptide toxins from venomous animals is obtaining significant quantities needed for sequence and structural analyses. Presented here is a strategy for the structural characterization of venom peptide toxins from sample limited (4 ng) specimens via direct mass spectrometry sequencing, chemical synthesis and NMR …

Reductions In Serum Igf-1 During Aging Impair Health Span, Zhenwei Gong, Oran Kennedy, Hui Sun, Yingjie Wu, Garry A. Williams, Laura Klein, Luis Cardoso, Ronald W. Matheny Jr, Gene B. Hubbard, Yuji Ikeno, Roger P. Farrar, Mitchell B. Schaffler, Martin L. Adamo, Radhika H. Muzumdar, Shoshana Yakar

Publications and Research

In lower or simple species, such as worms and flies, disruption of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and the insulin signaling pathways has been shown to increase lifespan. In rodents, however, growth hormone (GH) regulates IGF-1 levels in serum and tissues and can modulate lifespan via/or independent of IGF- 1. Rodent models, where the GH/IGF-1 axis was ablated congenitally, show increased lifespan. However, in contrast to rodents where serum IGF-1 levels are high throughout life, in humans, serum IGF-1 peaks during puberty and declines thereafter during aging. Thus, animal models with congenital disruption of the GH/ IGF-1 axis are unable …

Testosterone, Cardiovascular, Men, Trial, Lin Xu, Guy Freeman, Benjamin J. Cowling, Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Background
Testosterone therapy is increasingly promoted. No randomized placebo-controlled trial has been implemented to assess the effect of testosterone therapy on cardiovascular events, although very high levels of androgens are thought to promote cardiovascular disease.

Methods
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of placebo-controlled randomized trials of testosterone therapy among men lasting 12+ weeks reporting cardiovascular-related events. We searched PubMed through the end of 2012 using “(“testosterone” or “androgen”) and trial and (“random*”)” with the selection limited to studies of men in English, supplemented by a bibliographic search of the World Health Organization trial registry. Two reviewers independently searched, …

The Effect Of Statins On Testosterone In Men And Women, A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Mary Schooling, Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Guy Freeman, Benjamin J. Cowling

Publications and Research

Background
Statins are extensively used for cardiovascular disease prevention. Statins reduce mortality rates morethan other lipid-modulating drugs, although evidence from randomized controlled trials also suggests that statinsunexpectedly increase the risk of diabetes and improve immune function. Physiologically, statins would beexpected to lower androgens because statins inhibit production of the substrate for the local synthesis of androgens and statins’ pleiotropic effects are somewhat similar to the physiological effects of lowering testosterone, so we hypothesized that statins lower testosterone.

Methods
A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials of statins to test the a priori hypothesis that statins lower testosterone. We searched the PubMed, …

Circularized Synthetic Oligodeoxynucleotides Serve As Promoterless Rna Polymerase Iii Templates For Small Rna Generation In Human Cells, Christine I. Seidl, Lodoe Lama, Kevin Ryan

Publications and Research

Synthetic RNA formulations and viral vectors are the two main approaches for delivering small therapeutic RNA to human cells. Here we report findings supporting an alternative strategy in which an endogenous human RNA polymerase (RNAP) is harnessed to make RNA hairpin-containing small RNA from synthetic single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides. We report that circularizing a DNA template strand encoding a pre-microRNA hairpin mimic can trigger its circumtranscription by human RNAP III in vitro and in human cells. Sequence and secondary structure preferences that appear to promote productive transcription are described. The circular topology of the template is required for productive transcription, at …