Transcript Characterization of An Immune Response in a Mouse Model of

Characterization of An Immune
Response in Melanoma.
By: Suren Ravindran
Mentor: Dr. Taha Merghoub
What is Melanoma?
 Melanoma is one of the most serious
and devastating types of skin cancer.
 Due
to the uncontrolled cell division of
abnormal melanocytes.
 Melanocytes- skin cells that produce
melanin (pigment).
 Can spread and form tumors in other parts
of the body other than the skin. (metastasis)
What is Melanoma? Cont’d
Healthy Melanocytes
Melanocytes in Melanoma
What is Melanoma? Cont’d
Procedure
 Dissect transgenic mice and remove
spleens. (control and tumor bearing)
 Crush spleen and prepare into a
suspension for flow cytometry.
 Run through FACS machine and
analyze data.
Immune Response
 Integrated response to an antigen
mediated by lymphocytes and involving
recognition of antigens by specific
antibodies.
 Types of lymphocytes are T- Cells and
B- Cells.
Flow Cytometry
 Process in which the properties of cells are
identified through a systematic procedure of
detecting the fluorescence of the cells.
 Antibodies conjugated with fluorescence is
added to a cell suspension where they then
attach to the specific antigens on the cells.
 Cell suspension is then processed in FACS
(fluorescence- activated cell sorter) machine.
Flow Cytometry cont’d
Expected Results
 With the data derived from the FACS
machine we can determine the amount,
size, granularity, and the amount of
fluorescence of the cells.
 With this information we can observe
the “landscape” of the tumor and the
composition of the immune response.
Expected Results
References
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www.uhseast.com/128019.cfm
www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/2468.cfm
www.pg.com/science/skincare/Skin_tws_16.htm;j...
http://runzwithscissors.net/gallery/albums/brains/MELANOMA.sized.jpg
The Melanoma Letter
What You Need To Know About Melanoma
www.mskcc.org/mskcc/print/2270.cfm?IRBNO=03-007
http://www.fcspress.com/html/FCSPressFeatures/Plots.GIF
http://www.flow-cytometry.de/definition.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_cytometry
Acknowledgments
 Dr. Taha Merghoub
 Elva Barreda
 Dr. Sat & Harlem Children Society
 Gateway Program
THANK YOU