Publication Date

Fall 12-11-2024

Degree Level

B.S

Program

Biological Science

First Advisor

Dr. Vadlamudi

Second Advisor

Dr. Langston

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer mortality in the USA and ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Moreover, advanced HCC has a bleak prognosis, with a median survival rate of approximately 10 months. Latinos in South Texas exhibit the greatest incidence of liver cancer nationwide. Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1) is an oncogene associated with the advancement of several cancers; however, its function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Analysis of publicly accessible cancer databases revealed elevated expression of PELP1 oncogene in HCC relative to the control group. PELP1 knockdown with two separate shRNAs markedly decreased the cell survival, clonogenic potential, and invasion of HCC cells compared to control shRNA-transfected cells. Moreover, pharmacological suppression of PELP1 with SMIP34 therapy diminished cell survival, clonogenic capacity, and invasion of HCC cells. This study, utilizing both genetic knock down and pharmacological methodologies, demonstrates the important role of the PELP1 oncogene in the survival, invasion and proliferation of HCC, and establishes SMIP34 as a possible therapeutic agent for HCC.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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