Featured Abstracts – Page 12 – Proceedings of the Texas A&M Medical Student Grand Rounds

The Role of O-GlcNAcylation on G6PD in the Pentose Phosphate Pathway on Tumor Growth of Lung Cancers.

July 12, 2018 Bosco Giap

Bosco Giap Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading causes of cancer deaths amongst both men and women. General prognosis of lung cancer is poor because it is typically not found until it is at an advanced stage. Researchers have gone to the extent of understanding cancer cell metabolism, DNA replication…

Cancer Featured Abstracts

Epigenetic Mechanism of DNA Methylation in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

July 12, 2018 Malynn Ilanga

Malynn Ilanga Introduction Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term referring to the adverse health effects of prenatal ethyl alcohol exposure.1 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) lies at the severe end of this spectrum and describes a group of characteristics including craniofacial abnormalities, central nervous system damage, and growth…

Development Featured Abstracts

The Role of Immunity in Maintaining the Muscle Satellite Cell Niche Necessary for Satellite Cell Function in Health and in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

July 11, 2018 Carolina Orsi

Carolina Orsi Introduction Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic condition resulting from a mutation in dystrophin, which is an essential protein needed to anchor striated myofibrils to the extracellular matrix (ECM)1,3. With decreased structural stability, extensive damage results during myofibril contraction and induces vast immune and inflammatory responses within…

Featured Abstracts Immunology Inflammation Neuroscience

Overexpression of transcription factors Mafa and Pdx1 induces in-vivo transdifferentiation of pancreatic α cells to β-like insulin-producing cells

July 11, 2018 Nathan Sabin

Nathan Sabin Introduction: Type 1 diabetes, or T1D, is a disease resulting from autoantibody mediated destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells1-3. Daily insulin injections have been the gold standard for treatment since 1922, however, inadequate levels of acute glucose control in diabetic patients leads to a higher risk of medical complications including ketoacidosis, kidney…

Endocrinology Featured Abstracts

Using Pro-Insulin Peptide Immunotherapy to Elicit a Foxp3 T-regulatory Response and Suppress Autoimmunity in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

July 11, 2018 Laure Cundiff

Laure Cundiff Introduction. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by T-cell destruction of host pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells, resulting in chronic hyperglycemia and long-term vascular complications.1,2 HLA-DQ-restricted CD4 T-cells are found in the pancreatic islets of these patients, causing IFN-γ mediated destruction of insulin producing cells.4,5,6 Further,…

Endocrinology Featured Abstracts Immunology Inflammation

Role of STAT5 in pathogenesis of Philadelphia chromosome positive Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)

July 9, 2018 Gonzalo Careaga Barja

Gonzalo Careaga Barja Introduction. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is type of blood cancer that affect the myeloid lineage of leukopoiesis. Most of the cases of CML have the Philadelphia chromosome which is a translocation between chromosome 9 and 22. This abnormal chromosome encodes for BCR-ABL fusion protein which has constitutive…

Cancer Featured Abstracts

Obesity-associated Leptin Activation of Cancer Stem Cell Signaling in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

July 9, 2018 Nick Shriver

Nick Shriver Introduction. Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancers and is negative for Estrogen, Progesterone and Human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) receptors1. The lack of these receptors makes it inherently more difficult to treat, resulting in a more aggressive disease with a worse…

Cancer Featured Abstracts

BRCA1 signaling pathways in determining stem and progenitor cell fate

July 9, 2018 Amina Khimani

Amina Khimani Introduction. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide1. Approximately 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary, and mutations in the BRCA1 gene prove to be the most prevalent in terms of genetic susceptibility2. The BRCA1 gene exhibits an important role as a tumor suppressor, with special…

Cancer Featured Abstracts Stem Cells

Mutation in Complement Factor H and its Contribution to the Development of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

July 9, 2018 Jake Portillo

Jake Portillo Introduction. Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, and affects upwards of 50 million individuals worldwide1,2. AMD is a complex disease with an etiology that is still not well understood. It is a disease of chronic inflammation in the eye,…

Aging Featured Abstracts

The Role of Gamma-Secretase Modulators in Reducing ß-amyloid Plaque Formation in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

August 10, 2017 Courtney Welch

Courtney Welch Introduction. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, and the risk increases with age so that by age 85 some studies suggest that ∼50% of individuals will have the disease1,2. The pathological hallmarks of AD include the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Senile…

Featured Abstracts Neuroscience