Publications by authors named "Brenda Koniar"

Although the APOBEC3 family of single-stranded DNA cytosine deaminases is well-known for its antiviral factors, these enzymes are rapidly gaining attention as prominent sources of mutation in cancer. APOBEC3's signature single-base substitutions, C-to-T and C-to-G in TCA and TCT motifs, are evident in over 70% of human malignancies and dominate the mutational landscape of numerous individual tumors. Recent murine studies have established cause-and-effect relationships, with both human APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B proving capable of promoting tumor formation in vivo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

GM1-gangliosidosis is a lysosomal disease resulting from a deficiency in the hydrolase β-galactosidase (β-gal) and subsequent accumulation of gangliosides, primarily in neuronal tissue, leading to progressive neurological deterioration and eventually early death. Lysosomal diseases with neurological involvement have limited non-invasive therapies due to the inability of lysosomal enzymes to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). A novel fusion enzyme, labeled mTfR-GLB1, was designed to act as a ferry across the BBB by fusing β-gal to the mouse monoclonal antibody against the mouse transferrin receptor and tested in a murine model of GM1-gangliosidosis (β-gal).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe, life-threatening form of respiratory failure characterized by pulmonary edema, inflammation, and hypoxemia due to reduced alveolar fluid clearance (AFC). Alveolar fluid clearance is required for recovery and effective gas exchange, and higher rates of AFC are associated with reduced mortality. Thyroid hormones play multiple roles in lung function, and L-3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) has multiple effects on lung alveolar type II cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a severe disease due to deficiency of the lysosomal hydrolase α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) and the subsequent accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans (GAG), leading to progressive, systemic disease and a shortened lifespan. Current treatment options consist of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which carries significant mortality and morbidity risk, and enzyme replacement therapy, which requires lifelong infusions of replacement enzyme; neither provides adequate therapy, even in combination. A novel in vivo genome-editing approach is described in the murine model of Hurler syndrome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a lysosomal disease resulting from deficiency in the α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) hydrolase and subsequent accumulation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG). Clinically, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with IDUA achieves negligible neurological benefits presumably due to blood-brain-barrier (BBB) limitations. To investigate the plant lectin ricin B chain (RTB) as a novel carrier for enzyme delivery to the brain, an IDUA:RTB fusion protein (IDUAL), produced in N.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Curcumin has shown promising inhibitory activity against HER-2-positive tumor cells in vitro but suffers from poor oral bioavailability in vivo. Our lab has previously developed a polymeric microparticle formulation for sustained delivery of curcumin for chemoprevention. The goal of this study was to examine the anticancer efficacy of curcumin-loaded polymeric microparticles in a transgenic mouse model of HER-2 cancer, Balb-neuT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Elevated interstitial fluid pressure and solid stress within tumors contribute to poor intratumoral distribution of nanomedicine. In this study, we hypothesized that the presence of fibrin in tumor extracellular matrix contributes to hindered intratumoral distribution of nanocarriers and that this can be overcome through the use of a fibrinolytic enzyme such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Analysis of fibrin expression in human tumor biopsies showed significant fibrin staining in nearly all tumor types evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a lysosomal disease caused by α-l-iduronidase (IDUA) deficiency and accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Lentiviral vector encoding correct IDUA cDNA could be used for treating MPS I. To optimize the lentiviral vector design, 9 constructs were designed by combinations of various promoters, enhancers, and codon optimization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In spite of its well-documented anticancer chemopreventive and therapeutic activity, the clinical development of curcumin has been limited by its poor oral bioavailability. Curcumin has low aqueous solubility and undergoes extensive first pass metabolism following oral dosing. We hypothesized that oral bioavailability of curcumin can be enhanced by increasing its absorption and decreasing its metabolic clearance simultaneously.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is an autosomal recessive disease that is systemic, including progressive neurodegeneration, mental retardation and death before the age of 10 years. MPS I results from deficiency of α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) in lysosomes and subsequent accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Clinical enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with intravenous laronidase reverses some aspects of MPS I disease (e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system is a nonviral vector that directs transgene integration into vertebrate genomes. We hydrodynamically delivered SB transposon plasmids encoding human alpha-L-iduronidase (hIDUA) at two DNA doses, with and without an SB transposase gene, to NOD.129(B6)-Prkdc(scid) IDUA(tm1Clk)/J mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system is a non-viral vector system that can integrate precise sequences into chromosomes. We evaluated the SB transposon system as a tool for gene therapy of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) types I and VII.

Methods: We constructed SB transposon plasmids for high-level expression of human beta-glucuronidase (hGUSB) or alpha-L-iduronidase (hIDUA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Murine models of lysosomal storage diseases provide an opportunity to evaluate the potential for gene therapy to prevent systemic manifestations of the disease. To determine the potential for treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type I using a gene delivery approach, a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, vTRCA1, transducing the human iduronidase (IDUA) gene was constructed and 1 x 10(10) particles were injected intravenously into 1-day-old Idua(-/-) mice. High levels of IDUA activity were present in the plasma of vTRCA1-treated animals that persisted for the 5-month duration of the study, with heart and lung of this group demonstrating the highest tissue levels of gene transfer and enzyme activity overall.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF