MINERALS
3MT INTEGRATIVE GRADUATE EDUCATION
AND RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM
  
METALS
METALLOIDS
 
TOXICITY
    
   
IGERT Trainees
 
 

Onika Murray: 2009-2010 IGERT Trainee  

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My present research entails the analysis of the anticancer effects of a modified form of aspirin, Drug F, on pancreatic cancer. Previous findings from my colleagues have demonstrated that Nitric oxide-donating aspirin (NO-ASA) and phosphoaspirin (P-ASA) increase intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as well as deplete glutathione levels, significantly more so than their traditional counterpart. In addition, these agents have been show to modulate the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase pathway ((MAPK) p38 and JNK), COX, and NFk-B pathways. The agent under investigation, Drug F, has been chemically modulated in a way that it may specifically inhibit thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity. This is quite important as the antioxidant Trx-TrxR-NADPH pathway has been shown to be a pivotal anticancer target, as the inactivation of this pathway in cancer cells increases ROS levels leading ultimately to their death.