Large scale analysis of microRNAs in osteoblastic cells grown on titanium with nanotopography

• Grant number: 12/13046-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: October 19, 2012
• End date: October 28, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Márcio Mateus Beloti
• Grantee: Márcio Mateus Beloti
• Visiting researcher: Mohammad Quamarul Hassan
• Visiting researcher institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), United States
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Professor Hassan is now working at the Department of General Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA. Our professional contact started in 2008 during our post-doc program (FAPESP Grant # 2008/03573-3) at the Department of Cell Biology, UMass Medical School, MA, and USA, which resulted in the manuscript "Hassan MQ, Gordon JA, Beloti MM, Croce CM, Van Wijnen AJ, Stein JL, Stein GS, Lian JB A network connecting Runx2, SATB2, and the miR-23a~27a~24-2 cluster regulates the osteoblast differentiation program. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2010;107:19879-19884". We have established a collaboration to develop the project entitled "Large Scale Analysis of MicroRNAs in Osteoblastic Cells Grown on Titanium with Nanotopography" with financial support from FAPESP (Grants # 2010/18395-3 and 2010/19280-5). In this research project, we are analyzing the osteoblast differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells from three patients grown on titanium with nanotopography and we will select the culture with the higher osteogenic potential for further large scale analysis of microRNAs. The goal is to establish a relationship between the osteoblast phenotype expression induced by nanotopography and the microRNA expression. Now, we are carrying out the experiments with the cells from second donor and we are planning to conclude with the third one by October. In that way, the collaboration of Professor Hassan will be essential to the analysis of the results and the sample selection to be evaluated by microarray in the USA. He will also help us with mRNA preparation for microarray assays.In addition to this research project, we are carrying out some experiments to investigate possible signaling pathways involved in the osteoblast differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells grown on titanium with nanotopography. Professor Hassan will work with us in writing the manuscript we are preparing based on these results.Considering the expertise of Professor Hassan in preparing manuscripts to high impact factor journals, e.g.: Nature (IF: 36.10), PNAS (IF: 9.77) and J Biol Chem (IF: 5.32), we have invited him to integrate, together with Professor Adalberto Luiz Rosa, our course "Writing and presenting scientific texts". Thus, we will offer this course to our post-graduation students with the participation of Professor Hassan. As a final point, he will give a talk on the participation of microRNAs in the bone formation to the members of the VIII Encontro Farmacêutico de Ribeirão Preto, sponsored by FCFRP-USP. In this context, we believe that this visit will contribute in a relevant way to the development of our project, to the post-graduation program and consequently to the research activities of our School. (AU)