BMEBT MS Thesis Defense by Abid Neron
BMEBT MS Thesis Defense by Abid Neron
Date: May 15, 2026
Time: 11 AM
Location: TEX 219
Title: Investigation of the OCY454-12H Cell Line as an In Vitro Model for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-Associated Bone Dysfunction
Abstract: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a globally prevalent metabolic disorder increasingly recognized for its detrimental effects on skeletal integrity. Patients with T2DM exhibit increased bone fragility, which results in a heightened risk of bone traumas, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Chronic hyperglycemia and the production of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are thought to play a critical role in skeletal deterioration by activating the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) pathway, promoting inflammation and bone resorption. Despite this association, the cellular responses of osteocytes to varying glycemic conditions have not been fully characterized in vitro. This study investigates the OCY454-12H cell line, an osteocyte-like, murine-derived conditionally immortalized model with enhanced SOST expression, as an in vitro model for T2DM-associated bone dysfunction. Cells were exposed to varying glucose concentrations for 10 days to model hyperglycemic conditions. Then, gene and protein expression levels of key biomarkers, SOST and RAGE, were quantified using qPCR and ELISA analyses. Significant glucose-dependent increases in gene and protein expression were identified, with 22 mM and 34 mM glucose groups most closely matching biomarker profiles reported in T2DM-associated bone dysfunction in vivo. These findings provide preliminary support for the OCY454-12H cell line as a platform for investigating hyperglycemia-induced osteocyte dysfunction and establish candidate glucose concentrations for future in vitro T2DM bone models.
Advisor: Dr. Lamya Karim, Dept. of Bioengineering (lkarim@umassd.edu)
Committee Members:
Dr. Tracie Ferreira, Dept. of Bioengineering
Dr. Laura Hanzly, Dept. of Bioengineering
All BMEBT graduate students are encouraged to attend, and all interested parties are invited.
TEX 219
Lamya Karim
5089998560
lkarim@umassd.edu