Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons^™

The Investigation Of A Timp-1-Modulated Glial-Derived Factor Affecting Neuroblastoma Cell Death, Alexandra Nicaise

Senior Theses and Projects

The original role of astrocytes was believed to have been as a neuronal-supportive cell in the brain. It has now been discovered that they play imperative roles, from reuptake of neurotransmitters from the extracelluar space to signal propagation and developmental control by the release of factors into the extracellular space. SH-SY5Y and IMR-32 cells are common neuroblastoma cell lines which model cancerous brain cells when left undifferentiated. In recent studies tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, but their exact role in cell death is unknown. A double-blind cell culture experiment was conducted using astrocytes from …