Interacitve testing and optimization of polySia matrices effects on cell systems based on DNA microarray techniques

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Thomas Scheper
• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2004 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5471076

It is well known that cells respond with altered gene expression to changing environments and that modified polySia matrices can influence the proliferation and differentiation of cultured cells. Within this project cellular (and to a later time point also animal) test systems will be set up for soluble natural and non-natural polySia produced in WP1 and WP2 and matrices generated thereof (WP2 and WP3). Materials will be tested before or after defined decoration with growth factors, cytokines, various specific transmitters, and others. The interaction and influence of these matrices with the cell systems will be monitored especially with regard to gene expression using "tailor-made" microarrays. These specific microarrays, will allow the simultaneous analysis of the expression of several 100 genes including neural specific proteins like neurofilaments, receptors or neurotransmitter related enzymes, extracellular matrix, attachment and adhesion proteins, cytokines and their receptors, as well as a panel of control genes. After standard expression patterns have been evaluated for growing and differentiating cells, these patterns can be used to control cell behavior under variant culture conditions. This kind of analysis allows a very detailed insight into the status of a cell and thus allows correlating cell biology and quality of matrices. Based on the obtained data the iterative optimization of polySia matrices shall be made possible. Furthermore, biological evaluation of matrices and scaffolds will be performed using physiological nerve and glial cells, respectively, which provide putative cell sources for cell substitution after nerve lesion. In addition to neonatal and adult rat cells, the effects of polySia matrices and scaffolds will be also evaluated on adult human Schwann cells.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 548: Polysialic Acid: Towards the Evaluation of a New, Bio-identical Scaffold Material
• Participating Person: Professorin Dr. Claudia Grothe