Month: July 2018

The Role of Oxytocin in Relation to the HPA axis and Differential Receptor Methylation Patterns in the Prognosis and Prevention of Postpartum Depression

July 25, 2018 Allyson Jones
Allyson Jones Introduction: Postpartum depression, which effects as many as 30% of mothers, impairs mother-infant interactions and can have a profound effect on both child development and motherhood.1 Oxytocin is a key regulatory hormone that is known to buffer stress reactivity, support positive mood, and promote healthy mothering behaviors.2 While…
Endocrinology Neuroscience

Modulating Crosstalk Between Wnt and Notch Signaling Pathways to Improve the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

July 25, 2018 Peter Vu
Peter Vu Introduction. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide6. Colorectal stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for the progression, metastasis, relapse, and treatment resistance of CRC, and use similar signaling pathways found in normal intestine stem cells7. The…
Cancer

Inhibition of Toll-like Receptor 4 and the NLPR3 Inflammasome as Potential Treatments for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

July 25, 2018 Jessica Domitrovic
Jessica Domitrovic Introduction.  Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) results in nearly 75,000 deaths annually in the US,1 with pneumonia, sepsis, and mechanical ventilation frequent causes. Damaged epithelial cells induce inflammation, diffuse alveolar injury, pulmonary infiltrates, and severe hypoxemia. There are no statistically effective pharmacological treatments. Both bacterial and ventilator-induced ARDS…
Inflammation

Linking RNA dysfunction by miscoding of Type II intramolecular chaperone and neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

July 25, 2018 Angelica Hatfield
Angelica Hatfield Introduction. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively affects the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord.1 ALS progressively degenerates these motor neurons and leads to the progressive muscle weakness.1 (ALS) can progress by affecting the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.1  In this…
Neuroscience

Propionic Acid Metabolite of Gut Microbiome Implicated in the Pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

July 25, 2018 Chad Griesbach
Chad Griesbach Introduction. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. The prevalence of ASD has dramatically increased recently, rising from 4.5 in 10,000 in 1966, to 1 in 68 children aged eight years in 20106. Gastrointestinal comorbidities are common…
Microbiology Neuroscience

The Role of Non Structural Protein 4A of Zika Virus in Suppressing the Akt-mTOR Pathway in Neural Stem Cells

July 24, 2018 Hannakate Hall
Hannakate Hall Introduction: Zika Virus is a positive sense, single stranded RNA flavivirus that has attracted worldwide attention within the last 5 years for its transcontinental spread and ability to evoke devastating results within certain patient populations1. Zika is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes6, and is…
Microbiology Neuroscience Stem Cells

Propionic Acid as an Environmental Trigger and Treatment Target for Autism Spectrum Disorder

July 24, 2018 Brittany Witt
Brittany Witt Introduction. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes a broad range of social communication deficits characteristically accompanied by repetitive patterns of behavior, GI disturbances, and self-injury.1,2 Approximately 1 in 59 children have ASD in the US, making the disorder increasingly significant to understand.3 A new area of study revolves around…
Featured Abstracts Neuroscience