BA-ADA based ROS-responsive nanoparticles for selective drug delivery in cancer cells
Current medical intervention in cancer therapeutic methods has shown risks and side effects with normal tissues. This includes incomplete cancer eradication. In reference to numerous studies and literature reviews, a stimuli-responsive drug delivery system is selected as an innovative, safe and more assured treatment due to its site-specific release ability. This allows specific intervention upon the given stimulus which response to the presenting disease symptoms. Hence, we designed a ROS(Reactive Oxygen Species)-responsive BA-ADA(4-Hydroxyphenylboronic acid pinacol ester and 1-Adamantanecarboxylic acid bonded molecule) nanoparticle delivery system. In our study, ROS-responsive nanoparticle was designed and prepared based on a synthetic molecule from BA and ADA. A therapeutic payload, Doxorubicin, can be loaded into the nanoparticles and it can be selectively released within cancerous tissues whereby ROS level is over-expressed. This will enhance both therapeutic efficiency and reduce side effects. The stability and ROS-responsiveness of the particle were proven in a series of evidence-based experiments. The results showed a significant difference in cell viability during the experiments with healthy and cancerous cell samples. Further research will be required to extend the experiment in vivo.
Investigating Novel Methods to Reduce Cholesterol Levels
An increase in blood cholesterol contributes to cardiovascular diseases, the number one cause of death worldwide. Statins are currently the most effective in reducing cholesterol levels and treating patients with high cholesterol. However, these pharmaceutical agents have been shown to cause several side effects, prompting the need for a more natural solution to increasing cholesterol levels. Hence, a study was conducted to investigate the ability of lactic acid bacteria in the removal of cholesterol, explore the mechanism for the removal of cholesterol by lactic acid bacteria, and examine the effectiveness of kidney beans and sunflower seeds in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum was the most effective in reducing cholesterol levels and that the mechanism for cholesterol removal included both the binding to cell wall and active uptake into cells. Sunflower seeds and kidney beans were also shown to be effective in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, with sunflower seeds having 100% inhibition of the enzyme, similar to pravastatin, a commercial cholesterol reducing drug, and kidney beans having comparable percentage inhibition of the enzyme compared to pravastatin.
Remedies Recovered from Roof Top Resources
Moss from a roof top was used to treat ear infections in my grandfather’s village. This remedy sparked my curiosity and so I began researching. I was bewildered to discover that the resistance to antibiotics has been labelled as a “Catastrophic Threat” and has been ranked in the same category as terrorism and climate change. Governments globally are urging scientists to identify and produce new antibiotics and reassess novel approaches1. This project aims to evaluate two objectives through the use of several integrated technologies and modified methods: (a) To determine if the extracts, solutions and raw materials derived from Heart wood portion of Picea glauca, Populus tremuloides, Salix spp, Betula papyrifera, Pinus contorta, Quercus alba, Thuja occidentalis, Climacium dendroides, Dicranum fuscescens and Kieselgur, will inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Escherichia coli. (b) To scientifically reassess my grandfather’s traditional method of treating ear infections using roof moss. The Heartwood portion of each tree was removed using a hammer and mallet. The Heartwood was then burnt to derive the ash and a miter saw was used to make sawdust. The moss was collected, dried and labelled. A Methanol Extraction was performed on all saw dust samples and moss using a Soxhlet Extractor for 24 hours. The ash solutions were diluted, filtered, and neutralized to pH 7. The solvents were evaporated in a Rotary evaporator and the residual material was stored in round bottom flasks. The Kirby Bauer method was modified and a Well Infusion method was devised for the biological assay. The Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Escherichia coli were plated using a 0.5 McFarland Standard. Paper filter discs containing 20uL of each extract solution and raw material were precisely placed onto the inoculated plates and incubated for 24 hours. The preliminary results were initially unfavourable, as data could only be collected and analysed for one species; Thuja occidentalis (White Cedar). However, these results were extremely encouraging when the zones of inhibition were measured and analyzed. Confidence Intervals were calculated at 95% and the T-Tests were calculated at a 0.05 alpha level, which indicated significance when compared to the control. The Chi Square values were greater than the critical value of 7.8 and therefore the thorough statistical analysis indicates that the results were not due to chance alone. Literature has indicated that certain components of trees do indeed have antibacterial properties, however there is very limited research specific to the Heartwood portion. Furthermore, I discovered that the Heartwood portion of the White Cedar tree does have certain antibacterial properties that definitely justify further testing. In addition, a combination of examining my grandfather’s possessions and analyzing present data, I can confidently support my grandfather’s traditional method. In conclusion, the use of the Heartwood portion of the White Cedar to combat bacterial infection warrants further exploration. Remedies Recovered from Roof Top Resources may be the solution to this catastrophic threat.
探討抗憂鬱症藥物phenelzine對於發生在小鼠巨噬細胞中的細胞凋亡所產生的保護作用及機制
之前有研究指出，使用一些單胺氧化酶(monoamine oxidase, MAO)的抑制劑如pargyline和clorgyline，皆可以保護serum starvation所導致的細胞凋亡，表示MAO可能在細胞凋亡的路徑中扮演重要的角色。 本研究著重於一個臨床上被拿來當抗憂鬱症藥物的MAO抑制劑苯乙肼(phenelzine, PZE)對於沿著腫瘤壞死因子-α (tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α)途徑而產生細胞凋亡的小鼠骨髓巨噬細胞(bone marrow-derived macrophages, BMDM)所產生的保護作用。 本研究的結果顯示PZE的確可以保護循TNF-α途徑死亡的細胞，同時使活性氧化物質(reactive oxygen species, ROS)的量下降。我們推論造成此現象的原因是PZE藉由抑制MAO，使得ROS的量下降，進而保護細胞。
FAT10 Haplotypes as a Potential Biomarker for Cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death today[1], accounting for nearly 1 in 6 deaths worldwide. Despite this, diagnosis and treatment models for cancer are limited and as such, new methods to identify and treat susceptible patients are required urgently. HLAF- adjacent transcript 10 (FAT10) is an oncogene that is strongly implicated in the development of inflammation-associated cancers[2]. Previous research on this highly polymorphic gene has identified 2 haplotypes – the reference haplotype, which is found in both cancer patients and healthy individuals, as well as an additional haplotype that is occurs at higher frequency in cancer patients and is associated with higher odds of cancer. In this study, it was hypothesised that the cancer-associated FAT10 haplotype can better promote tumorigenicity and could thereby serve as a useful biomarker for cancer. Here, we functionally characterize the 2 FAT10 haplotypes to understand how they influence some of the hallmarks of cancer. The cancer-exclusive haplotype was observed to enhance hallmarks of cancer, namely uncontrolled cell growth, resisting cell death and anchorage-independent growth as compared to the reference haplotype. Moreover, we uncovered the differential gene expression patterns induced by each haplotype. Molecules involved in cell adhesion and proliferation, as well as transcription were upregulated by the cancer-associated haplotype and hence could have contributed to the increased tumourigenic potential of the cancer haplotype.