Winners
2022
First Place
Celine Tawil: "Alpha-Synuclein Inhibitors: Emerging Platform for Parkinson's Disease Therapy"
Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurological disorder that affects nearly 60,000 Americans each year [20]. Major complaints from PD patients include painful aching from muscles, impaired balance, tremors, and bradykinesia. Although the illness remains incurable, several treatments such as levodopa and monoamine oxidase B-inhibitors were developed to help relieve the symptoms; however, these medications have had substantial setbacks. Current treatments failed to improve the symptoms over time and have been associated with life-threatening side effects including liver failure. The understanding of the etiology of PD has tremendously increased and, interestingly, overwhelming evidence indicates that the gene encoding for alpha-synuclein—SNCA— is a primary gene associated with PD. It was discovered that the toxic species triggering neuronal cell death appear to be early "soluble oligomers”. Thus, inhibiting a-Syn oligomerization via modified peptide inhibitors would be a viable approach, as the inhibitors have shown to impede a-Syn assembly into early oligomers.
Second Place
Ariya Patel: "A Novel Lateral Flow Immunoassay for the Detection of Parvovirus B19 in Urine"
Abstract: Parvovirus B19, a respiratory virus known for causing fifth disease (an illness in which a rash appears across the cheeks), poses a primary threat to individuals with immunocompromising disorders and blood diseases (Bamidele, n.d.). Despite a prevalence of 85% of individuals 70 years or older in developed countries contracting Parvovirus B19, testing for Parvovirus B19 continues to be inaccessible to low-income households and expensive (Parvoviruses - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf, n.d.). Current testing for Parvovirus B19 comprises blood testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which are time-consuming and prone to inaccuracy (High-Sensitivity PCR Detection of Parvovirus B19 in Plasma, n.d.). To address the shortcomings of modern diagnostic tests for Parvovirus B19, I propose the development of a lateral flow immunoassay specified to urine analyte utilizing antibody MAb 8293 in order to detect the viral protein two (VP2) capsid protein distinct to the Parvovirus B19 antigen.
Third Place
Kimora Sellers: "Examining Whether The Use Of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) Nanoparticles Are Effective In Reducing The Severity Of Congenital Autophagic Vacuolar Myopathy (CAVM)"
Abstract: Due to the rarity of autophagic vacuolar myopathy (AVM) disorders, the group of diseases are often overlooked in scientific research. The AVM disorders are a cluster of ailments that include genetic disorders, such as congenital autophagic vacuolar myopathy and XMEA, both of which are allelic and share similar pathological characteristics when examined through muscle biopsy. Despite the two diseases' similarities, XMEA has a more favorable prognosis than CAVM, due to a slight variation in the genetic mutations present in both conditions. The genetic change in CAVM leads to the upregulation of lysosomal pH levels, which then hinders autophagosomes in cells, and eventually progresses to the disease-pathognomonic large autophagic vacuoles seen in the disorder. Therefore, compounds such as the polyester, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), that regulate lysosomal pH, could ultimately have a therapeutic role in converting patients with CAVM to the much more benign XMEA, if not entirely back to health.
