Abstract: Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid which is preferentially located in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane in a healthy cell. Where PS is present on the outer leaflet, it acts as an immunosuppresive signal. In many instances of cancer, mutations drive PS to be externalized in order to increase cancer cell immune evasion by taking advantage of PS immunosuppression. In an effort to prevent PS-driven suppression of the immune system, a series of monoclonal antibodies have been developed to indirectly target PS and block PS signaling. This study investigates the efficacy of two monoclonal antibodies, Bavituximab and 1N11, in preventing immune suppression in the presence of PS externalization via immune cell genetic profiling and cytokine secretion assays.
What Does Research Mean to You? Research is the general process of figuring out something that nobody fully understands. Because of this, it is hard! And tiring! And usually not very fun! But working to discover something brand new requires a level of innovation, creativity, and technical skill that very few other opportunities do. To me, working on building these abilities and finding new ways to attack the same problem is a huge part of what makes research so fun.
Tell Us About Your Journey I first got interested in research when I worked as a high school intern at a research lab studying hepatocytes at Colorado State University. There I worked under a great mentor who was able to describe every detail of the liver and its function so clearly that I began to understand exactly how specialized a PhD student is. Before then, I had never been exposed to a field where book knowledge AND technical skill was essential to success, and after my first exposure to simple techniques like cell culture and chemiluminescent assays. I was hooked. When I arrived at UT Dallas, I quickly found a spot working with Dr. Kildebeck studying new methods aiming to reduce autoimmunity in patients with multiple sclerosis. This research led me to form a connection with a close collaborator, Dr. Leung, and the University of Pennsylvania, and I continued to study immune signaling pathways with Dr. Leung for two summers. All of this research experience helped me to become comfortable designing experiments and learning new techniques, and I was eager to find a new lab to keep growing as an undergraduate scientist. This led me to apply to the GreenFellowship, and I really think the program was able to give me extremely valuable insight regarding my future career path.
Advice for Future GreenFellows
Write everything down! Your memory is horrible, trust me. Also, asking questions impresses people! Once you know enough to be productive, do not be afraid to ask questions - it will help you learn faster and you will actually contribute to scientific conversations in your lab.