Phenformin Case Studies

During summer 2016, I was being selected to participate in the Summer Bridge program with Dr. Melville Vaughan for one month. Under the supervision of my mentors and Dr. Vaughan, four other members and me had been exposed to different types of experiments that my mentors believed might be possible treatments for patients with Dupuytren's contracture. Dupuytren's contracture is a wound healing disease that can lead to deformity of the hand which will affect patient's daily activities if not treated. Fortunately, surgery can be done to remove the excessive tissue however, it is only temporarily. The purpose of our experiment is to help prevent the recurrent of Dupuytren's contracture. As for my group, we were assigned to test the effect of
Phenformin on the differentiation of fibroblast to myofibroblast that leads to Dupuytren's contracture. My group and I were trained to be familiar with the laboratory equipment and essential experimental techniques in order to conduct the experiment with phenformin using cells of a Dupuytren's contracture patient.
We tested the 0.5mM and 1mM of phenformin and observed that the 1mM of phenformin treatment inhibited fibroblast differentiation and proliferation. According to the results we have obtained, 1 mM of phenformin could possibly be an effective treatment for Dupuytren's Contracture patients. Although more studies would need to be conducted to verify these results. From the program, I have learned to use the microscope more quickly and easily. Along with that, I learned how to subculture cells. My group subcultured in order to provide cells with essential nutrients. Some of the reagents that we used to subculture were: HBSS (Hank's Balanced Salt Solution), Trypsin which lifts the cells off the bottom of the plate, and 5% FBS or fetal bovine serum media which consists of DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Essential Media) and ABAM (Antibacterial and Antimycotic). Together with my team, I was able to stain cells with various stains and classify cells based on certain characteristics, such as color appearances of cells, and the presence of green fibers. I now understand some of the basic math equations or formulae that would be useful for further experimental design and research: how to calculate population doubling and cellular concentration. These calculations were then used in order to help grow cells on a new plate so that more experiments can be conducted and to help cells stayed in their happy
state.