Date Available

7-5-2016

Year of Publication

2016

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MSChE)

College

Engineering

Department/School/Program

Chemical and Materials Engineering

Faculty

Dr. Thomas Dziubla

Faculty

Dr. Thomas Dziubla

Abstract

Radiotherapy is used as a primary treatment for many cancers, including lung cancer. Although radiotherapy has proven to be an effective cancer treatment, its use is heavily limited due to the peripheral toxicity to healthy tissue. In this work, the antioxidant, curcumin, was tested as a radioprotectant to reduce radiation damage to healthy cells. Curcumin has been limited in use due to its poor bioavailability. In order to avoid problems associated with free curcumin delivery, curcumin poly(beta-amino ester) (CPBAE) was synthesized.

The first study investigated the in vitro radioprotection effect of curcumin in HUVEC dosed with gamma radiation. Cells treated with curcumin showed significantly less ROS development compared to both untreated radiated and non-radiated cells. Cells treated with curcumin showed a decrease in viability for both radiated and non-radiated cells. Curcumin pretreatment exhibited no reduction in γ-H2AX foci formation in cells after radiation damage. These results indicate that curcumin does not radioprotect cells in an in vitro model.

In a second study, curcumin was polymerized using a Michael addition reaction to create a hydrolytically degradable poly(beta-amino ester). Curcumin multiacrylate and isobutylamine reacted to form curcumin poly(beta-amino ester) (CPBAE). This polymer’s chemical structure and properties were characterized and nanoparticles were made from the polymer. Nanoparticles synthesized were able to successfully release curcumin through degradation, but at a low efficiency and extended time scale.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2016.293

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.