Carolyn Wilson Digital Collections (Lipscomb Univ.)
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1413 research outputs found
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HER2 Amplification in Breast Cancer and its Treatment Options
No full textBreast cancer affects approximately 2.3 million women worldwide, causing an estimated 670,000 deaths in 2022. Among its subtypes, 15-20% exhibit overexpression of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), a tyrosine kinase receptor that drives tumor aggressiveness. HER2 activates the PI3K and RAS/RAF/MAPK pathways, promoting uncontrolled cell growth, proliferation, and survival. In HER2+ breast cancer, gene amplification leads to excess HER2 protein production, resulting in persistent signaling and unchecked tumor progression. However, this dependency on HER2 presents a key therapeutic opportunity. Trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, inhibits HER2 signaling and enhances immune-mediated cancer cell destruction. When combined with Lapatinib, chemotherapy, or surgery, Trastuzumab significantly improves patient outcomes. While HER2 overexpression accelerates tumor progression, it also serves as a critical target for effective breast cancer treatment
Evaluating the Efficacy of HTK (Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate) and Potassium-Based Cardioplegia Solutions in Adult Cardiac Surgery: A Scoping Review of Postoperative Outcomes, Efficiency, and Complications
Full text linkBackground/Introduction: Cardioplegia solutions are integral to myocardial protection during cardiac surgery, particularly during ischemic periods induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) solution and potassium-based solutions such as Del Nido, St. Thomas, 4:1, and Microplegia are widely utilized for their distinct biochemical mechanisms and protective properties. Despite their widespread application, variability in clinical outcomes and procedural contexts has led to uncertainty about the optimal choice of cardioplegia solution. This scoping review aims to compare HTK and potassium-based solutions, focusing on their efficacy, postoperative outcomes, and complications in adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and valve surgeries, including minimally invasive approaches.
Methodology: This scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases were searched for studies published between 2017 and 2024 that compared HTK and potassium-based cardioplegia solutions in adult cardiac surgeries. Eligibility criteria included original, full-text English-language studies involving CABG or valve procedures performed on CPB. Exclusion criteria included pediatric studies, cell-based research, and review articles. Relevant data were charted and synthesized into narrative and tabular formats, highlighting trends, gaps, and comparative insights.
Results: The search yielded 12 studies comprising randomized controlled trials, prospective observational studies, and retrospective analyses. HTK and potassium-based solutions demonstrated comparable myocardial protection across most procedures, as evidenced by similar postoperative cardiac enzyme levels. Del Nido exhibited superior efficiency in procedures with shorter ischemic times, while HTK offered advantages in reducing atrial fibrillation and hospital readmissions. Both solutions showed comparable rates of mortality and morbidity. Secondary outcomes revealed nuanced differences, such as lower acute kidney injury rates with Del Nido and longer CPB times associated with HTK.
Discussion/Conclusions: Both HTK and potassium-based solutions effectively provide myocardial protection and achieve comparable primary outcomes in cardiac surgeries. However, their differences in secondary outcomes, including recovery times, inflammatory responses, and renal impacts, suggest that the choice of cardioplegia solution should be tailored to patient-specific factors and surgical contexts. These findings underscore the need for further randomized controlled trials and standardized protocols to refine cardioplegia strategies and improve outcomes
Pain Is A Gift
No full textHannah Fritsch’s poetry collection, “Pain is a Gift,” explores what it means to live every day with pain. The poems look at many aspects of suffering, from the invisible psychological burden and despair it can bring to acceptance and hope. Using word pictures and metaphors, Fritsch’s work invites readers to look through her eyes and see how pain can draw people together and birth new dreams
Structural basis of a class II ribonucleotide reductase found if Mycobacterium tuberculosis
No full textTuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading global health challenge, particularly due to its ability to enter a dormant, drug-tolerant state that enables long-term persistence within the host. Just before dormancy, Mtb replicates its entire genome creating DNA precursors for when the infection reactivates. Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) play a critical role in bacterial survival by catalyzing the conversion of ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides, a necessary step for DNA replication and repair. The class II RNR, NrdZ, has been implicated in facilitating Mtb persistence under hypoxic stress conditions, yet its structural and mechanistic function remains largely uncharacterized. This project aims to elucidate the structural basis of NrdZ function and its role in Mtb dormancy. Through protein purification, crystallization, and X-ray diffraction or cryogenic electron microscopic analysis, we seek to determine the three-dimensional structure of NrdZ and identify key active site residues critical for its enzymatic activity. By structurally defining the molecular mechanisms underlying NrdZ function, this study will provide crucial insights into bacterial adaptation and survival strategies, potentially informing novel therapeutic approaches against persistent TB infections
Investigating Carnitine-Dependent Mechanisms of Valerobetaine in Breast Cancer Migration Inhibition
No full textBreast cancer accounts for approximately 297,500 cases annually in the United States, leading to over 43,000 fatalities. These deaths occur due to cancer\u27s ability to bypass the normal cell cycle, proliferating uncontrollably and metastasizing throughout the body. Notably, over 75% of breast cancer-related deaths are attributed to metastases. The hallmark of altered cellular metabolism enables cancer cells to enhance fat metabolism alongside glycolysis, driving increased tumor aggressiveness and higher metastatic rates. Currently, no FDA-approved drugs directly target metastases or prevent migrating cancer cells. Consequently, inhibiting fat metabolism presents a potential strategy to reduce metastases and cancer cell migration; however, existing fat metabolism inhibitors exhibit significant toxicity, preventing clinical translation.
Our previous research identified Valerobetaine (VB), a non-toxic microbial metabolite, as a promising inhibitor of fat metabolism. Initial experiments demonstrated that VB reduced MCF-7 breast cancer cell migration under fatty acid supplementation using scratch assays. These studies confirmed that VB mitigates the pro-migratory effects associated with enhanced fat metabolism. Further research investigated VB’s mechanism of action, hypothesizing its function through carnitine-dependent pathways. Using treatment groups with carnitine supplementation and conducting scratch assays, we observed that VB’s inhibitory effect on migration was reversed, implicating the carnitine shuttle in its mechanism. These findings highlight VB’s potential as a co-therapeutic for mitigating metastatic behavior in breast cancer, supporting its future clinical application
when it calls you
No full textLayla Al-Sadoon’s collection “when it calls you” explores the intersection of religion and womanhood. Al-Sadoon’s speaker compares the ambiguous relationship of her body and the earth, even when she is unaware of the positive and negative movements between both. “when it calls you” situates itself in a wilderness that carries the both speaker and audience into a feeling of isolation and a demystification of romance and wildness. The speaker grapples with her identity as she encounters the unknown within herself, and the representations of femininity she recognized and fears
Elucidating the Effects of HD5 on ACTC1 Expression in Crohn\u27s Disease
No full textApproximately 1.6 million Americans currently have Crohn’s Disease (CD), a condition that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly the small intestine, leading to chronic inflammation, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, and fatigue. Although treatments exist, misdiagnosis remains a challenge due to symptom overlap with other inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Previous studies have shown an increase in Human Alpha Defensin (HD5) in Crohn’s Colitis, resulting in slower wound healing closure, increased apoptosis, and potential effects regarding alpha-actin expression. However, its effects in the small intestine remain unclear. Alpha-actin is a cytoskeletal protein that maintains cellular structure through cell migration, tissue remodeling, and immune regulation. When Alpha-actin is dysfunctional or reduced in number, cellular integrity is weakened, allowing immune cells to infiltrate and drive chronic inflammation. This study aims to determine whether HD5 impacts Alpha-actin expression in the small intestine, potentially impairing wound healing and promoting inflammation. To test this, IEC-6 cells were treated with varying concentrations of HD5 to measure wound healing rates, and Alpha-actin transcript levels were analyzed using qPCR, with protein expression assessed with a Western blot. Preliminary results are inconclusive due to rapid wound closure but show potential trends of HD5 modulating wound healing efficiency and alpha-actin expression in IEC-6 cells. Further analysis is ongoing to determine the extent of HD5’s effect on alpha-actin in small intestinal inflammation. If inflammation is not addressed, CD symptoms will persist. Understanding the relationship between HD5 and Alpha-actin could help identify new therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes
The Role of Human Alpha Defensin 5 (HD5) in Disrupted Wound Healing Processes in Crohn’s Colitis
No full textWound healing is a complex biological process requiring the coordinated function of multiple proteins. In chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s Colitis (CC), this process is dysregulated, leading to delayed tissue repair and increased disease burden. Prior studies indicate that Human Alpha Defensin 5 (HD5) is over-expressed in the colonic epithelium of CC patients, yet its impact on wound healing remains poorly understood. Our laboratory has identified that HD5 may impair wound healing by modulating key structural and regulatory proteins. Preliminary findings suggest that HD5 reduces the expression and function of desmoplakin, a critical desmosomal protein essential for maintaining epithelial integrity and promoting wound closure. Utilizing an assortment of biological techniques, including wound healing assays, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Western blotting, we aim to elucidate the mechanistic relationship between HD5 and desmoplakin in epithelial wound healing using NCM460D cells as a model system. We hypothesize that increasing concentrations of HD5 down-regulate desmoplakin protein and mRNA expression, compromising its ability to mediate cellular adhesion and epithelial repair. This disruption is predicted to result in reduced wound closure and impaired epithelial barrier restoration in HD5-treated cells compared to untreated controls. Understanding the interaction between HD5 and desmoplakin provides a novel perspective on the molecular mechanism of IBD-associated epithelial cell damage. This research may lead to the development of targeted therapies aimed at targeting colonic HD5, thereby improving wound healing and reducing disease burden in CC patients
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Teaching Resources for Use in Any Accounting Class
No full textWith current and future Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting regulations, industry pressures, and stakeholder expectations, many organizations integrate ESG goals into business strategy. To aid accounting faculty in their goal of preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to create, review, and audit ESG reports, this flexible, three-part ESG teaching module can be used in whole or in part in any accounting course. This teaching resource provides lecture files (Google Slides), lecture notes, and student assignments and can be scaled up or down to fit the lecture needs. Topics covered in the modules include Sustainability, Climate Change, and ESG; Triple Bottom Line; Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Climate Change; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; ESG Reporting Frameworks; ESG Regulatory Compliance Entities; and Related Reports such a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Health Product Declaration (HPD