Johanna Ecklund

E-mail: eckl0033@umn.edu

Year entered: 2007

Degree received:
B.S., Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, 2007

Honors and Awards:

• Graduate School Block Fellowship, Fall Semester 2007

Thesis research:

My thesis research will investigate the relationship between inflammation and breast cancer tumorigenesis. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta, are believed to promote proliferation and survival of breast cancer cells. Understanding the mechanisms of cytokine expression and the influence they have on the surrounding microenvironment may be important in developing more effective therapies against breast cancer progression. I will use a transgenic mouse model with an inducible fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) to analyze cross-talk between growth factor signaling and proinflammatory cytokine expression. It is hypothesized that FGFR1 cooperates with IL-1beta to promote breast tumorigenesis. This cross-talk favors induction of downstream signaling pathways such as NF-kappaB and MAPK which regulate transcription of genes necessary for proliferation and survival. Understanding the complex mechanisms that promote breast tumor formation will ultimately lead to the development of novel therapeutic targeted therapies for breast cancer patients.

Thesis Research:

My thesis research will investigate the relationship between inflammation and breast cancer tumorigenesis. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1b, are believed to promote proliferation and survival of breast cancer cells. Understanding the mechanisms of cytokine expression and the influence they have on the surrounding microenvironment may be important in developing more effective therapies against breast cancer progression. I will use a transgenic mouse model with an inducible fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) to analyze cross-talk between growth factor signaling and proinflammatory cytokine expression. It is hypothesized that FGFR1 cooperates with IL-1beta to promote breast tumorigenesis. This cross-talk favors induction of downstream signaling pathways such as NF-kB and MAPK which regulate transcription of genes necessary for proliferation and survival. Understanding the complex mechanisms that promote breast tumor formation will ultimately lead to the development of novel therapeutic targeted therapies for breast cancer patients.

Publications:

Maureen A. McDonnell, Md Joynal Abdein, Manuel Melendez, Teodora N. Platikanova, Johanna R. Ecklund, Khalil Ahmed, and Ameeta Kelekar. 2008. Phophorylation of murine caspase-9 by the protein kinase CK2 regulates its cleavage by caspase-8. J.Biol.Chem.