{"id":{"repo_id":"uwo","oai_identifier":"oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27830"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uwo/oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27830","repository":{"repo_id":"uwo","name":"Western University","base_url":"https://uwo.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Role of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan in Ultraviolet B Light-Induced Transformation","abstract":"Keratinocyte carcinomas (KCs) are the most common cancers globally. Ultraviolet light is the key risk factor for these cancers but sunscreen has proven ineffective in their prevention, indicating a need for new prophylactic agents. Chronic elevation of high molecular weight (HMW) tissue hyaluronan (HA) in skin is linked to tumor resistance in the naked mole rat. To directly assess the role of this polysaccharide in resistance to keratinocyte tumors, a HMW HA phosphatidylethanolamine (HA-PE) formulation that penetrates skin and accumulates as coats around keratinocytes was prepared. The tumor resistance properties of the HA-PE formulation were tested in a mouse model of UVB-induced KC (Hr-/- Ptch+/-). HA-PE significantly reduced the number of visible lesions per mouse compared to the control groups. None of these lesions were neoplastic; in contrast, approximately 20% (7/34) of lesions were neoplastic in control groups. These results show that HA-PE protects against UVB-induced keratinocyte transformation, suggesting that HA-PE may be an effective preventative therapy for KC.","abstract_html":"Keratinocyte carcinomas (KCs) are the most common cancers globally. Ultraviolet light is the key risk factor for these cancers but sunscreen has proven ineffective in their prevention, indicating a need for new prophylactic agents. Chronic elevation of high molecular weight (HMW) tissue hyaluronan (HA) in skin is linked to tumor resistance in the naked mole rat. To directly assess the role of this polysaccharide in resistance to keratinocyte tumors, a HMW HA phosphatidylethanolamine (HA-PE) formulation that penetrates skin and accumulates as coats around keratinocytes was prepared. The tumor resistance properties of the HA-PE formulation were tested in a mouse model of UVB-induced KC (Hr-/- Ptch+/-). HA-PE significantly reduced the number of visible lesions per mouse compared to the control groups. None of these lesions were neoplastic; in contrast, approximately 20% (7/34) of lesions were neoplastic in control groups. These results show that HA-PE protects against UVB-induced keratinocyte transformation, suggesting that HA-PE may be an effective preventative therapy for KC.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cousteils, Katelyn"],"institution":"The University of Western Ontario","degree_name":"M Sc","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Biochemistry","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Eva Turley"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-10-13","date_published":"2017-10-13","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:07Z","subjects":["cancer","hyaluronan","inflammation","keratinocyte","naked mole rat","phosphatidylethanolamine","skin","ultraviolet"],"languages":["en_ca"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27830","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Eva Turley"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cousteils, Katelyn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-10T15:33:12Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-10T15:33:12Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2017-10-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The University of Western Ontario"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biochemistry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M Sc"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["cancer","hyaluronan","inflammation","keratinocyte","naked mole rat","phosphatidylethanolamine","skin","ultraviolet"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_ca"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27830"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Keratinocyte carcinomas (KCs) are the most common cancers globally. Ultraviolet light is the key risk factor for these cancers but sunscreen has proven ineffective in their prevention, indicating a need for new prophylactic agents. Chronic elevation of high molecular weight (HMW) tissue hyaluronan (HA) in skin is linked to tumor resistance in the naked mole rat. To directly assess the role of this polysaccharide in resistance to keratinocyte tumors, a HMW HA phosphatidylethanolamine (HA-PE) formulation that penetrates skin and accumulates as coats around keratinocytes was prepared. The tumor resistance properties of the HA-PE formulation were tested in a mouse model of UVB-induced KC (Hr-/- Ptch+/-). HA-PE significantly reduced the number of visible lesions per mouse compared to the control groups. None of these lesions were neoplastic; in contrast, approximately 20% (7/34) of lesions were neoplastic in control groups. These results show that HA-PE protects against UVB-induced keratinocyte transformation, suggesting that HA-PE may be an effective preventative therapy for KC."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Role of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan in Ultraviolet B Light-Induced Transformation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Eva Turley"],"dc:creator":["Cousteils, Katelyn"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-10T15:33:12Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-10T15:33:12Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2017-10-13"],"dc:description":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."],"dc:description.abstract":["Keratinocyte carcinomas (KCs) are the most common cancers globally. Ultraviolet light is the key risk factor for these cancers but sunscreen has proven ineffective in their prevention, indicating a need for new prophylactic agents. Chronic elevation of high molecular weight (HMW) tissue hyaluronan (HA) in skin is linked to tumor resistance in the naked mole rat. To directly assess the role of this polysaccharide in resistance to keratinocyte tumors, a HMW HA phosphatidylethanolamine (HA-PE) formulation that penetrates skin and accumulates as coats around keratinocytes was prepared. The tumor resistance properties of the HA-PE formulation were tested in a mouse model of UVB-induced KC (Hr-/- Ptch+/-). HA-PE significantly reduced the number of visible lesions per mouse compared to the control groups. None of these lesions were neoplastic; in contrast, approximately 20% (7/34) of lesions were neoplastic in control groups. These results show that HA-PE protects against UVB-induced keratinocyte transformation, suggesting that HA-PE may be an effective preventative therapy for KC."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27830"],"dc:language.iso":["en_ca"],"dc:publisher":["The University of Western Ontario"],"dc:subject":["cancer","hyaluronan","inflammation","keratinocyte","naked mole rat","phosphatidylethanolamine","skin","ultraviolet"],"dc:title":["Role of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan in Ultraviolet B Light-Induced Transformation"],"dc:type":["thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biochemistry"],"thesis:degree_name":["M Sc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:07Z"}