Author

Austin Seroka

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Area of Concentration

Chemistry

Abstract

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a debilitating condition affecting roughly 250,000 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War (GW). Patients with GWI experience cognitive decline, immune activation, physical discomfort and pain, along with limited mobility and decreased overall quality of life. Previous studies conducted at the Roskamp Institute and elsewhere have implicated mitochondrial dysfunction, altered lipid metabolism and peroxisomal dysfunction as the biological features of GWI most likely caused by exposure to cholinergic pesticides and nerve agents in the GW theater. This study aims to use innovative, mass spectrometry based-lipidomic analysis to identify the involvement of these factors in the pathology of GWI. The ultimate goal of this study is to utilize this information to identify potential biochemical targets for the development of therapeutic measures in mouse models, which could allow subsequent translation of these therapies for alleviating the symptoms of ill GW veterans.

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