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BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Stressed-Out Cells
Humans are often more productive when under stress.
The same can be said for a certain type of mammalian cell, known
as a hybridoma, that produces proteins used in pregnancy tests
and the quick test for strep throat. These proteins, called antibodies,
have a variety of diagnostic and potential therapeutic uses that
include anti-cancer drugs.
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Thomas Griffin
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Although stress improves antibody production in
cells, too much stress takes its toll. Overwhelming stress can
be produced by heat or irritants, such as salt. This reduces a
cell’s ability to reproduce and sometimes even kills it before
it can produce the antibodies.
Susan Sharfstein, assistant professor of chemical
engineering, is studying how adding salt to the cell affects its
function. She’s looking for a way to bypass the link between
stress and cell death to directly increase protein production.
Because of the potential these antibodies have
in treating certain cancers, researchers are eager to find an
effective and efficient way to develop them in large quantities,
said Sharfstein. Understanding how the intracellular machinery
works would help regulate the process, she added.
“If we can determine how salt signals the
cell to slow down and die, we can then try to cut off that signal
and redirect it to the part of the cell that will produce more
antibodies.”
Sharfstein found that stress increases the cell’s
whole metabolism in addition to increasing antibody production.
The next step is to find the maximum amount of protein a cell
can make before part of the cell gives out. Sharfstein’s
work is supported by the National Science Foundation.
CONTACT: Theresa Bourgeois, (518) 276-2840,
bourgt@rpi.edu
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