Peripheral actors rarely make an appearance in the general story of scientific practice, and their work in science is usually viewed as somewhat derivative of the practices of the main community. Contrary to this received model, here I argue that the peripheral contexts of science can be quite important and reveal novel conduits to creative scientific thinking. Not only can such contexts offer us a new window into how contributory expertise in science could be born amid difficult circumstances, they also allow us to see how new scientific communities could be founded during such encounters. Using case studies of M. N. Saha and other physicists in early twentieth-century India, I argue that such modest practices begin when peripheral protagonists seek to initiate new trading zones with the established centers of science. The resulting exchanges can give rise to new breakthroughs and conceptual changes in scientific practice. Such peripheral breakthroughs can be studied cognitively, giving us newer models of scientific practice as well as creating a new kind of self-image for such scientists.

Part I BCR-ABL fusion oncogene results fromt(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation of chromosome is the most common genetic abnormality found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells . The encoded protein of this fusion gene exhibits constitutively active tyrosinekinase activity which is required for the pathogenesis of CML. We addressed how BCR-ABL oncoprotein increased Skp2 expression. Treatment of Imatinib or LY294002 reduced Skp2mRNA in BCR-ABL-positive K562 cells. Knockdown of AKT by small hairpin RNAalso reduced Skp2 expression. We found that BCR-ABL up-regulated Skp2 via Sp1 because (1) the Sp1 site located at the −386/−380 promoter region was important for BCR-ABL-induced Skp2 promoter activity, (2) chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that Imatinib inhibited the recruitment of p300 to the Sp1 site of Skp2 promoter and (3) knockdown of Sp1 reduced Skp2 expression in K562 cells. These results suggest that BCR-ABL controls Skp2 gene transcription via the PI3K/AKT/Sp1 pathway. In addition to transcriptional regulation of Skp2, Bcr-Abl also modulates Skp2 protein stability in these cells. Treatment of Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitor imatinib led to G1 growth arrest accompanied with reduced Skp2 expression. Interestingly, reduction of Skp2 protein occurred prior to down-regulation of Skp2 mRNA suggesting a post-translational control. The half-life of Skp2 protein was significantly attenuated in imatinib-treated cells. Knockdown of Bcr-Abl similarly caused Skp2 protein instability. The decrease of Skp2 was induced by increased protein degradation through the ubiquitin/ proteasome pathway. Our results demonstrated that imatinib treatment or Bcr-Abl knockdown reduced Emi1, an endogenous inhibitor of the E3 ligase APC/Cdh1 which mediated the degradation of Skp2 protein. We found that Emi1 stability was regulated by phosphorylation and mutation of tyrosine 142 significantly reduced the stability. Lines of evidence suggested Bcr-Abl-induced Emi1 phosphorylation was mediated by Src kinase. (1) Src inhibitor SU6656 inhibited Emi1 tyrosine phosphorylation in Bcr-Abl-positive K562 cells. (2) Transfection of v-Src rescued the reduction of Emi1 by imatinib. (3) Mutation of tyrosine 142 to phenylalanine (Y142F) abolished the phosphorylation of Emi1 by recombinant Src kinase. In addition, ectopic expression of wild type but not Y142F mutant Emi1 could counteract imatinib-caused G1 growth arrest. Collectively, our results suggest that Bcr-Abl fusion oncogene increases Emi1 phosphorylation and stability to prevent Skp2 protein degradation via APC/Cdh1-induced ubiquitination and to enhance proliferation of CML cells. Part II Although imatinib therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia is effective, the resistance to imatinib challenges the treatment of this disease. Therefore, search of novel drugs to overcome imatinib resistance is a critical issue in clinic. Withaferin A (WA), an extract of Withania somniferia, exhibits anti-cancer activity on a number of solid tumors. In this study, we investigate the effect of WA on imatinib-sensitive and -resistant CML cells. WA at low concentrations induced autophagy in imatinib-sensitive K562 cells. Co-treatment of chloroquine suppressed autophagy and switched WA-treated K562 cells to apoptosis. This data indicated that autophagy protected K562 cells from apoptosis induced by WA. However, we found that WA triggered caspase activation and apoptosis in imatinib-resistant T315I-positive cells and this effect was associated with down-regulation of Akt activity. Treatment of the AKT inhibitor LY294002 also caused apoptosis in imatinib-resistant T315I-positive cells. Ectopic expression of constitutively active Akt reversed WA-induced apoptosis and caspase activation in imatinib-resistant T315I-positive cells. Molecular study demonstrates that WA repressed the Akt signaling pathway by decreasing Akt expression. We found that WA abolished formation of the hsp90/cdc37/Akt complex to cause Akt degradation through the ubiquitin- and proteasome-dependent pathway. More importantly, WA also induced AKT down-regulation and apoptosis in primary CML cells. Taken together, our results suggested that imatinib-resistant T315I-positive cells were more addicted to Akt-dependent survival pathway and were more sensitive to WA. Therefore, WA could be useful for the treatment of imatinib-resistant CML. Part III Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) is undergoing clinical trial for the treatment of various cancers including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We study the potential miRNAs which involved in the anti-cancer effect of SAHA. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of 57 and 63 miRNAs was significantly changed in K562 cells treated with SAHA for 8h and 24h respectively. Five miRNAs(miR-92a, miR-199b-5p, miR-223, miR-627 and miR-675) were highly expressed in K562 cells and continuously repressed by SAHA. miR-92a and miR-223 known to play important roles in normal and hematopoisis were further characterized. Up-regulation of miR-92a was found in K562 cells and in primary CML cells. Inhibition of miR-92a with SAHA led to increase of the tumor suppressor Fbxw7. Conversely, ectopic expression of pri-miR-92a reversed SAHA-induced apoptosis of K562 cells, increase of Fbxw7 3¡¦-UTR reporter activity and up-regulation of Fbxw7. Collecively, miR-92a is up-regulated in CML cells, and SAHA downregulated the expression of miR-92a to result in apoptosis of CML cells.

Bioimpedance is the term given to the complex impedance value that is characteristic of the resistance that biological cells offer to the flow of electric current. The objective of this study is to analyze the differences in the bioimpedance of highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 and normal MCF 10A breast epithelial cells and use this information to detect a very small number of breast cancer cells present in a background of normal breast cells and other cells that are typically present in a human biopsy sample.To accomplish this, a bioimpedance sensor with flat gold microelectrodes on a silicon substrate was designed and fabricated. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), an FDA-approved anti-cancer agent was used to improve the sensitivity of the bioimpedance sensor towards cancer cells by selectively modifying their cytoarchitecture. / Master of Science

Câncer se destaca no contexto de patologias por ser uma das doenças que mais acometem mortes por ano, sendo caracterizada como um conjunto de doenças multifatoriais que tem em comum o crescimento desordenado de células que invadem tecidos e órgãos, podendo espalhar-se para outras regiões do corpo, dando origem às metástases. Uma importante etapa da cascata metastática é a transição epitélio-mesenquimal (EMT), um processo bem orquestrado que resulta na perda do fenótipo epitelial e aquisição do fenótipo mesenquimal pelas células tumorais, que adquirem carácter invasivo e migratório, além de se tornarem mais resistentes às drogas. Durante este processo, ocorrem inúmeras alterações celulares que modificam a estabilidade proteica e/ou promovem sua translocação subcelular, o transporte de proteínas para a membrana, alterações no citoesqueleto e incluindo o envio de proteínas para degradação pelo proteassoma. A desregulação de fatores de transcrição e modificação pós traducional de proteínas são fatores que podem levar à EMT. Após a eficiente indução da EMT in vitro utilizando o inibidor de histonas deacetilase (SAHA) em células de adenocarcinoma de mama MCF-7, foram realizadas análises proteômicas envolvimento os inibidores relacionados ao sistema ubiquitina proteassoma, MG132 e P5091. A modulação por inibição de USP7 resultou em variação da expressão de diversas proteínas biomarcadoras da EMT (SNAIL, ?-Catenina, CDK1) e proteínas envolvidas no ciclo celular (P53 e CDK1). O estudo proteômico permitiu a correlação do processo da EMT por SAHA com as vias de modificações pós traducionais relacionadas ao sistema ubiquitina proteassoma, e ainda propõe USP7 como alvo de estudos detalhados para EMT com potencial proposta terapêutica / Cancer stands out in the context of pathologies because it is one of the diseases that most affect deaths per year, being characterized as a set of multifactorial diseases that has in common the disordered growth of cells that invade tissues and organs, being able to spread to other regions of the body, giving rise to metastases. An important step in the metastatic cascade is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a well-orchestrated process that results in the loss of the epithelial phenotype and acquisition of the mesenchymal phenotype by the tumor cells that acquire a more invasive and migratory character, and become more resistant to drugs. During this process, numerous cellular alterations occur that modify the protein stability and/or promote its subcellular translocation, the transport of proteins to the membrane, changes in the cytoskeleton and including the sending of proteins for degradation by the proteasome. Deregulation of transcription factors and posttranslational modification of proteins are factors that can lead to EMT. After an efficient induction of EMT using the histone deacetylase inhibitor (SAHA) in MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells, proteomic analyzes were performed involving inhibitors related to the ubiquitin proteasome system, MG132 and P5091. Modulation by inhibition of USP7 resulted in varying expression of various EMT biomarker proteins (SNAIL, ?-Catenina, CDK1) and cell cycle (P53 e CDK1). The proteomic study allowed the correlation of the SAHA EMT process with the posttranslational modifications pathways related to the ubiquitin proteasome system and also proposes USP7 as the target of detailed studies for EMT with potential therapeutic proposal

Neste trabalho foram estudadas duas abordagens para a obtenção de novos metabólitos secundários a partir de fungos. Na primeira, o ácido hidroxâmico suberoilanilida (SAHA) e cinco análogos foram sintetizados. Sua atividade como modificadores epigenéticos foi avaliada em oito linhagens fúngicas do ambiente marinho. Os fungos Penicillium sp. e Acremonium sp. apresentaram modificações no seu perfil metabolómico quando foram crescidos em pequena escala em presença do derivado 4F-SAHA, enquanto Microphaeropsis sp. apresentou modificação em presença do 3AM-SAHA. O fungo P. decaturense foi crescido em maior escala e os compostos de interesse foram isolados. Na segunda abordagem, uma nova estratégia de extração utilizando mistura de resinas XAD 2-4-7 permitiu a extração e posterior isolamento de seis novos alcaloides peptídicos (72-77) e dois peptídeos (78-79) a partir da fração aquosa do meio de cultivo do fungo antártico Penicillium solitum IS1-A. Utilizando a mesma metodologia, o metabolismo secundário do fungo antártico Thelebolus globosus E2 foi estudado. A partir de seu extrato metanólico do meio liquido PDB foram isoladas a ciclopenina (86) e o ciclopenol (87) e foram detectados os alcaloides viridicatina (88) e viridicatol (89). O fungo Thelebolus globosus mostrou-se produtor de estatinas, sendo isoladas como composto majoritário a mevastatina (90). / In this work two approaches to obtain new secondary metabolites from fungi were studied. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and five analogues were synthesized and assessed as epigenetic modifiers in eight marine-derived fungi. The fungus Penicillium sp. and Acremonium sp. presented changes in their metabolomic profile when they were grown on a small scale in presence of 4F-SAHA derivative and Microphaeropsis sp. presented a modification in the presence of the 3 AM-SAHA. In the second approach a new extraction strategy using XAD 2-4-7 resin mixture allowed the extraction and subsequent isolation of six new peptide alkaloids (72-77) and two peptides (78-79) from the aqueous fraction of the culture medium of the Antarctic fungus Penicillium solitum IS1-A. Using the same methodology, the secondary metabolism of the Antarctic fungus Thelebolus globosus E2 was studied. From the methanolic extract of the PDB liquid medium cyclopenine (86) and cyclopenol (87) were isolated and the viridicatine (88) and viridicatol (89) alkaloids were detected. The fungus Thelebolus globosus was shown to be a producer of statins, mainly of mevastatin (90).

Neste trabalho foram estudadas duas abordagens para a obtenção de novos metabólitos secundários a partir de fungos. Na primeira, o ácido hidroxâmico suberoilanilida (SAHA) e cinco análogos foram sintetizados. Sua atividade como modificadores epigenéticos foi avaliada em oito linhagens fúngicas do ambiente marinho. Os fungos Penicillium sp. e Acremonium sp. apresentaram modificações no seu perfil metabolómico quando foram crescidos em pequena escala em presença do derivado 4F-SAHA, enquanto Microphaeropsis sp. apresentou modificação em presença do 3AM-SAHA. O fungo P. decaturense foi crescido em maior escala e os compostos de interesse foram isolados. Na segunda abordagem, uma nova estratégia de extração utilizando mistura de resinas XAD 2-4-7 permitiu a extração e posterior isolamento de seis novos alcaloides peptídicos (72-77) e dois peptídeos (78-79) a partir da fração aquosa do meio de cultivo do fungo antártico Penicillium solitum IS1-A. Utilizando a mesma metodologia, o metabolismo secundário do fungo antártico Thelebolus globosus E2 foi estudado. A partir de seu extrato metanólico do meio liquido PDB foram isoladas a ciclopenina (86) e o ciclopenol (87) e foram detectados os alcaloides viridicatina (88) e viridicatol (89). O fungo Thelebolus globosus mostrou-se produtor de estatinas, sendo isoladas como composto majoritário a mevastatina (90). / In this work two approaches to obtain new secondary metabolites from fungi were studied. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and five analogues were synthesized and assessed as epigenetic modifiers in eight marine-derived fungi. The fungus Penicillium sp. and Acremonium sp. presented changes in their metabolomic profile when they were grown on a small scale in presence of 4F-SAHA derivative and Microphaeropsis sp. presented a modification in the presence of the 3 AM-SAHA. In the second approach a new extraction strategy using XAD 2-4-7 resin mixture allowed the extraction and subsequent isolation of six new peptide alkaloids (72-77) and two peptides (78-79) from the aqueous fraction of the culture medium of the Antarctic fungus Penicillium solitum IS1-A. Using the same methodology, the secondary metabolism of the Antarctic fungus Thelebolus globosus E2 was studied. From the methanolic extract of the PDB liquid medium cyclopenine (86) and cyclopenol (87) were isolated and the viridicatine (88) and viridicatol (89) alkaloids were detected. The fungus Thelebolus globosus was shown to be a producer of statins, mainly of mevastatin (90).

The symptoms of schizophrenia have been categorized into three subsets including positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Although atypical antipsychotic use has shown promising reduction in positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucination, delusions and flat affect, the cognitive subset of symptoms remains and has an adverse impact on those affected. Chronic treatment with the atypical/secondary antipsychotic clozapine is one example that has ameliorated hallucinations and delusions but results in cognitive memory deficits. When chronically given in conjunction with the HDAC inhibitor, SAHA, the cognitive memory deficits of mouse models decline. HDAC2KO mice were bred and used in chronic treatments with either vehicle or SAHA and compared to WT mice, in order to analyze whether differential gene expression was occurring in an HDAC2 dependent manner. The expression of various genes involved in brain function were evaluated using RT-qPCR to determine potential differential regulation. The results showed differential expression of the following genes: Abhd16a, Gbf1, Itch, and Ube2g1. These genes are all involved in various neuronal functions.

No description available.

Carcinoma mucoepidermóide (CME) é o tumor maligno de glândulas salivares mais comum, representando cerca de 30% dos tumores malignos. O tratamento do CME é a ressecção cirúrgica com eventual radioterapia. Assim, o tratamento do CME pode levar a varias complicações estéticas e funcionais. A quimioterapia tem sido utilizadas apenas em casos recorrentes ou com metástases à distancia. Vários relatos na literatura tem mostrado que o tratamento com drogas isoladas ou combinadas possuem uma resposta insatisfatória e de curta duração em grande parte devido a aquisição de resistência a quimioterapia. Recentemente, a quimiorresistência tem sido relacionada com a presença de Células-Tronco Tumorais (CTT). Essa resistência tem sido associada ao fato de que as essa células são quiescentes e possuem altos níveis de proteínas associadas ao reparo do DNA e baixos níveis das proteínas que levam a apoptose. Recentemente mostrou-se que a resistência a quimioterapia tem sido relacionada com modificações de histonas, uma vez que as células quimiorresistentes possuem núcleo pequeno e baixos níveis de acetilação de histonas, adicionalmente as células sensíveis são relacionadas com núcleo aumentado. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do tratamento com IHDAC e cisplatina sobre a população de CTT de CME. Inicialmente analisamos os níveis de acetilação do histona através da expressão imuno-histoquímica de acetil histona H3 em casos de CME, sendo encontrado altos níveis de acetilação de histona principalmente nas células epiteliais do ducto excretor. Adicionalmente, demonstramos que o tratamento com SAHA (inibidor de histona deacetilase) impacta diretamente a população de CTT, de uma maneira mais eficiente do que a cisplatina ou da combinação de SAHA e cisplatina. É interessante que o tratamento com cisplatina resultou no acúmulo de uma subpopulação especifica de CTT em um processo que inclui o aumento na expressão da via de sinalização do mTOR. Estes achados sugerem que o uso de IHDAC constitui uma forma eficiente de tratamento de CME através da depleção da população de CTT , porém mais estudos são necessários para validar estes achados para uso clinico. / Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant salivary tumor compromising about 30% of all salivary malignances. Managing MEC patients remain challenging especially due to the heterogeneous response of tumor cells to available therapy. For this reason clinical outcome remains unpredictable. Current treatment of MEC encompasses surgical resection with eventual adjuvant radiotherapy, which frequently leads to functional and aesthetic complications. The use of chemotherapy is often reserved for recurrent and metastatic tumors. Administration of single-agent or combination therapy has showed activity, however overall response rates are unsatisfactory and of short duration. Emerging evidences suggest that the modest response of tumor cells to therapy resulting in high recurrence rates and poor survival, are associated with the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC). Quiescence of CSC is achieved by the reduced levels of transcription in a process that requires tight folding of DNA driven by core histone proteins. Changes in DNA folding are responsible for different cellular phenotypes mediated by a cell type-specific chromatin organization. Of interest, we also found that acetylation of HNSCC tumor histones driven by histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors abrogate tumor resistance to chemotherapy. We investigate the effects of HDACi and cisplatin in the population of CSCs of MEC. Initially, we found that MEC tumors are composed by a heterogeneous population of squamous-like and mucous-like cells presenting distinct acetylation levels of histone 3 (Lys9). Tumor cells where treated with cisplatin and SAHA, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved histone deacetylase inhibitor. Surprisingly, we found that administration of SAHA resulted in complete depletion of MEC CSCs. In facts, SAHA alone surpassed the inhibitory therapeutic effects of cisplatin and the combined therapy using SAHA and cisplatin over the population of CSCs. We also found that administration of cisplatin to MEC tumor cells result in unexpected accumulation of a sub population of CSC (paraclones), suggesting a correlation between the administration of intercalating agents such as cisplatin to the development of resistance of MEC cells to chemotherapy.

Carcinoma mucoepidermóide (CME) é o tumor maligno de glândulas salivares mais comum, representando cerca de 30% dos tumores malignos. O tratamento do CME é a ressecção cirúrgica com eventual radioterapia. Assim, o tratamento do CME pode levar a varias complicações estéticas e funcionais. A quimioterapia tem sido utilizadas apenas em casos recorrentes ou com metástases à distancia. Vários relatos na literatura tem mostrado que o tratamento com drogas isoladas ou combinadas possuem uma resposta insatisfatória e de curta duração em grande parte devido a aquisição de resistência a quimioterapia. Recentemente, a quimiorresistência tem sido relacionada com a presença de Células-Tronco Tumorais (CTT). Essa resistência tem sido associada ao fato de que as essa células são quiescentes e possuem altos níveis de proteínas associadas ao reparo do DNA e baixos níveis das proteínas que levam a apoptose. Recentemente mostrou-se que a resistência a quimioterapia tem sido relacionada com modificações de histonas, uma vez que as células quimiorresistentes possuem núcleo pequeno e baixos níveis de acetilação de histonas, adicionalmente as células sensíveis são relacionadas com núcleo aumentado. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do tratamento com IHDAC e cisplatina sobre a população de CTT de CME. Inicialmente analisamos os níveis de acetilação do histona através da expressão imuno-histoquímica de acetil histona H3 em casos de CME, sendo encontrado altos níveis de acetilação de histona principalmente nas células epiteliais do ducto excretor. Adicionalmente, demonstramos que o tratamento com SAHA (inibidor de histona deacetilase) impacta diretamente a população de CTT, de uma maneira mais eficiente do que a cisplatina ou da combinação de SAHA e cisplatina. É interessante que o tratamento com cisplatina resultou no acúmulo de uma subpopulação especifica de CTT em um processo que inclui o aumento na expressão da via de sinalização do mTOR. Estes achados sugerem que o uso de IHDAC constitui uma forma eficiente de tratamento de CME através da depleção da população de CTT , porém mais estudos são necessários para validar estes achados para uso clinico. / Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant salivary tumor compromising about 30% of all salivary malignances. Managing MEC patients remain challenging especially due to the heterogeneous response of tumor cells to available therapy. For this reason clinical outcome remains unpredictable. Current treatment of MEC encompasses surgical resection with eventual adjuvant radiotherapy, which frequently leads to functional and aesthetic complications. The use of chemotherapy is often reserved for recurrent and metastatic tumors. Administration of single-agent or combination therapy has showed activity, however overall response rates are unsatisfactory and of short duration. Emerging evidences suggest that the modest response of tumor cells to therapy resulting in high recurrence rates and poor survival, are associated with the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC). Quiescence of CSC is achieved by the reduced levels of transcription in a process that requires tight folding of DNA driven by core histone proteins. Changes in DNA folding are responsible for different cellular phenotypes mediated by a cell type-specific chromatin organization. Of interest, we also found that acetylation of HNSCC tumor histones driven by histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors abrogate tumor resistance to chemotherapy. We investigate the effects of HDACi and cisplatin in the population of CSCs of MEC. Initially, we found that MEC tumors are composed by a heterogeneous population of squamous-like and mucous-like cells presenting distinct acetylation levels of histone 3 (Lys9). Tumor cells where treated with cisplatin and SAHA, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved histone deacetylase inhibitor. Surprisingly, we found that administration of SAHA resulted in complete depletion of MEC CSCs. In facts, SAHA alone surpassed the inhibitory therapeutic effects of cisplatin and the combined therapy using SAHA and cisplatin over the population of CSCs. We also found that administration of cisplatin to MEC tumor cells result in unexpected accumulation of a sub population of CSC (paraclones), suggesting a correlation between the administration of intercalating agents such as cisplatin to the development of resistance of MEC cells to chemotherapy.