DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/604B-PV61
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-1121-6248
Defense Date
2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Pharmaceutical Sciences
First Advisor
Umesh R. Desai
Second Advisor
Bhaumik B. Patel
Third Advisor
Martin Safo
Fourth Advisor
Sandro Da Rocha
Fifth Advisor
Jiong Li
Abstract
Glycosaminoglycans have long been used a clinically relevant and essential medicines to improve quality of life and treat disease, with heparin/heparan sulfate polymers and oligomers being the most infamous. Decades of research into these molecules have shown their involvement in various disease states outside of the cardiovascular system, with both structural and functional roles in immunological, neurological and oncological disorders. In regard to cancer, many novel targeted therapies have emerged both as small molecule drugs and biologics that actively target and destroy tumor cells with greater precision than ever before. Despite this, many patients will relapse and their tumors will reconstitute within a few years. In this work, we attempt to characterize the molecular targets of a group of novel non-saccharide glycosaminoglycan mimetics that actively target stem-like cancer cells which are residual following traditional therapy and cause this relapse. We believe our work shows that GAG mimetics are clinically relevant therapeutic agents with the promise to reshape our thinking in how we treat the tumor microenvironment and prevent cancer relapse in patients who can live longer and healthier lives.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
7-3-2023
Included in
Biophysics Commons, Cancer Biology Commons, Chemical and Pharmacologic Phenomena Commons, Medical Biochemistry Commons, Medical Biophysics Commons, Medical Pharmacology Commons, Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Commons, Neoplasms Commons, Other Chemicals and Drugs Commons, Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Commons
Comments
Freedom.