Poster #: 103
Utilizing GloSensor to Measure cAMP in a Cell Model of Fibrous Dysplasia
Mentors: Anisha Kandala; PI: Fernando Fierro, PhD
Fibrous Dysplasia (FD) is a rare skeletal disease defined by an overgrowth of fibrous bony tissues in place of healthy bone tissue. In FD, there are two mutations (R201C and R201H) in the gene coding for Gs-alpha that causes an overproduction of cAMP, which leads to subsequent effects. Additionally, current FD treatments fall short as many only target symptoms of the disease.
Collaborators identified new compounds and previously FDA-approved drugs that may target the elevated cAMP levels seen in FD. In the Fierro lab we utilize Mesenchymal stromal cells overexpressing Gs-alpha (wild type or mutated) and GloSensor, a genetically engineered biosensor that luminesces in the presence of cAMP, to test these compounds. We measured the luminescence 48 hours after the treatment to identify compounds that effectively reduce cAMP in mutant cells.
We hypothesize that compounds that reduce cAMP levels in mutated cells could become a potential therapeutic for the disease.