By Franco Trujillo

Faculty Mentor: Randal Reif

Abstract

Cancer cells are known to acidify their tumor microenvironment through excessive use of their proton pumps as a result of their rapid metabolism. Cancer cells rely on proton pumps to maintain their inner pH levels; thus, by inhibiting their use, apoptosis may be induced. Dexlansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication used to treat patients with gastric ulcers and heart burn. A method to evaluate Dexlansoprazole’s toxicity on Jurkat T-Lymphocytes (Jurkat Cells) was developed using Calcein-AM (Cal-AM) and Propidium Iodide (PI) in order to measure the viability of the Jurkat Cells. Fluorescence microscopy was utilized to identify the presence of Cal-AM and PI in the cells, determining their status as alive or dead respectively. In addition, Doxorubicin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, Ethanol Fixation, and a solvent-only sample were used as controls to validate these methods. It was established that the methods used to evaluate Dexlansoprazole’s effect on Jurkat cells were valid as the control groups provided their respective expected results. Additionally, it was determined that Dexlansoprazole is toxic to Jurkat Cells, as the cell population had a viability rate of 32.7 ±25.1% when exposed to 100 µM of the drug over a 48-hour period.