The aggregation of the 37-amino acid polypeptide human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), as either insoluble amyloid or as small oligomers, appears to play a direct role in the death of human pancreatic β-islet cells in type 2 diabetes. hIAPP is considered to be one of the most amyloidogenic proteins known. The quick aggregation of hIAPP leads to the formation of toxic species, such as oligomers and fibers, that damage mammalian cells (both human and rat pancreatic cells). Whether this toxicity is necessary for the progression of type 2 diabetes or merely a side effect of the disease remains unclear. If hIAPP aggregation into toxic amyloid is on-path for developing type 2 diabetes in humans, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) aggregation would likely need to play a similar role within other organisms known to develop the disease. In this work, we compared the aggregation potential and cellular toxicity of full-length IAPP from several diabetic and nondiabetic organisms whose aggregation propensities had not yet been determined for full-length IAPP.

Breast cancer remains as one of the most prevalent types of cancer in the world. Although Western industrialized nations rely on a contemporary approach to modern medicine, many developing countries, such as Peru, rely on traditional medicine and alternative natural remedies. Therefore, the focus of this study was to determine the extent to which natural remedies and nutrition, contribute to the prevention and incidence of cancer. Here, we focus on the use of certain fruits, like papaya and the noni fruit, as natural remedies for illness. First, survey data was collected in Cusco, Peru regarding which fruits are consumed as natural remedies for illness. Then, molecular techniques such as MTT assay and LDH Cytotoxicity assay were used to test the effect these fruits have on HeLa cells. The survey results showed, papaya and noni as the most commonly used fruits for illness. Noni powder and papaya fruit were extracted with ethyl acetate and ethanol and used in MTT and cytotoxicity assays. Preliminary results in mammalian cells showed no effect of the ethyl acetate extracts on the viability of HeLa cells. However, MTT assay results for the ethanol extraction of papaya skin showed a decrease in mammalian cell viability at high concentrations. Further experiments will be conducted to test fresh noni and papaya as well as other commonly eaten fruits in Peru for their anticancer properties.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, where the body suffers from insulin resistance. The islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is a secretory product of beta cells in pancreatic islets of Langerhans that also inhibits glucagon and insulin secretion. The aggregation of IAPP is present in pancreatic islet amyloid deposits seen especially in Type 2 diabetes, in humans and other mammalian species. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the animal toxicity on mammalian cells. In this work, the human IAPP sequence and the effect on mammalian cells was compared to the IAPP from degu, rat, and raccoon. Molecular techniques such as MTT and LDH Cytotoxicity assay were used to test the effect of human and animal IAPP on HeLa cells. The MTT results show a consistent drop in cell viability as the concentration of IAPP from a human, degu, rat and raccoon increases. LDH cytotoxicity shows the highest toxicity in human IAPP compared to the rest of the studied animals. Although when mixing both the human and animal IAPPs, the toxicity of the human IAPP decreased whereas the viability had no significant effect. Further molecular analysis is necessary to determine the correlation between animal IAPP toxicity and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.