Radiation and Free Radical Research Core

Radiation and Free Radical Research Core

Radiation and free radical research core

Director: Douglas R. Spitz, PhD
Office: B180 Medical Laboratories
Phone: 1-319-335-8001
douglas-spitz@uiowa.edu

The purpose of the Radiation and Free Radical Research Core is to provide free radical and radiation biology expertise, reagents, technologies, and analysis for individual Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators doing basic, pre-clinical, and clinical research.

The core provides or advises users on how to perform and analyze experiments, aiding in vector development, enzyme activity assays, cell cycle and thiol analysis, western, northern, and southern analysis.

Available enzyme assays include: 

  • Copper-and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD)
  • Manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase (CAT)
  • Glutathione transferases (GSTs)
  • Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)
  • Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS)
  • Glutathione peroxidases (GPx)
  • Glutathione glutathione reductase (GR) activity
  • Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity
  • Thioredoxin reductase (TRR) activity
  • Assays for the detection of prooxidant production in living cells, including:
    • Superoxide
    • Hydrogen peroxide
    • Lipid peroxidation products, etc.
  • Antibodies, cDNA probes, lentiviral vectors, transplantable human tumor xenograft models
  • Electron transport chain (ETC) complex activities
  • TCA cycle enzyme activity including total aconitase and citrate synthase
  • Glutathione/glutathione disulfide
  • Thioredoxin/thioredoxin disulfide
  • Glucose
  • ATP
  • Lactate
  • NADP+/NADPH
  • NAD+/NADH

Assays for prooxidant production (superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation products, etc.) are available.

Antibodies, cDNA probes, and adenoviral vectors coding for primary antioxidant enzymes as well as stably and transiently transfected cells are also provided. The core aids in transfecting cDNAs into cell lines of interest to investigators and continues to develop and maintain novel reagents for studies in free radical biology including: antibodies, cDNAs, antisense reagents, and expression vectors for antioxidant proteins including thioredoxin, glutaredoxin, thioredoxin reductases, and thioredoxin peroxidases.

The core provides comprehensive irradiation services (both x-ray and 137Cs) and expertise in redox regulation of the cell cycle and phosphorimaging.