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Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biological Sciences (MS)

College, School or Department Name

Department of Biological Sciences

First Advisor

Guiliang Tang

Abstract

Colorectal cancer includes colon cancer, which begin in the region of the first four to five feet of the large intestine, and rectal cancer, which starts from the region of the last several inches of the large intestine leading to the anus. Both types begin in the inner lining of the colon and/or rectum, slowly growing across some or all of its layers. It typically starts from a growth of tissue termed polyp. Only the type of polyp called an adenoma can develop into cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a newly discovered population of non-coding RNAs that have been found during cellular development. Abnormal expression of miRNAs can lead to various cancers, including colorectal cancer. This study is aimed to identify unique miRNAs that are closely associated with the development of colorectal cancer. The overall objective is to understand the mechanism by which colorectal cancer is initiated, developed, and finally turned into metastatic state.

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