Poster #006
Developing an hiPSC Line for Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy Research
Mentors: Thu Pham, BS (PhD Candidate – Mentor), Dr. Yin Shen, PhD (PI)
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major challenge for many patients with cancer on chemotherapy treatment. CIPN damages sensory nerves in the hands and feet resulting in symptoms like numbness, pain, and loss of touch. There is currently no prevention or treatment for CIPN. My project aimed to develop human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) that can differentiate into sensory neurons to study the genetic drivers of CIPN through gene knockdown. To build this model system, we engineered a plasmid containing NGN2/BRN3a – genes that drive neural differentiation, and dCas9-KRAB – a CRISPR system that suppresses gene expression. We successfully introduced the genetically engineered plasmid into hiPSCs via nucleofection. By genotyping, we confirmed the correct insertions of NGN2/BRN3a and dCas9/KRAB in the desired genomic location.