Date of Award

Spring 5-3-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS Biology

Department

Biology

Advisor

Marylynn Snyder, PhD

Committee Member

Sulie L. Chang, PhD

Committee Member

Angela Klaus, PhD

Keywords

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), metastasis, tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, cellular migration, thymoma, breast cancer, cardiomyopathy, transforming growth factor-B

Abstract

Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) is an essential transcription factor that mediates a variety of cellular physiological functions, including proliferation, differentiation, and survival. STAT3 mediates signal transduction cascades, following its activation by Janus kinases (JAKs), through its induction of downstream gene targets. This study proposes novel mechanisms of STAT3 regulation in a variety of cancers and diseases in response to specific conditions, including thymoma development in response to ethanol treatment, Stat3-mediated cell migration of breast cancer cells in response to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-B), and the role of Stat3 in dilated cardiomyopathy. Using thymoma cell lines, it was demonstrated that Stat3 target genes are activated in response to ethanol treatment. Qiagen Ingenuity Pathway (IPA) analysis was used to identify novel genes regulated by Stat3 in response to ethanol treatment in thymoma cells. The role of Stat3 was also explored in metastatic breast cancer cell lines in response to TGF-B using quantitative real-time PCR techniques (qRT-PCR) and wound healing assays. Finally, a network meta-analysis study was performed to analyze the multifaceted role of Stat3 in dilated cardiomyopathy development. All together, these studies further elucidated the role of activated Stat3 in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Available for download on Thursday, May 02, 2030

Included in

Diseases Commons

Share

COinS