Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-2014

School/College

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)

Degree Name

MS in Biology

First Advisor

Shishir Shishodia

Abstract

Transition-based metals have been largely recognized for their anti-cancer properties with platinum-based drugs in particular being widely used since their discovery in the 1960s. Cisplatin gained popularity as a highly effective platinum-based drug used for a variety of cancers. However, toxic side effects and tumor resistance in response to cisplatin has prompted scientists to search for new metal-based drugs in their quest to combat cancer. One metal that has been gaining considerable attention is ruthenium. This metal has been particularly attractive due to its low systemic toxicity and apoptotic activity against cisplatin resistant cell lines. The research objective is to test the hypotheses that a novel diruthenium compound [(3,1)Ru2(F3ap)4(NCS)] will induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. In this study, cancer cells will be treated with the diruthenium compound over a 72 hour time period. Following the 1 2 treatment, cell viability and protein expression will be evaluated. The apoptotic proteins to be examined are Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), Bcl-2-like protein 4 (Bax) and, cysteine-aspartic acid proteases -3, -8 and -9 (Caspases -3, -8, and -9).

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