Grant Yu
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Carole Parent
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Pharmacology / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Grant Yu, Samuel Collie, Carole Parent
Session: Session 6: 3:40 pm – 4:30 pm
Poster: 57
Abstract
The HL60 cell line was derived in 1977 from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and has been a staple of granulocyte-related research ever since. With the use of multiple reagents, HL60 cells can be chemically induced and differentiated into neutrophil-like cells in vitro. However, the current standard of differentiating HL60 cells with only 1.3% dimethyl sulfate (DMSO) yields “neutrophils” that leave more to be desired in terms of both functionality and morphology when compared to polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). We report that the differentiation process with different methods, such as adding selenium, transferrin, and insulin to DMSO, as well as beginning differentiation with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and then switching to DMSO partly through, results in cells that better resemble neutrophils. We show that the process involving ATRA produces neutrophil-like cells whose chemotaxis is on par with previous methods. Additionally, with these cells, we observe a noticeably better morphology, such as increased lobulation, increased expression of 5-lipooxygenase activating protein (FLAP) and lamin B receptor (LBR), and a decreased expression of lamin A, which are all commonly seen in PMNs. We aim to create a better protocol for HL60 differentiation into neutrophils, as most neutrophil-related research uses the HL60 cell line, and improving this procedure may benefit the accuracy and validity of future studies. Furthermore, we catch a glimpse into what pathways HL60 cells take to differentiate, giving us a better understanding of how acute myeloid leukemia affects cellular functions.
