The Communicative and Survival Effects of Exosomes in Glioblastoma Multiform

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Biology

First Reader

Dr. Nathan Reyna

Second Reader

Dr. Byron Eubanks

Third Reader

Dr. Ruth Plymale

Abstract

Exosomes are membrane bound vesicles of endosomal origin that have been found to transmit transcriptional information that results in both an autocrine and paracrine effect. Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an incredibly invasive, aggressive, and resilient form of brain or neural tissue cancer. A series of treatments, which mimic in vivo neurological conditions, were administered to U87MG glioblastoma cells to induce the expression of exosomes. These exosomes were administered to new U87 cells in an attempt to investigate the communicative effects of exosomes, and potentially identify the mechanisms by which cancer cells out-perform in stressed environments. The results found therein point at transcriptional regulation and immunostimulation as the major means of promoting cancer cell survival in these stress-filled microenvironments.

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