Image: Agilent Seahorse XF Analyzer, running our Seahorse assay experiment
I’m excited to report that I performed my first Seahorse assay this week! Seahorse assays measure the rate of ATP production from live cells, so they are often used to measure mitochondrial function. To recap my work with mitochondrial transplantation, I’m attempting to transport exogenous mitochondria into monocytes, since mitochondrial energy metabolism is responsible for regulating the inflammatory state of monocytes. We hypothesize this will change the monotype phenotype from M1 (inflammatory) to M2 (anti-inflammatory) because M1 monocytes rely mainly on glycolysis for energy production, which occurs in the cytoplasm. However, M2 monocytes rely on oxidative phosphorylation, which occurs in the mitochondria. Just as expected, after just 12 hours, we began to see a much greater number of cells than were present in the initial cell population.
I find this research particularly fascinating because of the clinical implications on illness such as metabolic disorders. Abnormal mitochondrial metabolism is seen to be involved in disease pathogenesis, and we don’t yet understand the mechanisms which regulate mitochondrial dynamics. The ability to control mitochondrial processes could give insight into how mitochondria can be therapeutically affected.
Another one of the most memorable moments from week 7 was when I walked into the 4 degree cold room and saw a jar of suspended human fingertips. Although I’ve often heard rumors of animal organs/appendages such as pig kidneys and monkey arms being decellularized and recellularized within my lab, this was the first time I witnessed evidence of the projects. This unexpected experience has only motivated me further to learn more about current tissue engineering/cell scaffold work at Shriners, expanding my knowledge of organ engineering gained when preparing the organ engineering/donation discussion for Ageless Science.