Browsing Brody School of Medicine by Type"Doctoral Dissertation"
Now showing items 1-20 of 42
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Antigen-specific tolerogenic vaccines inhibit autoimmune disease in a rodent model of multiple sclerosis
(East Carolina University, 2010)Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered to be a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease directed against myelinated nerves within the central nervous system. Current therapies available to MS patients have low efficacy and are ... -
Apigenin prevents chemically-induced skin tumor formation and inhibits COX-2 expression and activity in SKH-1 mouse epidermis
(East Carolina University, 2012)The most common type of cancer in the United States is non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), with an estimated two million new cases diagnosed each year. Numerous malignancies including NMSC, colon, breast, and prostate cancer ... -
Augmented coronary vascular smooth muscle response to endothelin-1 exacerbates cardiac injury following pulmonary exposure to engineered nanomaterials
(East Carolina University, 2014)Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and 60-carbon fullerenes (C60) are important engineered nanoparticles (ENP) used across industry. Exposure to ENP potentially promotes cardiovascular detriments. The hypotheses that ... -
The bhuTUV and bhuO genes play vital roles in the ability of Brucella abortus to use heme as an iron source and are regulated in an iron-responsive manner by RirA and Irr
(East Carolina University, 2012)Brucella abortus is a Gram negative intracellular pathogen that causes the zoonotic disease brucellosis. Antibiotic treatment for brucellosis in humans is prolonged and sometimes followed by relapses. Currently, the United ... -
The Biochemical Characterization Of Neuronal K+ Channel N-Glycans And Their Role In Regulating K+ Channel Function
(East Carolina University, 2009)The Kv3 and Kv1 subfamilies of voltage–gated K+ channels are critical components which contribute to action potential repolarization throughout the central nervous system. Here, it was shown that both absolutely conserved ... -
CD44 and hyaluronan promote the bmp7 signaling response in chondrocytes
(East Carolina University, 2011)Cell-matrix interactions are important in maintaining cartilage homeostasis. Hyaluronan binding to its principal receptor CD44 is essential for such interactions. Hyaluronan-CD44 interactions are required for the retention ... -
Circadian activation of mast cells mediates the nocturnal response in allergic asthma
(East Carolina University, 2010)Circadian rhythm is a conserved physiological feature of most organisms. Nocturnal symptoms are a common feature of allergic asthma in humans. Patients with nocturnal asthma show circadian variation of their pulmonary ... -
Comparison of tolerance characteristics in the guinea pig following chronic in-vivo exposure to opioid versus cannabinoid receptor agonists
(East Carolina University, 2010)Few studies have compared the nature of tolerance that develops following chronic in vivo opioid treatment with that which develops after chronic cannabinoid exposure in the same tissue and species. Based on similarities ... -
[Delta]-catenin: implications in prostate cancer progression
(East Carolina University, 2014)Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death among men in the US. Due to the advances in research, the ability to detect and cure PCa has improved and led to ... -
Discovery and investigation of a novel role for mitochondrial prohibitin in mitigating acute heart failure in endotoxic shock
(East Carolina University, 2014)Sepsis results in more than 200,000 deaths annually and is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (US). In spite of significant advances in medical care the mortality rate for sepsis has continued to rise. ... -
Disruption of mitochondrial fitness in human preadipocytes by fatty acids
(East Carolina University, 2013)Adipose tissue lies at the core of energy metabolism, by not only releasing and taking up fatty acids (FA) according to the individuals overall surplus or deficit of energy, but also signaling other tissues to regulate ... -
The Distribution Of Regulated Actomyosin States Is Central To Cardiac Muscle Regulation And Disturbance Of This Distribution Leads To Congenital Cardiomyopathies
(East Carolina University, 2009)Hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathies are congenital cardiac diseases that have an incidence of over one in five hundred and may lead to sudden cardiac death. One of the main impediments to directed treatment is ... -
Effects of Aerobic Capacity Phenotype on Adaptive Responses to Ischemic Stress
(East Carolina University, 2009)Ischemic disease leads to increased tissue stress by decreasing supply of nutrients adequate to meet energy demands. To maintain functionality, compensatory mechanisms for diminished vascular supply are induced by numerous ... -
Effects of Exogenous and Autocrine Growth Hormone (hGH) on Prostate Cancer Cell Function
(East Carolina University, 2012)Human growth hormone (hGH) is a major product of the anterior pituitary. In addition to its endocrine activities, hGH overexpression in extra-pituitary tissues has been correlated with the oncogenic behavior of these ... -
Enforced expression of HoxA9 in b-lineage all promotes survival and proliferation of leukemic cells
(East Carolina University, 2009)HoxA9 is frequently overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In mouse models, HoxA9 has been shown to promote leukemogenesis. In spite of a seemingly ... -
An examination of the functional role of TMEFF2 in prostate cancer and the translational regulatory mechanisms controlling its expression
(East Carolina University, 2012)Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men and accounts for approximately 11% of cancer-related deaths. Although promising treatment strategies have been developed and are currently being tested ... -
Fesselin and caldesmon: natively unfolded proteins in smooth muscle regulation
(East Carolina University, 2010)Dysregulation of smooth muscle contraction is linked to diseases such as atherosclerosis, asthma, hypertension, urinary incontinence, premature birth and others. The goal of this project is to contribute to our understanding ... -
Fish oil disrupts B cell plasma membrane lateral organization and immunological synapse formation
(East Carolina University, 2012)Fish oil has immunosuppressive properties that could provide treatment for numerous inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. The primary bioactive components of fish oil, which are the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ... -
Functions of claudin-7 in human lung cancer
(East Carolina University, 2012)Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States with a very poor overall 5-year survival rate. Nearly 95% of the lung cancer originates ... -
The induction of antigen-specific immunological tolerance and attenuation of inflammation via cytokine antigen fusion protein therapy in a mouse model of pulmonary inflammation
(East Carolina University, 2014)Allergic asthma is a significant medical issue, affecting more than 300 million individuals and causing approximately 250,000 deaths each year. Current asthma therapies temporarily minimize discomfort and manage symptoms, ...