Submission Date
4-27-2015
Document Type
Paper
Department
Biology
Adviser
Dr. Rebecca Roberts
Committee Member
Dr. Rebecca Roberts
Committee Member
Dr. Anthony Lobo
Committee Member
Dr. Victor Tortorelli
Department Chair
Dr. Kathryn Goddard
Project Description
Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to self-destruct. SLE is nine times more frequent in women than in men, and it has been shown that there is a correlation between high estrogen levels and an increased severity of the disease. This raises a concern about environmental estrogens, including Bisphenol A (BPA) which is found in many plastic products in the United States. BPA can be absorbed by the foods and liquids that are held in the plastic containers and then can enter into the human body. Because of its structural similarity to estrogen, BPA is able to bind to estrogen receptors, which could potentially lead to adverse effects on the body and autoimmune diseases such as SLE. This study investigated the role of BPA and other bisphenols on enzyme activity in a murine model for SLE.
Recommended Citation
Powers, Regina M., "Estrogen, Bisphenol A, and Bisphenol S: Regulation of Cathepsin L Activity and its Relation to Systemic Lupus Erythematosis" (2015). Biology Honors Papers. 4.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/biology_hon/4
Included in
Biology Commons, Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Commons, Immune System Diseases Commons
Comments
This project was funded by the Ursinus College Biology Department, the Summer Fellows Program at Ursinus College, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the FUTURE program.