Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2002. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Immunology) -- University of Colorado Denver, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-196). Free to UCD affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2008. / Title from title page. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2009. / Härtill 5 uppsatser. Även tryckt utgåva.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-167).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 135-155.

Orientador: Kleber Gomes Franchini / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T23:08:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cardoso_Leandro_M.pdf: 3831901 bytes, checksum: 40e5df211d7e6fd923f654bd8d3a1ec1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Nas doenças do coração ocorre hipertrofia e remodelamento do ventrículo esquerdo com impacto negativo na evolução clínica. Esses fatores influenciam independentemente o risco cardiovascular por elevarem a predisposição a infartos do miocárdio, ao desenvolvimento de insuficiência cardíaca e ao aparecimento de arritmias ventriculares graves. Estruturalmente ocorrem crescimento e degeneração dos miócitos cardíacos, fibrose e alterações da microcirculação. Estas alterações comprometem irreversivelmente a histoarquitetura do miocárdio, limitando a eficácia dos tratamentos convencionais, principalmente no estágio mais avançado caracterizado pela insuficiência cardíaca. A rede de sinalização celular envolvida na resposta das células miocárdicas (miócito e não miócitos) a forças mecânicas tem papel crítico na compreensão da patogênese da hipertrofia. A quinase de adesão focal (FAK), uma enzima associada à sinalização por integrinas, é ativada precocemente e exerce influência no desenvolvimento e sustentação da resposta hipertrófica do miocárdio à sobrecarga pressórica. Nesse estudo foi avaliado o efeito de um composto inédito derivado de quinazolina (BZLO) com potencial ação inibitória da FAK no coração de camundongos submetidos à sobrecarga pressórica por coarctação da aorta. In vitro, esse composto inibiu a atividade catalítica da FAK purificada com IC50 de 1nM. In vivo, o tratamento dos camundongos submetidos à coarctação da aorta com o composto (BZLO) provocou inibição do resíduo Tyr397 da FAK. Demonstrando que o composto não só preveniu, mas também promoveu regressão da hipertrofia do ventrículo esquerdo típica do modelo, acompanhada de atenuação da hipertrofia dos cardiomiócitos e da fibrose intersticial, e preservação da função ventricular. Esses resultados indicam que o tratamento com o composto (BZLO), presumivelmente por inibir a FAK, atenua as alterações estruturais e funcionais provenientes da sobrecarga pressórica crônica no ventrículo esquerdo de camundongos, sugerindo seu potencial como alternativa na prevenção e tratamento da insuficiência cardíaca / Abstract: Cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy have negative impact in the evolution of heart disease. They raise predisposition to myocardium infarction, heart failure and fatal ventricular arrhythmias, being independent markers of cardiovascular prognosis. Cardiomyocyte growth followed by degeneration, interstitial fibrosis and alterations in the microcirculation can be detected structurally in hypertrophic hearts. These alterations jeopardize myocardium tissue architecture irreversibly limiting therapeutic efficacy especially in advanced stages of disease with heart failure. The understanding of signaling network in response to mechanical stimuli is crucial in the study of cardiac hypertrophy. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) an enzyme linked to signaling by integrins is activated in response to pressure overload and influences the development of myocardial hypertrophic response. In the present study, a compound based on quinazoline scaffold which is a FAK inhibitor, named BZLO, is examined for its effects on cardiac hypertrophy of mice model of aortic constriction. BZLO strongly inhibits catalytic activity of purified FAK in vitro (IC50 = 1nM). Satisfactory bioavailability of BZLO was observed after oral administration. BZLO treatment decreased FAK phosphorylation at Tyr397 and attenuated cardiomyocyte growth and interstitial fibrosis preserving cardiac function in the mice model of chronic pressure overload induced by aortic constriction. These findings suggest that BZLO is effective in attenuating the deleterious structural and functional consequences of chronic pressure overload in mice heart, suggesting that it has the potential to be considered as an option for the prevention and treatment of heart failure / Mestrado / Fisiopatologia Médica / Mestre em Ciências

Overall survival of the metastatic forms of epithelial derived cancers, especially head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), has not significantly improved even with the application of aggressive combined modality approaches incorporating radiation and chemotherapy. Cumulative evidence implicates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as an important therapeutic target in HNSCC. We have previously demonstrated that the combination of lovastatin, a potent inhibitor of the mevalonate pathway, with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors induced robust synergistic cytotoxicity. However, the use of high dose statins in our clinical trial was associated with significant toxicities including higher than anticipated rate of muscle pathologies. Our goal was to uncover novel downstream targets of the mevalonate pathway that may enhance the efficacy or limit toxicities of this novel combination therapeutic approach. In this study we have demonstrated that GGTI-298, an inhibitor of protein geranylgeranylation, through its ability to disrupt the actin cytoskeleton, inhibits EGFR dimerization and cellular trafficking. This novel mechanism targeting the EGFR has clinical implications as GGTI-298 in combination with tarceva, a clinically relevant EGFR inhibitor, showed enhanced cytotoxicity and inhibitory effects on EGFR activation and its downstream signaling.

Orientador: Kleber Gomes Franchini / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T14:15:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Consonni_SilvioRoberto_D.pdf: 7954683 bytes, checksum: 766ce32e5bbb5a5c0b8cc78fd2735dc0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Há um crescente avanço no desenvolvimento das tecnologias que permitam a localização de proteínas em células por microscopias de luz e eletrônica combinadas, com o uso das sondas moleculares miniSOG e Apex2, por exemplo. Adicionalmente busca-se compreender como proteínas são responsáveis pelas funções celulares e teciduais. A Quinase de Adesão Focal (FAK), proteína da cascata de sinalização das integrinas é considerada uma mediadora em potencial do estresse mecânico nos cardiomiócitos. Sabe-se que em cardiomiócitos submetidos a estímulos hipertróficos, ocorre rápida ativação da FAK e sua redistribuição subcelular, contudo são pouco conhecidos os mecanismos envolvidos nesses processos. Outra proteína de grande importância no coração é a Calsarcina-1 (CS1), regulador negativo da via de Calcineurina, crucial no desenvolvimento da hipertrofia cardíaca. Entretanto os mecanismos envolvidos nessa regulação negativa, assim como a distribuição subcelular de CS1 são pouco conhecidos. Visando à interação entre essas áreas para estudo da distribuição espaço-temporal dos componentes celulares e de proteínas, bem como a importância da FAK e CS1 no sarcômero e seu papel na sinalização hipertrófica sob estímulo mecânico, o objetivo geral desse trabalho foi explorar a capacidade das proteínas FAK e CS1 para incorporar geneticamente sondas moleculares que permitissem monitorar por meio de imagens o comportamento dessas moléculas-chave na biologia do disco Z em MVRNs submetida ao estiramento mecânico. Para isso, foram realizados ensaios de localização subcelular com uso de sondas moleculares aplicadas à microscopia correlativa, bem como ensaios bioquímicos, moleculares e de atividade enzimática. Os dados confirmaram a FAK associada às fibras de actina e adesões focais em células H9c2 e foi demonstrado à microscopia de luz que FAK wild-type (wt) translocou-se parcialmente para o compartimento nuclear após estimulação do agonista fenilefrina, enquanto que FAK Y397F (forma mutante inativa) não apresentou mesmo fenótipo. Por outro lado, apesar da padronização e expressão das construções com FAK e miniSOG ou Apex2 em células HEK 293T e H9c2, não foi conclusiva a localização subcelular da FAK, por meio do uso de microscopia eletrônica em MVRN. Provavelmente devido à distribuição difusa da maior parte das moléculas de FAK, não foi identificada uma região elétron-densa conclusiva à microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. No tocante à importância da CS1, observou-se que o estiramento cíclico não induziu o aumento na expressão proteica ou gênica relativa de CS1 e CnA, assim como não houve alteração na atividade fosfatase de CnA. No entanto houve redução da interação de CS1 e CnA, bem como alteração na localização de CS1 em MVRN sob estímulo mecânico. Dados de superexpressão e silenciamento de CS1 corroboram a regulação negativa de CS1 à CnA em MVRN sob estímulo mecânico. Baseando-se em dados estruturais, especulou-se que como o sítio de ligação de NFAT e CS1 à CnA são muito próximos e ao mesmo tempo distante do sítio ativo da fosfatase, é possível que o papel de CS1 na regulação negativa de CnA ocorra por impedimento espacial ao fator de transcrição NFAT. Portanto, esses resultados podem contribuir para uma possível inferência farmacológica, visto que a via de Calcineurina-NFAT é uma das principais mediadoras de hipertrofia em cardiomiócitos, mediante estímulos patológicos / Abstract: There is an increasing move towards the development of technologies that allow the localization of proteins in cells by combined electron and light microscopy, with the use of molecular probes such as miniSOG and APEX2. Additionally we seek to understand how proteins are responsible for the cellular and tissue functions. The Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is protein of integrin signaling cascade considered as a potential mediator of mechanical stress in cardiomyocytes. It is known that in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypertrophic stimuli by rapid activation of FAK and its subcellular redistribution, however the mechanisms involved in these processes are poorly understood. Another very important protein in the heart is Calsarcin-1 (CS1), a negative regulator of the Calcineurin pathway which is crucial in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. However the mechanisms involved in the negative regulation as well as the subcellular distribution CS1 are poorly understood. Aiming at the interaction between these areas to study the spatial-temporal distribution of cellular and protein components, and the importance of FAK and CS1 in the sarcomere and its role in hypertrophic signaling under mechanical stimulation, the aim of this study was to explore the ability of FAK and CS1 to incorporate genetically molecular probes that allow monitoring through images the behavior of these key molecules in the Z disc biology in MVRNs subjected to mechanical stretch. To this end, we performed subcellular localization assays using molecular probes applied to the correlative microscopy, biochemical and molecular assays and enzymatic activity. These data confirm the FAK associated with actin and focal adhesions fibers in H9c2 cells and has been shown by light microscopy that FAK wild-type (wt) is partially translocated to the nuclear compartment after stimulation of the agonist phenylephrine, while FAK Y397F (inactive mutant form) did not show the same phenotype. Moreover, despite standardization and expression of FAK and miniSOG or APEX2 in HEK 293T cells and H9c2, it was inconclusive subcellular localization of FAK, through the use of electron microscopy, in MVRN. Probably due to the diffuse distribution of most FAK molecules, it has no conclusive electron-dense region in transmission electron microscopy. Regarding the importance of CS1, it was observed that the cyclic stretch did not induce an increase in protein expression or gene relative CS1 and CnA, as there was no change in the phosphatase activity of CnA. However there was less interaction CS1 and CnA and change in CS1 location in MVRN under mechanical stimulation. CS1 overexpression and silencing corroborate the negative regulation of the CS1 over CnA in MVRN under mechanical stimulation. Based on structural data, it has been speculated that as the NFAT and CS1 binding sites are very close in CnA and at the same time distant from the active site of the phosphatase, it is possible that the role of CS1 in the negative regulation of CnA occur by steric hindrance to the NFAT transcription factor. Therefore, these results may contribute to a possible pharmacological inference, whereas Calcineurin-NFAT pathway is a major mediator of hypertrophy in cardiac myocytes by pathologic stimuli / Doutorado / Biologia Tecidual / Doutor em Biologia Celular e Estrutural

The immune system is a complex network of interacting cells and tissues that is designed to protect the body from pathogens and other foreign substances. T cells are a major component of the immune system and consist of two distinct lineages distinguished by the expression of αβ or γδ T cell receptors (TCR). The Tec family kinase, Itk is an important mediator of signaling downstream of the TCR. Past studies on Itk has focused on how Itk regulates development, activation and differentiation of conventional αβ T cells and more recently how Itk regulates the development of innate-like αβ T cells. However, very little is known about the influence of Itk on γδ T cells. My studies show a previously unknown role for Itk in the development and function of γδ T cells. We report in the absence of Itk, γδ T cells were responsible for the spontaneously elevated levels of serum IgE and Itk-/- mice γδ T cells produced high levels of TH2 cytokines. Furthermore, there was an increase in γδ T cells specifically in the Vγ1.1+Vδ6.3+ (V6) subset that represents the dominant population of γδ NKT cells in Itk-/- mice. In addition, the V6 subset had increased expression of PLZF, a transcription factor normally required for αβ iNKT cell development. We further show that V6 cells develop and mature similar to αβ iNKT cells. Similar to defects previously seen in the terminal differentiation of Itk-/- αβ iNKT cell, V6 cells also had impaired maturation in the thymus in the absence of Itk. This data demonstrates a previously unknown role of Itk for the terminal maturation of V6 cells that has been shown to be the cell population that led to spontaneous dermatitis in mice. Given that drug companies have targeted Itk as a potential allergy drug due to Itk’s role in TH2 development and function, our data suggests that further studies on Itk are warranted.