An Overview of Sorcin: Protein Potential for Cancer Therapy

Presenter: Evelyn Park, Chemistry, Global Public Health Scholars

---

---

---

During my practicum, I worked as an undergraduate researcher at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) under the supervision of Dr. Yanxin Liu. IBBR is a joint research institute of the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology that integrates bioanalytical, biophysical, and structural characterizations of biomolecules to advance therapeutic development, biomanufacturing, and delivery of safe and effective medicines to the public. My research focused on Sorcin, a calcium-induced mitochondrial protein. I used a UV/IV spectrophotometer to measure protein mixture aggregation and found that higher KCl concentration, Sorcin concentration, calcium concentration, and temperature led to faster Sorcin aggregation. Sorcin interacts with many binding sites and targets and is responsible for many roles, such as regulating mitosis progression and controlling calcium concentration. Its gene is in chromosome 7, which is responsible for resistance to multi-drug including chemotherapeutic agents in cancer cells. Sorcin is overexpressed in many human tumors, and TRAP1, a heat shock protein, regulates the aggregation of Sorcin. Understanding the relationship between Sorcin and TRAP1 may lead to new discoveries in cancer therapy.