Jessica Drenzek

Campus Address: 115 Primate Center, 1223 Capitol Ct., Madison, WI 53715

Major Professor: Dr. Ted Golos

Email: jdrenzek@primate.wisc.edu

Telephone: (608) 263-5479

Degree Objective: PhD

Background: B.S., UW-Stevens Point, Biology, major and minor in Captive Wildlife Management and Chemistry.

Research Interest: Primate placental immunology and the use of lentiviral vectors to target transgene expression in the rhesus placenta.

Current Lab Projects:

My research project focuses on maternal fetal immune tolerance of pregnancy in primates. My hypothesis is that placental MHC Class I molecules down regulate a uterine immune response to promote healthy pregnancy in nonhuman primates. My projects are designed to modify placental function. I have three parts to my project to test this hypothesis.

The first project involves overexpressing Mamu-A*01. Mamu-A*01 is a nonplacental polymorphic MHC Class I transgene. By overexpressing this gene in the placenta through the use of lentiviral vectors, we will see if the rhesus monkey maternal immune system will trigger a T cell response to this alloantigen.

The second way to modify placental function will be to knockdown expression of placental genes through the use of siRNA. The genes that will be targeted are Mamu-AG and Mamu-E.

The third project involves locating the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in marmoset and rhesus tissues through immunohistochemistry, IDO activity assays, RT-PCR, and Western blots. We have already seen IDO expression in marmoset and rhesus spleen, lymph node, uterus, and placenta. The next step is to inhibit tryptophan catabolism by administering 1-methyl tryptophan (1-MT) to pregnant rhesus monkeys. IDO normally catabolizes tryptophan along the kynurenine pathway and prevents a maternal T cell response. 1-MT will inhibit this catabolism and we hypothesize that a maternal T cell mediated rejection of the fetus will occur.

Presentations:
Poster Presentation
IFPA-Placenta Association of the Americas (PAA) Conference 2004
Expression of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase in the Rhesus Monkey and Common Marmoset. Drenzek J., Breburda E., Golos TG

Poster Presentation
UW Immunology Research Symposium, June 7, 2006
Localization of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase in the rehesus monkey and common marmoset. Drenkzek JG, Breburda EE, and Golos TG.

Oral Presentation
3rd International Conference on Experimental and Clinical Reproductive Immuniobiology. November 15-18, 2006. Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Localization of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase in the rehesus monkey and common marmoset. Drenkzek JG, Breburda EE, and Golos TG.

Awards:

  • Vilas Travel Grant 2006
  • Training Grant Funding: T-32-HD041921-04