Utilizing SDS PAGE-Western Blots To Identify The Timing And Specific Signal Pathway Used By Mammalian Cells When Treated With CK2.1 Compared to BMP2.

• Masoud Salim, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Delaware

• Anja Nohe, Biological Sciences, University of Delaware

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that causes the body to lose cartilage. Current remedy options focus mainly on treating symptoms like pain and movement, not the missing cartilage’s root cause. Normally, the body utilizes a protein called BMP2 which triggers cells to produce cartilage. However, BMP2 is nonspecific and also causes cells to produce bone marrow which interferes with cartilage formation. This is because BMP2 initiates three different signal pathways which may produce cartilage if the specific pathway is utilized. To determine the pathway, protein from the cells can be collected and identified to help with determination. My research revolves around the study of CK2.1, a new drug that mimics BMP2’s ability to make cells produce cartilage, and how long said process takes. BMP2 only needs to attach to cells from the outside but CK2.1 needs to enter the cell which should make the process slower than BMP2. To determine the signal pathways and if the cells produce cartilage is to determine the identity of specific proteins known to be involved in the processes. This is done by collecting the proteins from the treated cells and running them through a SDS PAGE-Western Blot which is a technique that helps to separate and identify desired proteins. If we can better understand the process of cells making cartilage, then better knowledge of the BMP signal pathways can be shared and a much more effective cure for osteoarthritis can be developed.