Abstract
Homeostasis is a major property that entails the regulation of internal conditions to maintain stability in the human body. A key aspect of regulation is the removal of unwanted cells. Critical diseases such as cancer may occur due to excess cell proliferation. Inducing apoptosis can be a significant method of treating cancer. Understanding the mechanisms of apoptosis can be advantageous towards combating diseases in which cells are unnecessarily proliferating. Tulsi (Holy Basil) is a plant that has shown many therapeutic properties. Furthermore, it has shown to contain significant antitumor agents. Analyzing the level of expression of proteins when cancer cells are treated with the tulsi extract was expected to provide information on the pathways that the extract uses to induce apoptosis. Major pro and anti-apoptotic proteins of the intrinsic pathway for apoptosis were analyzed. The protein panel included p53, p21, Bcl2, Bax, Apaf-1. The results from our experimental analysis indicate that the necessary up-regulation and down-regulation of the above mentioned proteins’ expression are in favor of the stimulation of the intrinsic pathway and consequent apoptosis in cancer cells. We suspect that the tulsi extract could be a possible supplement that can help to treat cancer more efficiently by inducing apoptosis and decreasing side effects. The Authors would like to acknowledge the Royal Dames of Cancer Research, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale for their financial support.
Faculty Sponsors
Robert Smith, Ph.D., Sivanesan Dhandayuthapani, Ph.D., Appu Rathinavelu, Ph.D.
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-10-2015 1:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2015 5:30 PM
Study on the Effects of Tulsi on LNCaP Cells and the Mechanism Used to Induce Apoptosis
Alvin Sherman Library
Homeostasis is a major property that entails the regulation of internal conditions to maintain stability in the human body. A key aspect of regulation is the removal of unwanted cells. Critical diseases such as cancer may occur due to excess cell proliferation. Inducing apoptosis can be a significant method of treating cancer. Understanding the mechanisms of apoptosis can be advantageous towards combating diseases in which cells are unnecessarily proliferating. Tulsi (Holy Basil) is a plant that has shown many therapeutic properties. Furthermore, it has shown to contain significant antitumor agents. Analyzing the level of expression of proteins when cancer cells are treated with the tulsi extract was expected to provide information on the pathways that the extract uses to induce apoptosis. Major pro and anti-apoptotic proteins of the intrinsic pathway for apoptosis were analyzed. The protein panel included p53, p21, Bcl2, Bax, Apaf-1. The results from our experimental analysis indicate that the necessary up-regulation and down-regulation of the above mentioned proteins’ expression are in favor of the stimulation of the intrinsic pathway and consequent apoptosis in cancer cells. We suspect that the tulsi extract could be a possible supplement that can help to treat cancer more efficiently by inducing apoptosis and decreasing side effects. The Authors would like to acknowledge the Royal Dames of Cancer Research, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale for their financial support.
