Thesis
Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and generational impacts of the chemotherapeutic agent ifosfamide
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004265
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124715
Abstract
Survival rates for cancer patients have improved drastically since the introduction of chemotherapy. However, it is not fully understood what the effects of chemotherapy may be in subsequent generations. A previous study in humans examined the sperm of individuals who were treated with chemotherapy during puberty and discovered differentially methylated regions years removed from the final treatment. This indicates that toxic therapeutics can induce epimutations in the germline, a finding supported across the literature. Studies in a variety of models including domestic livestock support that environmental exposures such as diet, toxicants, and stress induce non-genetic modifications in generations removed from the initial exposure. The overall goal is to test the hypothesis that treatment with the chemotherapy drug ifosfamide during puberty can induce germline epimutations which alter phenotypes including rates of disease through at least the grand offspring by the mechanism of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. This research will help to understand the impacts of ancestral exposure to chemotherapy. From these findings, physicians can better understand what precautionary measures need to be taken prior to chemotherapy. This way the patient can still receive treatment, while minimizing the impact on future generations. Future investigations will be necessary to examine if other common chemotherapy drugs result in similar epimutations.
Metrics
2 File views/ downloads
22 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and generational impacts of the chemotherapeutic agent ifosfamide
- Creators
- Ryan Patrick Thompson
- Contributors
- Michael K Skinner (Advisor) - Washington State University, Biological Sciences, School of
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900896414801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis