Science, Updates, and Other Exciting News!
Hello Everyone!
I know it has been quite a while since I posted a lab note, so I wanted to take this opportunity to update you all on how the project is coming along. I will refrain from going into the nitty-gritty rhetoric, but if you feel I didn't explain anything very well, then let me know!
I am no longer doing the macro experiments and I have moved into investigating the tumor cells at the molecular level. Essentially, I am no longer looking at big differences (like how fast the tumor cells grow or how well they can survive radiation) and I am now looking at how the small machines within the cells are being affected by the ketones. To start out, I have been looking at protein called H2AX, which is kinda like a flag for DNA damage within the cells. Basically, when radiation hits a tumor cell (or any cell really), it causes thousands and thousands of little breaks in the DNA. These breaks are very dangerous for the cell, since the DNA is the recipe book that the cell uses to, well, live! So when a break happens in the DNA, a whole army of very tiny and complicated proteins identify the broken region in the DNA, and then begin a really complicated repair process. One of the proteins that first identifies that damage in the DNA is H2AX (it stands for H2A histone family, member x). Then after the damage is repaired, H2AX is removed and the cell carries about its business. We can use this protein as an indicator of how fast and well the tumor cells are repairing their DNA. I've attached an image below of some tumor cells that have been "stained" for the protein. The red is the nucleus of the tumor cell (which is the home of the DNA), the greenish-yellow dots are places where H2AX has identified a broken piece of DNA! This data is currently being analyzed, and if we find a difference in how fast the tumor cells being fed ketones are getting rid of their damage, then that indicates that the ketones are changing how well the tumor cells can repair their DNA!
![](https://d12dc99qm3izfr.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_file/file/8667/Image5_Maximumintensityprojection-p19dorgmve1gaa18or1splat58ef.jpg?v=1423542189)
Next, I submitted some of my research to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for an opportunity to present at their national conference in April in Philadelphia! The AACR national meeting is the largest meeting of Cancer Scientists on the planet, and it would be extremely exciting if I had the opportunity to present some of my research there! I cannot post the abstract I submitted until I know if it has been accepted or rejected by the committee, but it is all from my work that has been funded by all of you!
I also submitted my research to the AzBio conference in late April (After AACR) for a chance to present it to the business leaders in Arizona's Biotechnology Industry. I am proud to say that they have chosen my work to be one of the ones presented at their conference in downtown Phoenix in late April! I will be presenting alongside local college students about my research into ketones and sensitizing brain tumor cells to radiation - once again, work supported by all of you!
Finally, I will be using my research in a local science competition in late February for a chance to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh in several months! ISEF is the largest science competition for High School students in the world, and features many categories and research from students all around the world!
That is all for now! I will make it a point to keep everyone updated on what happens over the next few weeks and months as my research advances and the competitions come along! Thank you all again for your support of this research that I hope will, down the road, to real world improvements in the lives of patients! As I said, if you feel like I didn't cover something, or if you just have any questions for me, then please don't hesitate to ask!
-Alex
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