Scott Garrett, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Project: Characterizing human renal progenitor cells, their differentiation patterns, and response to toxicants.
Mentor: Scott Garrett, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Location: UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences, W432
Description: Acute kidney injury represents up to 20% of all hospital admissions and is a major risk factor for the progression to chronic kidney disease which occurs in more than 15% of adults. The kidney has tremendous regenerative capability due to the presence of progenitor-like cells within the kidney. These cells express the cell surface markers CD24 and CD133 and can regenerate many components of the nephron, especially the proximal tubule. We have established a human cell line that mimics these cells and are currently studying their properties, capabilities, differentiation potential and response to common nephron-toxicants.
The above research system has been employed for several years to introduce undergraduates (and by extension teachers) to research. Dr. Garrett has mentored more than 25 students over the past 10 years. Each BIORETS teacher will be assigned several genes that were discovered via microarray analysis of cadmium-exposed proximal tubule cells or MT3 transfected proximal tubule cells. Experience has shown that this gene-based research experience was quite effective in illustrating conceptually many molecular biological principles as well as developing a foundation in essential tools and techniques such as PCR and western analysis. This process will continue with the BIORETS teachers being assigned several genes to be accessed via real-time PCR to validate global expression results and to assess the expression in time-course experiments of cadmium-exposed proximal tubule cells. Western analysis will be used to assess the levels of expression at the protein level. Learning this approach to student-based research, the teacher will establish similar student-based research in the curriculum at their institution and perhaps even serve as a small satellite program of this research project.
Project: Mechanisms of gene expression changes in a model of metal-induced bladder cancer
Mentor: Seema Somji, Ph.D., Associate Professor; and Scott Garrett, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Location: Department pathology, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, W420
Description: This project will investigate permanent gene expression changes induced by long-term exposure to two common environmental toxicants, cadmium and arsenite. Current work focuses on characterizing the gene expression changes and transcriptional control mechanisms manifesting these permanent gene expression changes. Specific effort has focused on investigating the mechanisms of permanent induced expression for enolase-2, metallothionein-3, keratin 6A, and metallothionein 1X, N-cadherin and elongation factor 1A2. Research thus far as implicated the role of specific transcription factors and histone modifications. Understanding how permanent gene expression changes occur due to long-term environmental exposure will help understand molecular mechanisms of cellular adaptation.
