Abstract

The gut microbiota has been described as the forgotten organ owing to its important roles in the human body, that includes but not limited to: digestion, immunity, homeostasis and response to some drugs such as, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Its role has been also described in reflection to radiotherapy and associated gastrointestinal injuries, where dysbiosis and its associated side effects could be the driving force for dose determination or the complete suspension of the treatment plan. Linking the gut microbiota alterations to different cancer treatment protocols is not easy, especially in humans. However, enormous effort was exerted to understand this complex relationship. In the current study, we described the gut microbiota dysbiosis in infant sarcoma patients with regards to radiotherapy and antibiotics. Fecal samples were collected as a source of microbial DNA for which the gene encoding for 16S rRNA was sequenced, targeting V3-V5 regions. Two of the three patients understudy had experienced an increase in alpha diversity post treatment. Although phylum Firmicutes overall relative abundance was generally decreasing, six of its taxa increased in all patients. Our results indicate the possibility of radiosensitivity for the elevated taxa. Further studies are needed to describe the extent of radiosensitivity with regards to antibiotic resistance.

Department

Biotechnology Program

Degree Name

MS in Biotechnology

Graduation Date

6-1-2018

Submission Date

February 2018

First Advisor

Moustafa, Ahmed

Committee Member 1

Aziz, Ramy

Committee Member 2

Amleh, Asma

Extent

68 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

Comments

My deepest gratitude to Dr. Tamer Salem for his irreplaceable efforts and guidance through the whole process starting from the idea, study design till reaching the data representation and his exceptional and continuous support whenever I am down. I would like to gratefully thank Dr. Ahmed Mosutafa in guiding me through the data analysis and Dr. Mohamed Saad Zaghloul for facilitating the accessibility to the samples and the required patients' history from Childern Cancer Hospital 57357-Egypt. I am also grateful to Zewail City for funding the study. This would have never been possible without the presence and effort of Dr. Tamer Salem. Special thanks to my friends Nahla Fadl and Laila AbdelSamad for proofreading the thesis. Last but not least, my supportive backbone, my father, my mother and my husband whom without I would have never been able to reach this day.

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