MrSam Reitemeier

UCL GOSH Institute of Child Health - MRes
During my research Masters, my primary focus was the development of a ciliated ependymal cell research model. This project established a set of protocols for the growth of a murine ependymal cell culture model, with the intent to develop a platform for primary human ependymal cilia modelling. We have since had the opportunity to apply these protocols to live human lateral ventricle ependymal cells.

Initially, this project hypothesised that protection of the lateral ventricle ependyma has the potential to mitigate damage following neonatal intraventricular haemorrhage and thus improve physical and neurological outcomes from premature birth. This project further hypothesised that therapeutic modulation of the ependymal microenvironment, as a representation of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid, may be beneficial for the preservation of ependymal integrity and functionality. This may consequently provide novel therapeutic routes for the mitigation of intraventricular haemorrhage damage and prevention of intraventricular haemorrhage-derived sequelae.

Experimental utilisation of this model has enabled this project to: further characterise the lateral ventricle ependyma, address how the ependymal cells are impacted by intraventricular haemorrhage and investigate whether this process is amenable to intervention. The clinical application potential of this research stems from the frequency of intraventricular haemorrhage during premature birth. Premature birth is recognised as a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The variety of sequela associated with premature birth, concurrent with the lack of sufficiently elucidated pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these complications, has resulted in a lack of adequate therapeutic intervention or prevention strategies.

Within the laboratory, in developing these murine protocols, I have completed the removal and dissection of mouse brains for the homogenisation, seeding, data collection, fixation, staining and imaging of mouse ependymal cells. In addition to this, I have isolated and grown human choroid plexus cells for the passaging and maintenance of cell lines. These protocols required the utilisation of high-speed video microscopy analysis, immunohistochemical analysis, transepithelial electrical resistance analysis and further statistical analysis incorporating SPSS. As well as laboratory techniques, this project incorporated independent research theory skills, statistical analysis and knowledge of bioinformatics; to understand, analyse and interpret biomedical data, by combining biomedical science, computer science, statistics and mathematics, as well as the ability to summarise and contextualise the data within written work.

Coventry University - BSc (Hons) (IBMS-accredited)
During my Biomedical Sciences research project, I evaluated the effect of fatty acids on breast cancer cell growth within Type 2 Diabetes patients. This implemented the sterile cell sub-culturing, RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and protein extraction of MCF-7 cells for the western blotting of fatty acid biosynthesis regulators and the qPCR of genetic expression linked to cell growth factors to improve understanding of the effect of fatty acids on tumour growth.