Abstract:
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is defined by the over proliferation, or uncontrolled growth, of lymphocytes. Stat6 is a protein that mediates processes such as cell growth and survival. Transgenic mice that continually express activated Stat6 (Stat6VT) specifically in lymphocytes were produced. Stat6VT mice began to develop a lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD), which included symptoms similar to lymphoma such as an enlarged spleen and lymphnodes. It was therefore hypothesized that the increased production of activated Stat6 contributed to the development of the LPD and could thus be significant in the occurrence of lymphoma.It was previously shown that under sterile conditions, about 5% of Stat6VT mice developed the LPD. When these mice were moved to Ball State University and into a non-sterile environment, the development of LPD in Stat6VT mice rose to 37%. To test whether the increased exposure to antigens played a role in the augmented development of the LPD, we immunized mice as a method to control antigen exposure. Interestingly, after immunization, none of the mice developed the LPD.In this study, I characterized the type of lymphocytes found in Stat6VTILPD mice, and examined the role of antigen exposure in the development of the LPD in Stat6VT mice. During this process, I was responsible for presenting a poster at the annual Autumn Immunology Conference held in Chicago, Illinois. I also contributed to a culminating paper that is in the process of submission to the journal Immunobiology.
