Role of cell-to-cell communication in guiding breast cancer cell physiology

dc.contributor.advisorVan den Bout, Jan Iman
dc.contributor.coadvisorNewton, Claire
dc.contributor.emaillesliepedzi@gmail.comen_US
dc.contributor.postgraduatePedzisayi, Leslie
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-22T07:19:02Z
dc.date.available2022-08-22T07:19:02Z
dc.date.created2022
dc.date.issued2022
dc.descriptionDissertation (MSc (Human Physiology))--University of Pretoria, 2022.en_US
dc.description.abstractThe ability of cells to communicate constitutes an important characteristic of all multi- cellular organisms. Cells participate in a continuous relay of information between their environment and other cells. These connections and the relayed information (exchange of biomolecules) influence how cells grow and function, with some literature suggesting that cell-to-cell communication may play a role in tumour progression. For instance, cancer cells interacting with stromal cells are believed to lead to the remodelling of the extracellular matrix to promote invasion and metastasis. The development of metastasis has been implicated as a major cause of the worsening of prognosis for the majority of cancer patients. Breast cancer is only lethal when primary tumours travel to secondary sites or organs and impede their normal function, for example, when metastatic breast cancer invades the lungs or brain and results in death. Bearing in mind that breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer affecting women, preventing this complex process could impact many lives. These interactions are not limited to neoplastic cells communicating with normal cells, and vice versa, but also between different neoplastic cells as well. The methods and mechanisms of action have not yet been characterized. This presents an opportunity in cancer studies/therapeutic development, in that targeting a non-metastatic cell capable of influencing a metastatic cancer cells’ behaviour (or vice versa) would not only present a single target to impact metastasis, but also the opportunity to impact two neoplastic cell populations with one therapeutic target. In this study, we investigated intercellular crosstalk between breast cancer cell lines and the possible resulting effects. The data generated shows that communication does take place between the different breast cancer cell lines. We observed that the biomolecules communicated from the metastatic MDA-MB-231 cell line triggered cell cycle exit and eventual apoptosis within the non-metastatic BT20 cell line. Additionally, we confirmed that biomolecule transfer occurs between donor and recipient cell within a two- and three-dimensional culture setting via the inducible colour switch system.en_US
dc.description.availabilityUnrestricteden_US
dc.description.degreeMSc (Human Physiology)en_US
dc.description.departmentPhysiologyen_US
dc.identifier.citation*en_US
dc.identifier.otherS2022en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/86904
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Pretoria
dc.rights© 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
dc.subjectUCTDen_US
dc.subjectBreast canceren_US
dc.subjectMetastasisen_US
dc.subjectCell-to-cell communicationen_US
dc.subjectBiomoleculesen_US
dc.subjectColour switchen_US
dc.titleRole of cell-to-cell communication in guiding breast cancer cell physiologyen_US
dc.typeDissertationen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Pedzisayi_Role_2022.pdf
Size:
7.45 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: