Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Mitochondrial Roles In Developmentally Programmed Heart Disease, Eli John Louwagie

Dissertations and Theses

Offspring of diabetic and obese mothers (ODOM) have greater risks of heart disease at birth and later in life. However, prevention is hindered because underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Mounting studies in the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease field suggest that mitochondria play key roles in developmentally programmed heart disease similar to the roles they play in cardiomyopathy in adults with diabetes and obesity. However, whether mitochondria are responsible for the short[1]and long-term cardiac disease seen in ODOM remains unknown. Here, we sought to delineate the roles of mitochondria in the hearts of ODOM, determine whether mitochondria ...

Canalization And Other Design Principles Of Gene Regulatory Networks, Claus Kadelka

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Emerging Role Of Autologous Cd19 Car T-Cell Therapies In The Second-Line Setting For Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Game Changer?, Razan Mohty, Muhamad A. Moustafa, Mahmoud Aljurf, Hemant Murthy, Mohamed A. Kharfan-Dabaja

Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy has been proven effective in the third-line (and beyond) setting in patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Until recently, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) was considered the standard of care in the second-line setting in patients demonstrating an objective response before the procedure. The ZUMA-7 and TRANSFORM studies showed the benefit of axicabtagene ciloleucel and lisocabtagene maraleucel, respectively, in patients refractory to or relapsing within 12 months of first-line anthracycline-based chemoimmunotherapy. However, a third trial using tisagenlecleucel failed to show a benefit in the same setting compared to standard ...

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, September & October 2022, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 3, Issue 6

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Awards & Recognition
Page 3 Midwest Regional ACS Meeting
Page 4 North Central ASM Meeting
Page 5 Geography Department Travel
Page 6-7 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 7 REMAST Program at SDState receives national spotlight
Page 8 Celebrating the lives of those who touched the College
Page 9 Innovative Learning Spaces
Page 10 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 11 2022 CNS Scholarship Brunch
Page 12-14 Fall 2022 Outreach Events

Modification Of The Tumor Microenvironment Enhances Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Metastatic Melanoma, Guilan Shi, Megan Scott, Cathryn G. Mangiamele, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Resistance to checkpoint-blockade treatments is a challenge in the clinic. Both primary and acquired resistance have become major obstacles, greatly limiting the long-lasting effects and wide application of blockade therapy. Many patients with metastatic melanoma eventually require further therapy. The absence of T-cell infiltration to the tumor site is a well-accepted contributor limiting immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy. In this study, we combined intratumoral injection of plasmid IL-12 with electrotransfer and anti-PD-1 in metastatic B16F10 melanoma tumor model to increase tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improve therapeutic efficacy. We showed that effective anti-tumor responses required a subset of tumor-infiltrating CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T ...

Chemical Biology Approaches For Tracking And Manipulation Of Macrophage Phenotypes, Javier A. Mas Rosario

Doctoral Dissertations

Macrophages are white blood cells of the innate immune system that have the ability to change phenotypically depending on the stimuli present in their surroundings through a process commonly referred to as polarization. Macrophage phenotypes broadly range from pro-inflammatory, anti-tumor (M1) to immune-suppressing (M2). Of particular interest to this work, breast cancer progression and metastasis rely on the presence of M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). While many studies have shown the involvement of macrophages in tumor progression and metastasis, there remains a need to further explore these interactions and the polarization process, including tracking of macrophage subtypes. Toward this end, I ...

Principles Of Aaa+ Proteases, Samar Mahmoud

Doctoral Dissertations

ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA+) proteases in bacteria help maintain protein homeostasis by degrading misfolded and regulatory proteins. While a handful of protein targets for these proteases have been identified in Caulobacter crescentus and other organisms, more research is needed to elucidate mechanisms that govern substrate specificity. In the second chapter of this thesis, I will elaborate on how AAA+ substrate specificity is less rigid than previous work has suggested and how limiting ATP or mutations can alter substrate preferences of the ClpXP protease. In the third chapter, I will highlight our efforts to use a quantitative proteomics ...

Full Issue, Winthrop Mcnair Research Bulletin

The Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin

Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin Volume 5, Full Issue

Locating Mutagen-Sensitivity Gene Mus109 In The Drosophila Melanogaster Genome Using Deficiency Mapping, Chandani Mitchell

The Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin

The complex processes involved in repairing damaged DNA are still being elucidated. Some genes that are known to have roles in the DNA repair process have been identified, such as the mutagen-sensitivity genes, or mus genes, in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the precise genomic location of some mus genes is still unknown, including mus109. It is known that mutations in mus109 cause chromosomal aberrations resulting in larval death, and previous research has mapped mus109 to a region of the X chromosome consisting of over 520,000 nucleotides and 41 genes. Therefore, this study aimed to locate mus109 using deficiency mapping. The ...

Ngly1 Deficiency Affects Glycosaminoglycan Biosynthesis And Wnt Signaling Pathway In Mice, Amy Batten

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Individuals affected by NGLY1 Deficiency cannot properly deglycosylate and recycle certain proteins. Even though less than 100 people worldwide have been diagnosed with this rare autosomal recessive condition, thousands are affected by similar glycosylation disorders. Common phenotypic manifestations of NGLY1 Deficiency include severe neural and intellectual delay, impaired muscle and liver function, and seizures that may become intractable. Very little is currently known about the various mechanisms through which NGLY1 deficiency affects the body and this has led to a lack of viable treatment options for those afflicted. This experiment uses a loss-of-function (LOF) mouse model of NGLY1 Deficiency homologous ...

Art And Illustration Resource For Cell And Molecular Biology: What We Know & How We Found Out, Gerald Bergtrom

Cell and Molecular Biology 5e: What We Know and How We Found Out - All Versions

This Art & Illustration Resource contains the figures (photographs, illustrations etc.) in the 5^th edition Cell and Molecular Biology; What We Know AND How We Found Out (all versions). The images are high-resolution JPG files, sufficient for projection in large size classrooms, and thus useful for creating or supplementing PowerPoint or similar presentations to support classroom, online teaching and learning, and/or to support in-class or homework assignments. Just download and extract the zipped folder to access the chapter-by-chapter numbered figure files. The images are also Open Access (either public domain, CC-licensed, or equivalent). The Chapter-by-Chapter folders come with a PDF file including a complete list of image sources.

A Review On Serum, Genetic And Mirna Associated Biomarkers For The Early Diagnosis Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Hcc)), Ambreen Kanwal, Asima Tayyeb

Journal of Bioresource Management

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most devastating complication of liver cirrhosis and diagnosis in earlier stages could be useful in curative interventions. The main aim of this review was to analyze current diagnostic biomarkers which are available for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). For this purpose, we searched different web databases including Medline/Pubmed. We found multiple significant serum biomarkers for imperative diagnosis including α- Fetoprotein, Des- γ -carboxyprothrombin (DCP), Osteopontin (OPN), Glypican-3 (GPC3), Golgi protein-73 (GP73), Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), Annexin A2 (ANXA2) and Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) but all of these represent low sensitivity and ...

Investigation Of Zinc Chloride & Caffeine And Their Ects On Bone Homeostasis In A 3d Bone Model, Pooja Shah

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Approximately fourteen percent of the human body is composed of bone. The adult human skeleton is made of 206 bones, which make up the internal framework of the body. Osteoblast and Osteoclast cells are essential in maintaining the structure and function of bone, for bone homeostasis to occur. Previous data shows that caffeine can potentially have a negative effect on bone homeostasis. Whereas, ZnCl₂ has been found to have a positive effect on bone homeostasis in controlled doses. Published data for treatments of caffeine and ZnCl₂ are inadequate. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal ...

Targeting Of The Hedgehog Signaling Pathway In Cancer Treatment, Andrew J. Hawes

The Cardinal Edge

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is a developmental pathway that is highly conserved evolutionarily. While typically only displaying high activity during embryogenesis, overactivation of the Hh pathway in adults has been linked to multiple forms of cancer including acute myeloid leukemia, myelofibrosis, basal-cell carcinoma, pancreatic ductal adrenal carcinoma, and triple negative breast cancer. The prevalence of Hh activation in many different cancers has made it a prime target for inhibition of these cancers through novel therapies. This literature review sought to assess the current state of cancer treatment through inhibition of Hh signaling. Most current clinical trials involving the pathway ...

Determining The Roles Of The Oligomerization And C-Terminal Domains In Mutant P53 Gain-Of-Function Activities, George K. Annor

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The tumor suppressor p53 (TP53) gene is often mutated in cancer, with missense mutations found in the central DNA binding domain, and less often in the oligomerization domain (OD) and C-terminal domain (CTD). The OD and CTD have been found to be critical for the tumor suppressor functionality of wild-type p53 (wtp53). Specific missense mutations in the DNA binding domain have been found to confer new gain-of-function (GOF) activities. Mutations that destabilize tetramer formation, or deletion of key lysine residues within the CTD, downregulate the ability of wtp53 to transactivate (increase the rate of transcription of) its target genes. We ...

Gamma Protocadherin Synaptic Localization And Intracellular Trafficking Is Consistent With Distinct Adhesive And Anti-Adhesive Roles In Development, Nicole Lamassa

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) constitute a family of cell adhesion molecules with approximately 60 Pcdh genes clustered in a 1 MB locus on chromosome 5q31 in humans. The Pcdh gene cluster is subdivided into α, β, and γ subclusters which encode related proteins. Individual neurons activate different subsets of Pcdh-α, Pcdh-β and Pcdh-γ genes by epigenetic mechanisms to generate distinct Pcdh adhesive units expressed by each neuron. This is thought to serve as a “surface barcode” for single-cell identity and synaptic recognition in the nervous system. The actual role for Pcdhs in neural development is still relatively unknown and different roles ...

Clustered Protocadherins Ubiquitination And Phosphorylation Regulates Surface Expression, Albert Ptashnik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) are a family of 60 adhesion-like molecules forming a neural barcode. In vertebrate neurons, 60 Pcdhs are coded by a large gene cluster. Numerous axons in the cluster are coding for the different extracellular, transmembrane, variable portion of the cytoplasmic and constant cytoplasmic domains where their expression is controlled epigenetically. These proteins mediate interactions between axons, dendrites, and glial cells during neural development. Yet, Pcdhs are not strictly adhesion molecules. In the amacrine cells of the retina, Pcdhs promote avoidance of the same cell dendrites, where in the cortex Pcdhs promote interactions between dendrites and astrocytes. In ...

Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Marks A Novel Population Of Adult Stem Cells In The Mouse Brain That Respond To Metabolic Interventions By Modulating Adult Brain Plasticity, Gabriel S. Jensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is expressed by quiescent adult stem cells (qASC) in numerous adult murine and human tissues but has never been explored in the adult brain. Here, these data demonstrate that TERT+ cells in the adult mouse brain represent a novel population of multipotent qASCs. TERT+ cells were localized to numerous classical neuro/gliogenic niches including the ventricular-subventricular zone, hypothalamus and olfactory bulb, as well as newly discovered regions of adult tissue plasticity such as the meninges and choroid plexus. TERT+ cells expressed neural stem cell markers such as Nestin and Sox2, but not markers of activated stem ...

The Effects Of Prenatal Cannabis Exposure On The Basolateral Amygdala, Karen Kw Wong

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Clinical and preclinical studies indicate prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) pathologically affects fetal brain development and may increase vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and mood/anxiety disorders. In review research from our lab suggests that fetal exposure to Δ9-THC sex-selectively impairs mesocorticolimbic (MCL) circuit function. However, there is a distinct lack of focus on PCE models on the BLA. The BLA plays a central role within the MCL where it directly interacts with the VTA, PFC and HIPP. Importantly, our model exhibits significant VTA hyperdopaminergic activity, and sex-specific alterations to PFC/HIPP glutamate firing, alongside region- and sex-specific changes in ...

Mechanisms And Roles Of Dynamic Actin Assembly Around Dysfunctional Mitochondria, Tak Shun Fung

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Possessing the ability to efficiently generate ATP required to sustain cellular functions, mitochondria are often considered the ‘powerhouses of the cell’. However, our understanding of mitochondria in cell biology was further expanded when we recognized that communication between this unique organelle and the rest of the cell regulates cellular bioenergetics, metabolism and signaling processes such as mitophagy and apoptosis. Here, I investigate signaling between mitochondria and the actin cytoskeleton, and how this signaling regulates mitochondrial dynamics and cellular function. Specifically, I find that, upon mitochondrial dysfunction, actin polymerizes rapidly around the dysfunctional organelle, which we term ‘acute damage-induced actin’ (ADA ...