Katharine’s Undergraduate Research – Endothelial Cells

Hi I’m Katharine, I’m currently researching how the Endothelial Cells (EC) receptors, Neuropilin -1 (NRP1) and Neuropilin-2 NRP2 work together to regulate tumour growth. More specifically, to better understand how NRP1 and NRP2 work together in ECs to regulate signalling responses to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

My role entails examining angiogenic signalling pathways downstream of the two receptors. This is done by stimulating ECs in culture with VEGF and then performing Western Blot analysis (Western blotting is a laboratory technique used to detect a specific protein in a blood or tissue sample).

I wanted to study this to gain more laboratory experience in order to develop the key skills and expertise that are important in a research lab such as the one I am working in. In addition to this I wanted to gain a greater insight into what research looks like and to get a better understanding of what the whole process looks like.

I chose this specific cancer to research as it wasn’t something that I have really come across in my lectures, so I wanted to learn more about it. I was particularly interested how important angiogenesis is for tumour development and how ECs drive and impact angiogenesis and thus tumour growth.

Through my research so far, I have found that NRP2 directly affects Paxillin. This is seen in the number of focal adhesions in a cell which increases and the area of the focal adhesions which decreases in size when NRP2 is depleted using SiRNA.

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