Publications by authors named "Wellington K Ayensu"

Lung cancer is among the most prevalent and deadly cancers in United States. In general, cancer cells are known to exhibit higher rates of glycolysis in comparison to normal cells. In attempting to exploit this unique cancer-dependent ATP generation phenomenon, it was our hypothesis that upon exposure to organic inhibitors of glycolysis, cancer cells would not survive normally and that their growth and viability would be vastly decreased; essential glycolytic ATP production will be exhausted to the point of collapsing energy utilization.

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Lung cancer is a one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers in United States. Experimental evidence support that cancer cells do exhibit higher glycolytic rates than normal cells. To exploit this unique cancer-dependent ATP generation phenomenon, we hypothesize that exposure of cancer cells to organic inhibitors of glycolysis would negatively impact their survival and alter their growth and viability resulting from the vast decrease in their essential glycolytic ATP production; no negative consequences will be seen on normal lung cells.

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Bacillus species form an heterogeneous group of Gram-positive bacteria that include members that are disease-causing, biotechnologically-relevant, and can serve as biological research tools. A common feature of Bacillus species is their ability to survive in harsh environmental conditions by formation of resistant endospores. Genes encoding the universal stress protein (USP) domain confer cellular and organismal survival during unfavorable conditions such as nutrient depletion.

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Lung cancer is a one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers in United States. Research has shown that cancer cells exhibit higher glycolytic rates than normal cells. In attempting to exploit this unique cancer-dependent ATP generation phenomenon (Warburg effect), we hypothesize that exposure of cancer cells to organic inhibitors of glycolysis would have a negative impact on their survival and will alter their growth and viability due to a vast decrease in their essential glycolytic ATP production with the resultant energetic collapse and that no negative consequences will be seen on normal lung cells.

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Lung cancer is a one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers in United States. Research has shown that cancer cells exhibit higher glycolytic rates than normal cells. In attempting to exploit this unique cancer-dependent ATP generation phenomenon, we hypothesize that exposure of cancer cells to organic inhibitors of glycolysis would have a negative impact on their survival and will alter their growth and viability due to a vast decrease in their essential glycolytic ATP production with the resultant energetic collapse and that no negative consequences will be seen on normal lung cells.

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Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a nonsulphur purple photosynthetic bacteria, has been extensively investigated for its metabolic versatility including ability to produce hydrogen gas from sunlight and biomass. The availability of the finished genome sequences of six R. palustris strains (BisA53, BisB18, BisB5, CGA009, HaA2 and TIE-1) combined with online bioinformatics software for integrated analysis presents new opportunities to determine the genomic basis of metabolic versatility and ecological lifestyles of the bacteria species.

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The draft nuclear genome sequence of the snail-transmitted, dimorphic, parasitic, platyhelminth Schistosoma mansoni revealed eight genes encoding proteins that contain the Universal Stress Protein (USP) domain. Schistosoma mansoni is a causative agent of human schistosomiasis, a severe and debilitating Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) of poverty, which is endemic in at least 76 countries. The availability of the genome sequences of Schistosoma species presents opportunities for bioinformatics and genomics analyses of associated gene families that could be targets for understanding schistosomiasis ecology, intervention, prevention and control.

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Lung cancer is among the highly prevalent and deadly cancers in the United States and worldwide. Cells that are cancerous exhibit higher rates of glycolysis as compared to normal cells. In an attempt to exploit this uniquely enhanced glucose-dependent ATP generation phenomenon, the authors hypothesize that exposure of cancer cells to normal organic metabolites that are capable of inhibiting glycolysis would have a negative impact on survival by altering growth and viability characteristics vastly through decline in ATP build up essentially leading to collapse in energy supply; normal lung cells will not demonstrate such changes.

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Genes encoding proteins that contain the universal stress protein (USP) domain are known to provide bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and plants with the ability to respond to a plethora of environmental stresses. Specifically in plants, drought tolerance is a desirable phenotype. However, limited focused and organized functional genomic datasets exist on drought-responsive plant USP genes to facilitate their characterization.

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Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable mental illness. The global burden of bipolar disorder is complicated by its comorbidity with substance abuse. Several genome-wide linkage/association studies on bipolar disorder as well as substance abuse have focused on the identification and/or prioritization of candidate disease genes.

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Mercury is widely distributed in the biosphere, and its toxic effects have been associated with human death and several ailments that include cardiovascular diseases, anemia, kidney and liver damage, developmental abnormalities, neurobehavioral disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancers in experimental animals. At the cellular level, mercury has been shown to interact with sulphydryl groups of proteins and enzymes, to damage DNA, and to modulate cell cycle progression and/or apoptosis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of mercury toxicity remain to be elucidated.

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Evidence points to increases in the incidence and prevalence of several autoimmune diseases in the United States. As a result, the cost to public health from clinical management of autoimmune conditions is on the rise. The initiation and progression of autoimmune disturbances involves both genetic and environmental factors.

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Mercury is a toxic and hazardous metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust. Natural phenomena such as erosion and volcanic eruptions, and anthropogenic activities like metal smelting and industrial production and use may lead to substantial contamination of the environment with mercury. Through consumption of mercury in food, the populations of many areas, particularly in the developing world, have been confronted with catastrophic outbreaks of mercury-induced diseases and mortality.

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