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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Please note modified location from previous notice. Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><img width="599" height="171" style="width:6.2395in;height:1.7812in" id="_x0000_i1035" src="cid:image001.png@01DB61E8.E4BB03D0" alt="Dissertation Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none">Identifying the Immunostimulatory and Anti-Cancer Properties of
<i>Calocybe indica</i> (Edible Milky White Mushroom) for Adjuvant Therapy Applications</span></b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Srinandhini Chandran</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">January 10, 2025; 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (CST)<br>
<span style="background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow">Location: SEC 101, UH-Main Campus</span><br>
Microsoft Teams Link: </span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19*3ameeting_NTQyMzdjZTctOWFhZC00NGZkLWFkOTYtZTJkNzlmZjA5ODVj*40thread.v2/0?context=*7b*22Tid*22*3a*22170bbabd-a2f0-4c90-ad4b-0e8f0f0c4259*22*2c*22Oid*22*3a*22c2ae3fe4-0397-43ab-aab2-a1ab0a97c3e3*22*7d__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!LkSTlj0I!EuXf2dmGOs8thQWj6FAVEx3OkyjRMCnvL3lGYg7O_58Y3nceYynh3YczB6CvCP6P4IL84wPfWAeqBQaXc7f3cV1K590$" target="_blank" title="Meeting join link"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Join
the meeting now</span></b></a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Committee Chairs:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><br>
Chandra Mohan, MD, Ph.D. | Venkatesh Balan, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Committee Members:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><br>
Tianfu Wu, Ph.D. | Renita Horton, Ph.D. | </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Anne Satterthwaite, Ph.D. | Fatima Merchant, Ph.D.</span><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none">Abstract</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<i><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Calocybe indica</span></i><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> is a commercially grown tropical edible fungus producing nutritionally rich milky white mushrooms. While recent studies have highlighted
its therapeutic properties, limited information exists on how its compounds modulate immunity and inhibit cancer progression. This study investigates the immunomodulatory and anti-cancer properties of
<i>C. indica</i> revealing its potential as a multi-functional therapeutic agent. Polysaccharide extracts of
<i>C. indica</i> (CIP) demonstrated significant in vitro immunomodulatory effects, activating T cells and B cells, increasing plasma cell differentiation and enhancing antibody and cytokine secretion<i>.</i> RNA-seq analysis identified the activation of critical
pathways in immune cell revealing the underlying mechanisms of CIP immunomodulatory effects. Structural analysis via sugar composition profiling and size-exclusion chromatography revealed that CIP primarily consist of low-molecular weight á-1,3 glucans, along
with á-1,6 glucans, high-molecular-weight á-1,4 glucans, medium-molecular weight â-glucans and á-mannans, all of which are recognized for their bioactivity.
<i>In vivo</i> studies in mice demonstrated that CIP exhibited robust adjuvant capabilities by significantly enhancing anti-OVA-specific immune responses. This effect was likely mediated through multiple immune cell types and promotion of B cell differentiation
into plasma cells. Metabolomic analysis of <i>C. indica</i> identified a diverse array of metabolites, several of which have putative anti-cancer properties. Ethanol extract of
<i>C. Indica</i> (CIEE) inhibited the proliferation of human breast cancer lines (MCF7 and MDA-MB231)
<i>in vitro</i>, while sparing C57BL/6J mouse primary spleen cells, indicating selective cytotoxicity. CIEE induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells, accompanied by morphological changes indicative of cell death. RNA-seq analysis further revealed that CIEE
activated multiple biological pathways consistent with anti-cancer mechanism including apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation. In summary,
<i>C. indica</i> exhibit therapeutic potential: polysaccharides that confer immunostimulatory and adjuvant properties, and metabolites that exert direct tumoricidal effects.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">
</span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Future research aimed at purifying and characterizing its key bioactive molecules could lead to the development of novel therapeutics, offering potential for clinical trials and cost-effective treatment options.</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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