Honors Theses
Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
BS
Department
Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Padmamalini Thulasiraman, Ph.D.
Advisor(s)
Sarah Urankar and Nancy Rice, Ph.D.
Abstract
Breast cancer is at the forefront of cancer deaths among women. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that drive its progression is the key to creating targeted therapies. A specific tyrosine kinase receptor, HER2, activated by heregulin (HRG), promotes breast cancer cell growth and development. This growth factor receptor is sialylated, and desialylation of HER2 causes autophosphorylation, which leads to activation of cellular signaling events. One of the oncogenes regulated by HER2 is fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5), which is well known to increase resistance to retinoic acid-mediated growth suppression. The objective of this study is to understand the role of Neu1 on the activation of HER2 and the regulation of the downstream target, FABP5. Our results have demonstrated that blocking the activity of sialidase Neuraminidase 1 (Neu1) with oseltamivir phosphate (OP) in breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-453 suppresses HRG-mediated activation of HER2 and its downstream targeted oncogene, FABP5. Furthermore, silencing of the Neu1 protein with siRNA suppressed the phosphorylation of HER2 and reduced the protein expression of FABP5. Knowledge of the interaction between Neu1 and HER2 could reveal novel medical therapies against these types of aggressive breast cancer, potentially improving the effectiveness of treatment and patient health overall.
Recommended Citation
Foster, Priscilla, "Evaluating the Interaction Between NEU1-HER2 on the Expression of Fatty Acid Binding Protein 5 in MDA-MB-453 Cells" (2026). Honors Theses. 154.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_theses/154
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