Jennifer Arens Gubbels
Campus Mailing Address: H4/699 Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53792
Major Professor: Dr. Manish Patankar
Email: arens@wisc.edu
Telephone: 608-263-9755
Degree Objective: Ph.D.
Background: B.S. Loras College, Dubuque, IA, Biology Research
Research Interests and Laboratory Projects: The epithelial ovarian cancer marker, MUC16 (a high molecular weight mucin that is heavily glycoslayted), is routinely used in clinical tests for the dection of ovarian cancer. Ovarian tumor cells over express MUC16. High amounts of this mucin are found in the sera of patiens diagnosed with the epithelian ovarian cancer, as well as patients with endometriosis. The presence of hough amounts of this mucin in the ovarian tumor patients suggest that perhaps it plays a role in a tumor metaastasis or immune evasion. MUC16 present in endometriosis may also indicate an immune function or means of attachment.
Awards: ERP Program pre-doctoral training grant receipient
Presentations:
Ovarian Cancer: Prevention an Detection of the Disease and its Recurrenece: Molecular Targets and the Immune System. Pittsburgh, PA. October 24-25, 2005. "Investigating the binding between mesothelin and MUC16 (CA125), two markers that are elevated in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer."
International Society for the Biological Therapy of Cancer. Arlington, VA. November 10-13, 2005. "The role of the ovarian tumor marker MUC16 in the suppression of the human immune response."
University of Wisconsin-Madison Immunology Symposium. Madison, WI. June 8, 2005. "Phenotypic and Functional Analysis of Natural Killer Cells in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer."
Endocrinology-Reproductive Physiology Program Symposium. Madison, WI. November 21, 2005. "The Role of MUC16 in the Progression of Ovarian Cancer."