Epigenetic Modifications In Dedifferentiated Liver Cells To Restore Lost Liver Function,
2026
Eastern Illinois University
Epigenetic Modifications In Dedifferentiated Liver Cells To Restore Lost Liver Function, Shreya Sharma
Masters Theses
The goal of the study is to investigate whether the epigenetic modifications can enhance the restoration of liver gene expression in dedifferentiated hepatoma cells or not. For the study, we used dedifferentiated H11 hepatoma cell lines which overexpress one of a panel of introduced candidate liver-enriched transcription factors H11-HNF1a, H11-CREB3L3, H11-CREG1, H11- HHEX, H11-HNF6, and H11-IGFBP1. The cells were treated with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine and the histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate, both individually and in combination. Gene expression analysis was determined by RT-qPCR, which revealed that while transcription factor overexpression alone produced limited activation, epigenetic modulation, particularly Histone …
The Myopia Epidemic: Integrating Genetic, Environmental, And Epigenetic Pathways To Define A Critical Window For Intervention,
2026
Virginia Commonwealth University
The Myopia Epidemic: Integrating Genetic, Environmental, And Epigenetic Pathways To Define A Critical Window For Intervention, Pranavika Balaji
UROP Posters
Myopia, or nearsightedness, has increased rapidly worldwide and is now a major public health concern caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Current understanding shows that too much near work, limited time spent outdoors, and prolonged screen use contribute to abnormal eye growth in individuals who may already have a genetic predisposition. At the molecular level, epigenetic changes and shifts in DNA activity, often influenced by environmental conditions, affect the signaling pathways that regulate eye development and may help explain why myopia is increasingly common among children. This paper synthesizes recent environmental, genetic, and epigenetic research to explain how these …
Determining Genes Involved In Recovery From Chemotherapy In 4t1, Emt6, And Eo771 Breast Cancer Cells,
2026
Virginia Commonwealth University
Determining Genes Involved In Recovery From Chemotherapy In 4t1, Emt6, And Eo771 Breast Cancer Cells, Akash Jagdeesh, Joseph Landry Ph.D.
UROP Posters
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and often has poor prognosis. Traditional treatments for breast cancer include chemotherapy, which involves a chemical attack on all growing cells within the body. However, these treatments are not 100% effective, and patients might experience recurrence in their cancer months or years after achieving remission. Cancer cells can evade chemotherapy through five mechanisms: senescence, quiescence, cytoprotective autophagy, and apoptosis/necroptosis suppression. Prior studies have conducted CRISPR screens and experiments involving inhibition of epigenetic regulators, to alter the regulation of genes that can contribute to breast cancer chemotherapy resistance. This study …
Interactions Of Complement With Paramyxovirus Persistently Infected Cells,
2026
University of Central Florida
Interactions Of Complement With Paramyxovirus Persistently Infected Cells, Nasser N. Yousef
Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026
Persistent RNA virus infections (PI) are often characterized by extended viral shedding and maintained cycles of inflammation. We have an incomplete understanding of interactions between exogenous and cell intrinsic Complement (C') factors and paramyxovirus PI cells. Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) acute infected (AI) cells can be recognized and lysed by exogenous C’ factors, but PI cells become resistant to C’-mediated lysis. We hypothesized that the relative sensitivity of AI and PI cells to C’ lysis is correlated with viral glycoprotein expression on the surface of cells. PI cells display lower levels of viral glycoprotein expression compared to AI cells. Pharmacological …
The Importance Of The Proline Residue In The Ldiapa Motif Of Cholera Toxin,
2026
University of Central Florida
The Importance Of The Proline Residue In The Ldiapa Motif Of Cholera Toxin, Akash Bharathan
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Cholera is currently on its seventh global pandemic, disproportionately affecting developing countries. Vibrio cholerae, the bacterial etiologic agent, is able to cause infection by adhering to intestinal epithelial cells and secreting cholera toxin (CT), an AB-type exotoxin that dysregulates signaling pathways. Previous research by the Teter lab has shown that Hsp90, a host cytosolic chaperone, is required for CT to enter the cytosol where it produces toxic effects. Hsp90 binds to CT at two specific motifs, RPPDEI and LDIAPA. The prolines in the RPPDEI motif are essential for binding, but the proline in the LDIAPA has yet to be …
Antibody-Drug Conjugates Beyond Her2 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc): Mechanisms, Emerging Targets, And Future Directions,
2026
Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
Antibody-Drug Conjugates Beyond Her2 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc): Mechanisms, Emerging Targets, And Future Directions, Ahmed Ismail, Akash Desai, George R. Simon, Yanis Boumber
Department of Medicine Faculty Publications
Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are a rapidly evolving class of oncology therapeutics that enable precise delivery of potent cytotoxic agents to tumor cells while minimizing systemic toxicity. While HER2-targeted ADCs such as trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in HER2-mutant, Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-Dxd) in EGFR-mutant, and telisotumumab vedotin (Teliso-V) in MET IHC 3+ expressing lung cancer have already established a clinical role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), multiple ADCs targeting alternative antigens, including additional TROP2 ADCs, HER3, MET, CEACAM5, B7-H3, Nectin-4, and others, are now in advanced clinical development. This review synthesizes the current evidence for non-HER2 ADCs in NSCLC, highlighting mechanisms of …
Ex Vivo Sensitivity Assays With Molecular Validation To Guide Preclinical Drug Selection For Schwann Cell Tumors,
2026
University of Central Florida
Ex Vivo Sensitivity Assays With Molecular Validation To Guide Preclinical Drug Selection For Schwann Cell Tumors, Ethan W. Hass
Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026
Schwann cells are the glial cell of the peripheral nervous system. They are dependent on receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated RAS signaling, cell matrix adhesion, and cell-cell contact to proliferate during nerve development and repair. These pathways become deregulated with loss of function of the merlin tumor suppressor encoded by NF2, leading to benign tumors called schwannomas. Patients with NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN) develop bilateral vestibular schwannomas that cause hearing loss, tinnitus, and death from brainstem compression if untreated. Severe NF2-SWN causes multiple spinal and peripheral schwannomas and neuropathic pain. Schwannomas require careful monitoring, trial and error use of repurposed anti-cancer …
Cell Type-Specific Fatty Acid Signalling And Its Sex Dependence,
2026
University of Central Florida
Cell Type-Specific Fatty Acid Signalling And Its Sex Dependence, Emeline Masterson
Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026
Dietary fat is a highly palatable, energy-dense nutrient whose oral detection powerfully shapes ingestion patterns and metabolic outcomes. Despite clear behavioral and physiological evidence that fat can evoke distinct taste signals, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying its transduction remain poorly understood. A critical gap exists in our understanding of the cell-type-specific molecular pathways and how these signals are modulated by hormonal status. This dissertation delineates estrogen-dependent plasticity in FA transduction within the peripheral taste system, revealing coordinated, sex and cell-type-specific modulation of these pathways. To understand the missing mechanisms, FA-evoked responses were compared in Type II cells from wild-type …
Gcn5l1-Mediated Lysine Acetylation Regulates Mitochondrial Dysfunction In The Aged Heart,
2026
West Virginia University
Gcn5l1-Mediated Lysine Acetylation Regulates Mitochondrial Dysfunction In The Aged Heart, Jackson Edmond Stewart
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
For over a century, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been and remains the leading cause of death globally. CVD risk and severity increase significantly with advanced age, and mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of aging. Furthermore, mitochondrial health is crucial for cardiac function, as one-third of total cardiomyocyte volume is occupied by mitochondria in order to meet the high energy demand of contractile and relaxational function. It is thus crucial that we understand the pathological mechanisms driving mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and how this contributes to age-associated cardiovascular disease. The current manuscript aims to fill this knowledge gap …
Multifunctional And Adaptive: Tracking How Fibroblasts Respond To Tissue Injury And Facilitate Tissue Remodeling,
2026
University at Albany, State University of New York
Multifunctional And Adaptive: Tracking How Fibroblasts Respond To Tissue Injury And Facilitate Tissue Remodeling, Joey R. Tavarez
Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)
Fibrosis is characterized by an accumulation of proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that results in altered tissue architecture and reduced organ function. In the salivary glands, fibrosis leads to loss of saliva, dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, an increase in oral infections, difficulty in digestion of food and an overall reduction in the quality of life. Understanding the progression of fibrosis and how it affects human health is a crucial step for designing effective therapeutics. Understanding fibroblast function is integral to advancing the field due to the many roles they play in maintaining the ECM. To perform preliminary analysis, …
Dielectrophoretic Biomarkers For Cancer Detection And Cell Analysis: Integrating Microfluidics And Ai,
2026
West Virginia University
Dielectrophoretic Biomarkers For Cancer Detection And Cell Analysis: Integrating Microfluidics And Ai, Raphael Olumide Oladokun
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) carries a five-year survival rate of 13%, driven largely by late-stage diagnosis and the absence of sensitive noninvasive screening tools. Current diagnostic methods lack the sensitivity to detect disease-associated systemic changes at early and precancerous stages, representing a critical clinical gap. This dissertation addresses the central hypothesis that PDAC and its pathological subtypes induce measurable, disease-associated electrophysiological changes in circulating PBMCs that can serve as correlative liquid-biopsy biomarkers. To test this hypothesis, this work asks: can dielectrophoresis (DEP), impedance and zeta potential analysis with AI-assisted classification distinguish benign pancreatic conditions (non-malignant control), precancerous lesions (primarily IPMNs), …
Studying The Mechanism For Ricin-Induced Growth Suppression,
2026
West Virginia University
Studying The Mechanism For Ricin-Induced Growth Suppression, Daniel Judge
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
This study focuses on ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), a class of potent toxins that includes ricin, α-sarcin, and shiga toxin, which irreversibly damage large subunit rRNA. Although the catalytic activity of ricin toxin A chain (RTA) is well characterized, the precise mechanisms linking ribosome damage to altered cellular morphology remain poorly understood. In this study, we engineered a tetracycline-regulatable expression system to express RTA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We characterized the effects of RTA expression on yeast growth, viability, and reproductive potential. We demonstrated that our expression system produced rapid and robust RTA expression and ribosome depurination within less than one …
Exploring The Application Of Wastewater Monitoring To Determine The Prevalence And Diversity Of Influenza On The Campus Of West Virginia University,
2026
West Virginia University
Exploring The Application Of Wastewater Monitoring To Determine The Prevalence And Diversity Of Influenza On The Campus Of West Virginia University, Lakyn Renee Sanders
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Influenza viruses (IV) affect populations globally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that IV are responsible for an estimated 3-5 million infections and 290,000 – 650,000 deaths annually1–3. More specifically, the 2019-2020 IV season is associated with an estimated 38 million illnesses and 22,000 deaths in the United States alone4. IV are rapidly spread between individuals through direct contact with infected individuals, contaminated surfaces, or aerosolized virus particles2. Traditional IV infection monitoring relies on clinical screening of patients presenting influenza-like symptoms, commonly through the use of multi-target panel tests such as the BioFire …
Investigating The Anti-Apoptotic Properties Of The N-Terminus Of The Chlamydia Trachomatis Effector Tarp,
2026
University of Central Florida
Investigating The Anti-Apoptotic Properties Of The N-Terminus Of The Chlamydia Trachomatis Effector Tarp, Kasey S. Jordan
Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026
As the most prevalent bacterial STI in the United States and leading cause of infection-related blindness worldwide, the obligate intracellular bacteria, Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), poses a significant threat to public health. As an obligate intracellular bacteria, invasion of the host cell is a crucial step in Chlamydia’s developmental cycle. To drive invasion, Ct injects prepackaged effectors into the host cell using a T3SS. An early Chlamydial effector, translocated actin recruiting phosphoprotein, or Tarp, interacts with host cell actin to promote invasion, mediated via Tarp’s C-terminal region. Although the function of Tarp’s C-terminus is well defined, the Tarp’s N-terminus …
The Effects Of Vitamin K On Neuronal Ferroptosis,
2026
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Effects Of Vitamin K On Neuronal Ferroptosis, Chelsey P. Eighmey
Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)
Dementia is a crippling illness affecting millions worldwide causing significant public health burdens with long-term care. The lack of treatment options results in many years of suffering for affected individuals and their loved ones who often become primary caretakers. Decades of study have focused on treating dementia with little-to-no success, so an emphasis is needed on attempting to prevent disease progression altogether. This research explored vitamin K as a potential strategy for prevention of dementia onset or progression through the mechanism of suppressing ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is a type of cell death suggested to contribute to the hallmark traits of Alzheimer’s …
Development Of Self-Assembled Polymeric Polyplexes For Microrna Delivery: Toward Treatment Of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease,
2025
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Development Of Self-Assembled Polymeric Polyplexes For Microrna Delivery: Toward Treatment Of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease, Marjina Akter Kalpana
Theses & Dissertations
Self-assembled polymeric polyplexes have the potential to serve as an RNA interference (RNAi) delivery platform for the combined inhibition of CXCR4 and miR-155 in the treatment of alcohol-associated liver disease (AALD). A central challenge in RNA delivery is balancing the extracellular stability of polyplexes, cellular uptake, and intracellular release of RNA cargo. We developed polymeric polyplexes using the CXCR4-antagonist polymer PAMD, designed to target CXCR4 on activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and deliver therapeutic miRNA to activated Kupffer cells (KCs) in fibrotic liver. We improved the polyplexes by cholesterol modification of PAMD and by PEGylation of PAMD-Ch. The cholesterol modification …
Investigating The Potential Ability Of The Tlr4-Nf-Κb Axis To Reduce Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Expression In Intestinal Epithelial Cells,
2025
Lipscomb University
Investigating The Potential Ability Of The Tlr4-Nf-Κb Axis To Reduce Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Expression In Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Gabriella Longoria
Student Scholar Symposium
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) primarily affects premature infants and is characterized by intestinal necrosis, inflammation, and high mortality. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-induced apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells is thought to drive NEC development. Upon binding bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), TLR4 signaling activates NF-κB, leading to inflammatory gene expression. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a pro-ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), prevents NEC in a mouse model by downregulating TLR4, despite reduced AhR expression in NEC-affected intestines. However, the molecular mechanism behind the reduced expression of AhR in NEC is unclear. To model NEC in vitro, we treated IEC-6 enterocytes with LPS, which reduces AhR …
Functionality Of The Ryanodine Receptor Type 1 (Ryr1) In The Development Of Malignant Hyperthermia (Mh),
2025
Lipscomb University
Functionality Of The Ryanodine Receptor Type 1 (Ryr1) In The Development Of Malignant Hyperthermia (Mh), Cesar Medina, Joshua Owens
Student Scholar Symposium
Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a rare but potentially lethal pharmacogenetic disorder, affecting roughly 1 in 30,000 children and 1 in 100,000 adults undergoing surgery. MH can be triggered by agents used for general anesthesia. These may include volatile anesthetics such as sevoflurane, isoflurane, desflurane, halothane or depolarizing neuromuscular blockers such as succinylcholine. Upon administration of a trigger, an MH susceptible (MHS) patient can develop a hypermetabolic state during the intraoperative or postoperative periods. If not treated quickly, an MH episode could result in organ dysfunction or death. The primary mechanisms involved in the development of an MH crisis include the …
Microrna-Mediated Regulation Of The Parkinson's Disease-Associated Gene, Lrrk2,
2025
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Microrna-Mediated Regulation Of The Parkinson's Disease-Associated Gene, Lrrk2, Peyton B. Hanser, Pavithra Madamarandawala, Wendy Olivas
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease. LRRK2 is one of the main PD-associated genes, as both familial mutations and its abnormal overexpression are associated with PD progression. However, underlying molecular mechanisms leading to LRRK2 abnormal overexpression are not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs that regulate target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by binding to a specific sequence in their 3’ UTRs (untranslated regions at the ends of mRNAs) and blocking translation of the mRNA. Previous studies have identified miR-205 as one regulator of LRRK2. However, the LRRK2 3’ UTR has many other computationally-predicted miRNA …
The Cytotoxicity And Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of 1’S-1’-Acetoxychavicol Acetate (Aca) On Oral Cells,
2025
Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Cytotoxicity And Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of 1’S-1’-Acetoxychavicol Acetate (Aca) On Oral Cells, Nur Umairah Atiqah Sabri, Nor Syazwani Muhammad Zahidan, Zulfahmi Said, Siti Noor Adnalizawati Adnan, Normaliza Ab Malik
Journal of Dentistry Indonesia
Objective: Mouthwash is widely used to maintain oral health by reducing the prevalence of pathogenic microbiomes. Nonetheless, chlorhexidine, a common active ingredient, is associated with side effects including teeth staining, mucosal peeling, mouth and tongue numbness. This has prompted interest in natural alternatives. This study aimed to identify the cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory properties of 1’S-1’-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from Alpinia conchigera rhizome against human primary gingival fibroblast and keratinocyte (HPGF and HPGK). Methods: Cytotoxicity of ACA (1.57 mg/mL) against HPGF and HPGK was assessed using the MTT assay. Meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory property of ACA was analyzed based on …
