Photo by V. Miller
Feb. 8, 2006
Antibodies, Blood Vessels, and Blindness
Effect of Antibodies to SDF1 and CD144 on the Incorporation of Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Choroidal Neovasculature
Sabrina Prabakaran, 14, Fort Myers, Fla.
Finalist, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2005
Project background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the United States, affecting some 27 million people. Sabrina learned about factors that induce the growth of new blood vessels in the eye, the direct cause of AMD. She hypothesized that blocking these growth factors with antibodies would prevent AMD-like symptoms in mice.
Tactics and results: Sabrina became certified in handling laboratory animals. She also worked in a university laboratory involved in this area of research. To test her hypothesis, she used mice that had an induced AMD-like condition. She divided the mice into two groups. Mice in the experimental group were given antibodies to growth factor SDF-1 or CD144. Mice in the control group received no antibodies.
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| Photo by V. Miller |
The mice that received the antibodies had significantly fewer new blood vessels than the mice in the control group did. The results supported Sabrina's hypothesis.
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