Paul B. Rothman, M.D.

Research

My lab focuses on understanding the signaling pathways that regulate lymphocyte growth, differentiation, and cellular transformation. One major focus has centered on the cells involved in allergic diseases. These projects include studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of IgE production by the cytokine IL-4 and IFN-y IL-4 and IFN-y cytokine signal transduction, and studies investigating the T cell subsets that produce these cytokines. One major project in the lab centers on trying to understand how IL-4 signal cells to activate transcription. We are determining how SOCS-1 functions in cells, how SOCS-1 protein expression is regulated, and if SOCS-1 plays a role in regulating allergy. We are also studying the PIM kinases. We have demonstrated that the PIM kinases can phosphorylate SOCS-1 and stabilize SOCS-1 protein. We are determining the mechanism by which this occurs and if Pim kinases regulate the immune system. We are also studying other SOCS proteins and how they may regulate cytokine signaling. Another major group in the lab is trying to understand the mechanisms underlying the ability of the v-abl oncogene to transform pre-B cells and cause leukemia.