STATEN ISLAND — Last summer, Wagner College chemistry major Kathryn M. Chepiga ’10 took part in a summer internship program, funded by Donald and Evelyn Spiro, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As an intern, she assisted Dr. Paul Watkins in his ongoing research on lipid metabolism.
“This particular research project involved the enzyme Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Synthetase 3 — or ACSVL3 for short,” Chepiga said. “This enzyme has been found in extremely elevated levels in human glioma cells, which form one of the most deadly types of brain tumors. Although the reason why ACSVL3 is so elevated in these cells is unknown, Dr. Watkins has been able to prove that when this enzyme is eliminated from human glioma cells, they either grow at a much slower rate or stop growing altogether.
“I spent this summer testing for a drug that would stop ACSVL3 from working. If a drug of this nature is found, it could potentially be used as a form of treatment for glioblastoma tumors.”
Chepiga will make a poster presentation of her research experience in November at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Phoenix, Arizona.
“If it weren't for Wagner College and the help of Drs. Donald and Evelyn Spiro, none of this would have been possible,” Chepiga said.
Kathryn Chepiga is an honors chemistry major with minors in biology and art.
