Profibrotic Gene Response of Whole Skin vs. Fibroblast Samples to TGFΒ Treatment
Abstract
Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease that involves fibrosis, or the hardening of the skin and internal organs. Conditions in the autoimmune category, although widespread, are not completely explored and there remains a lot to discover on the subject. As of today, there are no FDA-approved agents to either stop or reverse fibrosis. To contribute to fibrosis research, I am comparing the fibrotic responses of ex vivo and in vitro skin fibroblast samples to TGF-β treatment. The target genes are quantified using qRTPCR and analyzed with a paired t test. The data gathered gives a insignificant p value for the ex vivo skin samples. Though limited minutely by this, it is still apparent that the experimental results show the in vitro fibroblasts having a stronger response to the treatment then the ex vivo fibroblasts. This knowledge is important because it will help researchers decide whether their experiments would benefit more from fibroblasts still imbedded in the whole skin or fibroblasts which have been suspended and isolated from the tissue based on how strong the response needs to be.
Profibrotic Gene Response of Whole Skin vs. Fibroblast Samples to TGFΒ Treatment
Founders Hall 114 A
Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease that involves fibrosis, or the hardening of the skin and internal organs. Conditions in the autoimmune category, although widespread, are not completely explored and there remains a lot to discover on the subject. As of today, there are no FDA-approved agents to either stop or reverse fibrosis. To contribute to fibrosis research, I am comparing the fibrotic responses of ex vivo and in vitro skin fibroblast samples to TGF-β treatment. The target genes are quantified using qRTPCR and analyzed with a paired t test. The data gathered gives a insignificant p value for the ex vivo skin samples. Though limited minutely by this, it is still apparent that the experimental results show the in vitro fibroblasts having a stronger response to the treatment then the ex vivo fibroblasts. This knowledge is important because it will help researchers decide whether their experiments would benefit more from fibroblasts still imbedded in the whole skin or fibroblasts which have been suspended and isolated from the tissue based on how strong the response needs to be.
