Understanding the Parameters that Regulate the Immune Response
The long-range objective of the research being pursued in Nancy Magnuson's laboratory is to understand the parameters that regulate the immune response which when uncontrolled can lead to immune disorders including cancer and autoimmune disease.
Central to the regulation of the immune response is a group of transiently induced genes which includes lymphokines and growth factors (oncogenes). Of particular interest to Dr. Magnuson and her research team is the transiently induced, lymphoid-restricted proto-oncogene called pim -1. The pim -1 gene codes for a cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinase, and it is thought that its normal role is participation in one of the many signal transduction pathways involved in lymphocyte activation/differentiation and also, under certain conditions, in apoptosis. When the pim-1 gene is overexpressed in combination with C- myc , however, leukemia results.
The major goal of the ongoing research is to understand the function of the Pim-1 kinase. In addition, Dr. Magnuson and her colleagues are interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms controlling the highly regulated expression of the pim -1 gene, since this information is of importance for understanding, and eventually manipulating, the mammalian immune system.
More about Nancy Magnuson
Nancy Magnuson was named the first Herbert L. Eastlick Distinguished Professor in the Washington State University College of Sciences in the spring of 2001.
The Herbert L. Eastlick Distinguished Professorship was created in honor of Dr. Eastlick, a former professor of zoology. He taught at WSU for 33 years and served as adviser to many pre-medicine and pre-veterinary students. Dr. Eastlick joined the WSU faculty in 1940 and served as chair of the Department of Zoology from 1947-64. In 1979 the Eastlick Biological Sciences Building was dedicated in honor of Eastlick and his wife, Peg.
Dr. Magnuson earned a bachelor's degree from UCLA and a doctorate in immunology from Washington State University. She serves on the board of directors of the Spokane chapter of the American Cancer Society, the advisory board of the WSU Cancer Prevention and Research Center, the review panel for grant awards for prostate and breast cancer research from the U.S. Army, and the review panel for grant awards for the National Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C.
Recent representative publications
Watts, R. J., D. Washington, J. Howsawkeng, F. J. Loge, and A. Borg, K.E., M. Zhang, D. Hegge, R.L. Stephen, D.J. Buckley, N.S. Magnuson, and A.R. Buckley. 1999. Prolactin regulation of pim-1 expression: positive and negative promoter elements. Endocrinol. 140: 5659-5668.
Wang, Z, K. Petersen, M.S. Weaver and N.S. Magnuson. 2001. cDNA cloning, sequencing and characterization of bovine pim-1. Vet. Immunol. Immunopath. 78:179-197.
Wang, Z., N. Bhattacharya, M. Meyers, H. Seimiya, T. Tsuruo, J.A. Tonani and N.S. Magnuson. 2001. Pim-1 kinase negatively reglates the activity of PTP-U2S phosphatase and influences terminal differentiation and apoptosis of monoblastoid leukemia cells. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 390:9-18.
Zhu, N., L.M. Ramirez, R.L. Lee, N.S. Magnuson, G.A. Bishop, and M.R. Gold. 2002. CD40 signaling in B cells regulates the expression of the Pim-1 kinase via the NF-kB pathway.
J Immunol. 168:744-754.
Bhattacharya, N., Z. Wang, C. Davitt, I.F.C. McKenzie, P. Xing and N.S. Magnuson. 2002. Pim-1 associates with protein complexes necessary for mitosis. Chromasoma 111:80-95.
Wang, Z., N. Bhattacharya, P.F. Mixter, W. Wei, J. Sedivy and N.S. Magnuson. 2002. Phosphorylation of the cell cycle inhibitor p21Cip1/WAF1 by Pim-1 kinase. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 217:45-55.
Weaver, M., K. Petersen, and N.S. Magnuson. 2002. The internal ribosome entry site of the pim-1 proto-oncogene provides a translational advantage under the pro-apoptotic and stress conditions. J. Biol. Chem.
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