Cytokine Signaling, Gene Expression, Immune Defense, Cancer

Immune defense, differentiation, programmed cell death, and malignancy are all influenced by extracellular cytokines. Our research centers on the action of a subset of cytokines that stimulate Janus tyrosine kinases (JAKs) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs). Activated JAK-STAT pathways rapidly transduce signals from outside the cell into the nucleus to regulate gene expression. Although the JAK-STAT cytokines use similar signal transduction pathways, their biological effects are quite diverse. For example, interferons confer resistance to viral infections, whereas interleukin-6 promotes inflammation and malignancy. We are currently exploring mouse models of viral infection and pancreatic cancer to identify molecular mechanisms that can be used to combat these diseases.