Dr. George Gomez
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Research on oxidative stress

A case for independent student research

There are many disorders of cellular function that can be traced back to problems related to oxidative stress. For example, one of the hypothesized causes of Alzheimer’s disease is the destruction of brain cells by reactive oxygen molecules, while it is hypothesized that Multiple Sclerosis may be caused by molecules such as peroxynitrite (which is generated by the reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide) that triggers the death of myelin producing cells. These molecules can affect cells by reacting with proteins that are critical for cellular function, causing these essential proteins to malfunction.
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Students take the lead....

Many students who have come through my laboratory have been interested in conducting research projects that are related to specific diseases.   For example, Alli Greco was my student in the Cell Biology laboratory course, where she did an independent lab research project on cardiac cell metabolism.  She then expanded this project into an Honors Thesis project investigating the physiological and structural changes that occur in cardiac myocytes as a result of hypoxia or hyperoxia (both these conditions cause hypertrophy, but hypoxia is generally pathologic and hyperoxia is not).  While I do not have expertise in cardiac cells, I was able to collaborate with her and help her conduct her research.  This, for me, is the perfect working model for undergraduate student research.
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Many students have initiated projects involving the study of cellular pathways and phenomena affected by oxidative stress.  Many of these may be ones that don't immediately come to mind.  For example, Mia Denunzio conducted a summer project that investigated the effects of glutathione on wound healing.   She isolated embryonic chick skin cells, grew them on a monolayer, introduced a scratch onto the monolayer, and studied the rate of cell migration in the presence hydrogen peroxide with or without glutathione, as the cells healed the scratch.  She found a significant increase in cell migration in the presence of glutathione. 

She studied cell adhesion molecules associated with migration and found that focal adhesions well less organized in the absence of glutathione (see figure A, below), while glutatione-treated cells showed more coherent focal adhesion complexes (figure B).

vinculin-no glutathionevinculin with glutathione

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Many similar projects are in progress or have been completed in the laboratory.  Here are a few examples, in no particular order:

  • Oxidative stress and antioxidant treatmens and neuroblastoma growth and differentiation: implications for radiation treatment for cancer (Michelle Piacente, independent research 2012-2013)
  • Effects of peroxynitrite on myelin basic protein expression and traffic in cultured embryonic chick brain neurons (Kristen Fenocchi, Presidential University Summer Fellowship 2009, Honors Thesis 2011)
  • Effects of retinal pigment epithelium on fatty acid protection against retinal degeneration (Jonathan Schall, Presidential University Summer Fellowship 2012)
  • A model of indirect nerve damage: implications for trigeminal nerve degradation associated with exposure to stressors associated with oral trauma and disease. (Alesia Walsh Honors Thesis 2011)
  • Effects of UV and peroxide exposure on crystallin expression and traffic in cultured chick lens cells (Michael Kelleman, independent research 2010-2011)

... just to name a few

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