Developmental defects of enamel include molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH). This condition affects thequality and quantity of enamel and severely disrupts oral functions in children with loss of occlusion, toothsensitivity and increased caries susceptibility. Children with MIH have greater needs for dental treatmentthroughout their life and often exhibit dental behavioral management problems. MIH is found in manydifferent populations worldwide with a prevalence ranging from 2.4% to 40.2%. The enamel organepithelium is affected by unknown factors resulting in MIH.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health problem. The prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in the US is progressively increasing from 7.8% in 2007, 14.5% in 2010 and expected to rise between 24.7% to 32.8% in 2050. Diabetes is the most common cause of end stage renal disease, responsible for more than 40% of all cases in the US, and this number are likely to continue to increase unabated. Endothelial cell dysfunction is a central pathophysiological mechanism that contributes to diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (DN).

The program is designed to provide short-term experience and training inbiomedical research for undergraduate students from racial/ethnic-underrepresented groups, and forstudents from disadvantaged backgrounds. For the renewal, Penn State is joining with the Universityof Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) to enhance recruitment of URM studentsand increase the scope of student research experiences. W. Brian Reeves, M.D., Chair of Medicine atUTHSCSA and previously the PI of Penn State STEP-UP will serve as the contact PI. Dr.

Our long-term goal is to understand the mechanism and function of the ubiquitin- proteasome system in health and disease. This proposal focuses on the function of the XPC-Rad23 complex in DNA damage response and proteolysis. Mutations in XPC protein lead to a genetic disorder Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) that exhibits extreme sunlight sensitivity and a strong propensity for skin cancer. XPC was known previously as a key DNA repair factor that cells employ to protect from sunlight-inflicted DNA injury.

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) is a five day international symposium thatprovides state-of-the-art information on translational research in breast cancer both for basicscientists and clinicians who work directly with patients.

This competing renewal application requests a second five-year support by the Ruth Kirschstein NationalResearch Service Award (T32) for our ?Cancer Biology Training Program? based at the University of TexasHealth Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

As of 2014, there are approximately 14.5 million cancer survivors within the United States and this populationis projected to grow to 19 million by 2024. Cancer survivors exhibit an accelerated aging phenotype that ishypothesized to be a result of their exposure to chemotherapy. Despite the preponderance of evidencesuggesting that this accelerated aging phenotype happens, there are few basic science initiatives poised tostudy the underlying molecular mechanisms and their therapeutic implications.

Cocaine use disorder is a chronic disease that takes a huge toll on society, and there is currently a lackof understanding of the cellular and circuit adaptations that take place in response to contingent drug use.While studies have examined excitatory signaling, there has been less focus on inhibitoryneurotransmission in brain regions that play a central role in addictive behaviors.

The consumption of 3 fatty acid-rich foods is associated with multiple health benefits, including theprevention of cardiovascular and neurologic diseases. However, while the dietary consumption of these fattyacids often shows benefits, the use of fish-oil containing capsules and other supplements to augment theintake of ?-3 fatty acids has produced largely negative results on these health outcomes in clinical trials.