Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences Graduate Theses
Recent Submissions
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Investigating the Efficacy of a Combination Therapy and a Nanopolymer-Mediated Drug Delivery Approach to Treat Pancreatic and Breast Cancer
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most challenging malignancies to treat clinically. The current standard of care for a possible cure requires surgery; however, only a small subset of patients is eligible ... -
Mechanical stretch increases Kv1.5 current through interaction between the S1-S2 linker and N-terminus of the channel
The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.5 mediates the ultra-rapid delayed rectifier current (IKur) in the heart, important for human atrial repolarization. In physiological conditions cardiomyocytes continuously undergo ... -
O antigen biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria: Characterization of alpha1,4-glucosyltransferase WclY from Escherichia coli O117 and development of glycosyltransferase inhibitors.
Gram-negative bacteria have a polysaccharide coat (O antigen) consisting of repeating units of oligosaccharides that is assembled by glycosyltransferases. Many of these bacteria are associated with disease, and the ... -
Crosstalk Signaling Between cAMP and Calcium on the Leading Edge of Migrating Human Arterial Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are phenotypically plastic. Thus, while the VSMCs in healthy blood vessels are ‘contractile’ and control vascular tone, these cells can increase their synthetic, migratory and proliferative ... -
Integrated Biological Networks Associated with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Response in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the 8th most common gynecological cancer and the 7th leading cause of cancer death in women, as it has the lowest 5-year survival rate of all common female reproductive system cancers. The first-line ... -
The Effect of In Utero Benzene Exposure on Fetal NF-KB Cell Signalling in CD-1 Mice
In utero exposure to benzene, a known carcinogenic environmental toxicant, is associated with the development of childhood leukemia. We have previously demonstrated that in utero exposure to benzene in CD-1 mice can alter ... -
The developmental and functional characterization of glutathione-s-transferase omega 2 (GSTO2) within eutherian spermatozoa
The eutherian sperm head has three main components: the nucleus, acrosome and perinuclear theca (PT). The PT is a dense cytosolic protein layer that lies between the nucleus and acrosome and houses proteins involved in ... -
Investigating the Role of Camp-Signaling in the Regulation of Angiogenic Sprouting
Angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels from pre-existing vascular structures, can contribute adaptively or mal-adaptively to a myriad of conditions, including ischemic heart disease and cancer. During angiogenic sprouting, ... -
Clinical Symptoms And Biomarkers Of Bermuda Grass-Induced Allergic Rhinitis Using The Nasal Allergen Challenge Model
Bermuda grass pollen is a prevalent allergen that flourishes in subtropical climates, such as the southern United States. Bermuda grass exposure is traditionally believed to be relatively low in Ontario due to the colder ... -
The Role of Fucosylation in a Three-Dimensional Multicellular Tumor Spheroid Model of Prostate Cancer
Multicellular tumor spheroids are a three-dimensional model of cancer with a variety of applications. Spheroids are the preferred preclinical model in drug screening because they recapitulate the tumor microenvironment. ... -
Connecting environmental exposures with allergic and respiratory outcomes - The ongoing study of the Kingston Allergy Birth Cohort
Atopic diseases like allergies and asthma are mediated by several types of immune cells such as Regulatory T cells (Treg), and T helper type 1, 2, and 17 (Th1, Th2, and Th17) cells. Reductions in Treg numbers and the Th1:Th2 ... -
Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor and macrophage colony stimulating factor compete to differentially regulate bone marrow-derived macrophage activation and polarization
Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) and Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF) are two highly regulated cytokines with a variety of roles in the immune system. One of their most impactful roles ... -
Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk Assessment with Novel Time-Frequency Analysis of Signal-Averaged Electrocardiograms
Background: Ventricular arrhythmia is a prevalent and dangerous cause of sudden cardiac death. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) are devices that can detect and terminate ventricular arrhythmia, but current ... -
The Effect of Carbon Monoxide on Pregnancy Specific Adaptations in Mice
Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem disorder of pregnancy, characterized by new onset hypertension and the presence of specific organ dysfunction such as proteinuria. While the etiology remains elusive, it is believed to ... -
Investigating the impact of endothelial BMPR2 loss on the proliferative response to bone morphogenetic protein 9 in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease of proliferative vascular occlusion that is strongly linked to heterozygous mutations in BMPR2, the gene encoding the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type II ... -
Adhesion Proteins: Keeping Bacteria in Their Place
Many bacteria produce outer membrane-localized proteins that adhere them to varying biotic and abiotic substrates. Such interactions are crucial for the life-cycle of many microorganisms, promoting retention in high-nutrient ... -
Interleukin-27 Modulates Monocyte and Macrophage Toll-Like Receptor Responses to Bacterial and Viral Components
Interleukin (IL)-27 is a heterodimeric cytokine with pleiotropic functions across both innate and adaptive immunity. Composed of subunits IL-27p28 and EBI3, IL-27 signals via a heterodimeric receptor of gp130 and WSX-1 to ... -
Investigating the Role of Neutrophils in Endometriosis Pathophysiology
Endometriosis is a debilitating gynecological disease characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue lesions outside of the uterus. Chronic inflammation is a hallmark feature of endometriosis, which has been ... -
Blockade of the Human Ether A-Go-Go-Related Gene (hERG) Potassium Channel by Fentanyl
Fentanyl poses a serious health concern, with abuse and death rates rising over recent years. Despite the high number of overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl, the complete molecular mechanisms of such deaths have not ...
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