Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Cell and Molecular Biology
Session: 1
Room: Marriott Balcony A
Jesse Hill - University of Wisconsin - River Falls
Plasmodium falciparum may provide a step further in identifying the PI3/mTOR pathway as a potential drug target by synthetic drugs. Furthermore, increasing stresses on the Plasmodium life cycle and its development, by inhibiting the overexpressed pathway. NVP-BEZ235 and PI-103 are synthetic drugs exhibiting the ability to reduce the expression of the PI3/mTOR in cancerous cells, increasing the probability of the cell undergoing apoptosis. PI3/mTOR is contributed to a higher metabolic rate, which promotes various cell development. An overexpressed pathway in cancerous cells will lead to having increased life cycles while increasing their replication rate. PI3/mTOR presents itself as a target pathway because the parasite has a higher metabolic rate, much like the cancerous cell. Using synthetic drugs to attack this pathway successfully could lead to a more expanded research as a possible treatment for Plasmodium falciparum. With the addition of synthetic options, Plasmodium falciparum will be matched with more treatments to combat its natural selection and adaptation process. The reduction of the parasites ability to adapt to synthetic treatments increases the options for possible treatment. Moreover, targeting such a critical pathway in the parasite with powerful synthetic drugs might lead to a lower rate of adaption. As well as creating a new area of exploration regarding synthetic drugs that also have the ability to inhibit this pathway.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Fred Bonilla Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: Fred Bonilla Ph.D., j.alfred.bonilla@uwrf.edu
Role: I wrote the research grant for this independent project, which was accepted. I do everything that this project requires. I have undergone Blood Borne and Pathogen training. I follow the methods, of which I and my mentor have developed. I culture and 'care' for the parasites, create the media, culture the red blood cells, and run the flow cytometer. I prepare slides by staining and monitoring the accuracy of the flow cytometer. I record data, plot, and develop my results.