Stephanie Shafer
Cloning Out Cell Surface Receptors for
Stem Cell Homing
SchoolOlmsted Falls High School • Olmsted Falls, Ohio
ProgramScience Internship
MentorMarc Penn MD, PhD; Matt Kiedrowski
DepartmentStem Cell Biology, Cleveland Clinic
- Research
- Cloning Out Cell Surface Receptors for Stem Cell Homing
- Hypothesis
- Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the heart post-myocardial infarction (MI) has been demonstrated to improve heart function. We hypothesized that an increase of the number of CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, and CCR4 receptors on the surface of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) increases their recruitment to infarcted tissue and increases the chances of cells engrafting into the tissue and improving remodeling of damaged heart tissue.
- Methodology
- Cells were taken from the spleen of a rat which expresses the appropriate gene of interest, CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, or CCR4. RNA was isolated from these cells and then used as a template for a complimentary strand of DNA through reverse transcription. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) uses the DNA as a template for replication of the DNA, creating millions of copies of this gene of interest.
- Outcomes
- CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, and CCR4 were successfully cloned into vectors. In the future, the DNA from these cells can be transfected into MSCs which would cause over-expression of CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, or CCR4 receptors. This project ultimately may demonstrate benefits of over-expression of CC chemokine receptors on MSCs as a gene therapy of MI.
