Authors

Quynh Tran

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

According to the American Cancer Society, esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer worldwide. With only an 18% five years survival rate, this type of cancer has few symptoms and usually diagnosed at a later stage. Previous studies have shown that multiple gallium compounds have been investigated in both animal studies and clinical trials against various cancer. GaQ3 is an organo-gallium complex that has both anti-tumor and anti-bone resorption activity. The action of GaQ3 can be divided into two phases: acute phase (minutes) involving a steady rise in intracellular Ca2+ levels and execution phase (hours) involving calpain activation and consequent calpain-regulated down-regulation of focal adhesion factors (focal adhesion kinase, talin and integrins) and up-regulation of proapoptotic factors (Bax, Bim and Bak). How GaQ3 induce intracellular calcium elevation and the primary target (s) of GaQ3 remain unclear. Using our well-established fluorescent-based method (Pan, et al. 2012), we will quantitatively measure intracellular calcium concentration upon treatment of GaQ3 using live cell imaging in normal esophageal epithelial, insensitive and sensitive cancer cell lines. If intracellular calcium elevation plays an essential role in the anticancer effect of GaQ3, we expect that GaQ3 will induce more intracellular calcium elevation in GaQ3 sensitive cancer cells than those in insensitive cancer or normal cells.

Publication Date

5-1-2020

Language

English

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