Publication Date
2024
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Yasui, Linda S.
Degree Name
M.S. (Master of Science)
Legacy Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract
Glioblastoma Multiforme is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and is becoming increasingly prevalent in the population, especially among young adults. An estimated 13,140 people in the United States will be diagnosed with GBM this year and an estimated 10,000 people in the United States will succumb to the disease. The 5-year survival for GBM patients is only 7.2% with a mean survival time of only 12-18 months. Even with subsequent chemotherapy and irradiation treatments GBM has a very high treatment resistance and has a recurrence rate of roughly 70%. Treatments such as radiation therapy induce lethal DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in tumor cells. The DNA DSBs are repaired to restore the intact genomic DNA via the DNA damage repair response. The most frequently observed repair mechanism is a process called non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). This study utilized cutting-edge confocal laser scanning microscopy to assess the presence of γ-H2AX foci to measure the relationship between dose and presence of DSB lesions in DNA in U87 GBM cells. Further, DNA DSB repair was also measured. State of the art CLSM imaging methods produced damage induction data that closely approximate expected results. Image analysis to segment nuclei and then determine the number of foci per cell produced results similar to scoring γ-H2AX foci by eye. Altogether, these results point to an automated and reliable, non-biased approach to γ-H2AX foci quantitation and analysis.
Recommended Citation
Planck, Emma Louisa, "The DNA Double Stranded Break Damage Response of U87 GBM Cells Following Irradiation Treatment" (2024). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7919.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7919
Extent
50 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
