Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Understanding the biology behind delayed cell migration in chronic wounds is the first step towards the development of improved clinical treatments for these wounds. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cell signalling process which allows an epithelial cell that is attached to a basement membrane to undergo multiple phenotypic changes to transition to a mesenchymal cell with enhanced migratory capacity.
Aim 1: Examine expression of EMT genes in wound healing in-vitro using immunohistochemistry
Aim 2: Determine if up-regulation of EMT genes increases keratinocyte cell migration invitro using real-time cell migration assays.
Aim 3: Determine if over expression of EMT genes increases wound healing in a human skin equivalent model. QUT has developed an ex vivo de-epidermised dermis human skin equivalent model (DED-HSE) to allow studies of human wound healing. Transfected keratinocytes from Aim 2 will be added to the DED-HSE and following the creation of superficial thickness wounds, their ability to 'heal' the wound will be examined using MTT and IHC staining over a 12 days.
- Study level
- PhD, Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Kerry Manton
Associate Professor David Leavesley
