In-vivo Non-viral Placental Gene Modulation

dc.contributor.advisor Urschitz, Johann
dc.contributor.author Elston, Marlee Jo
dc.contributor.department Cell and Molecular Biology
dc.date.accessioned 2021-02-08T21:16:30Z
dc.date.available 2021-02-08T21:16:30Z
dc.date.issued 2020
dc.description.degree Ph.D.
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10125/73315
dc.subject Molecular biology
dc.subject Cellular biology
dc.subject Developmental biology
dc.subject gene delivery
dc.subject placenta
dc.subject pregnancy
dc.subject sonoporation
dc.subject transgenic
dc.subject ultrasound
dc.title In-vivo Non-viral Placental Gene Modulation
dc.type Thesis
dcterms.abstract The placenta is critical to fetal development, health during pregnancy and the long-term health of the offspring because the placenta contributes to controlling the intra-uterine environment but placental function is still not completely understood. Currently, the lack of minimally invasive gene modulation methods for placental genes limits the types of investigations that can be performed. Safe and efficient gene therapy to the placenta opens a myriad of possibilities. Additionally, the link(s) between placental function, the intrauterine milieu, fetal health and disease development later in life is poorly understood. In this dissertation I demonstrate, the delivery of gene cassettes non-virally by utilizing ultrasound cavitated microbubbles carrying plasmid DNA as well as the ability to modify the placental genetics by piggyBac mediated transgenesis. In previous studies, these methods have been used to modulate gene expression in a variety of different organs but never in the placenta. The transgene cassette is trophoblast specific and spatial targeting is achieved by use of an unfocused ultrasound transducer. This could have applications in the treatment of fetal growth restriction, intra-uterine growth restriction, fetal overgrowth and pre-eclampsia.
dcterms.extent 109 pages
dcterms.language en
dcterms.publisher University of Hawai'i at Manoa
dcterms.rights All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dcterms.type Text
local.identifier.alturi http://dissertations.umi.com/hawii:10854
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