Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Chemistry
Additional Departmental Affiliation
Biology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Approximately 50% of all chemotherapy cancer patients receive a platinum chemotherapeutic during their treatment. Although these drugs are widely utilized, little is known about the cellular transport of platinum drugs. It is hypothesized that platinum utilizes transporters for other metals to enter the cell. Structural differences between compounds are predicted to affect the compounds’ ability to exploit different transporters. Also, different cell types express different transporters. Therefore, compound structure is expected to influence transport of platinum compounds differently in different cell types. This study investigated the role of the platinum drug cisplatin and platinum compound Pt(en)Cl2 in altering iron and copper transport in a non-cancerous cell line (HEK-293) and a melanoma cell line (SK-MEL-5). Atomic absorption spectroscopy was utilized to determine the total amount of platinum, iron, and copper that accumulated in cells after platinum exposure. The exposure compound significantly affected the platinum accumulation in HEK-293, and the iron and copper accumulation in both cell lines. Therefore, differences in cisplatin and Pt(en)Cl2 structure could lead to differences in intracellular accumulation.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Blairanne Williams, Ph.D.
Disciplines
Biochemistry | Other Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health | Toxicology
Recommended Citation
Hall, Megan, "The Role of Dichloro(ethylenediamine) Platinum II in Altering Cellular Iron and Copper Transport" (2022). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 978.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/978
Included in
Biochemistry Commons, Other Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons, Toxicology Commons