Nicholas Zumwalde

E-mail: zumwa007@umn.edu

Year entered: 2007

Thesis Advisor: Yoji Shimizu

Degree received:
B.S., Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2007

Honors and Awards:

• Outstanding Teaching Assistant Recognition, Fall 2008

Thesis research:
Stable contact through the LFA-1 integrin on T-cells and ICAM-1 on antigen presenting cells is important for an optimal T-cell response. Interestingly, T-cells also express ICAM-1 and it is rapidly upregulated upon activation. In addition, in vitro studies with human T-cells indicate that ICAM-1 enhances T-cell antigen receptor signaling. We have used adoptive transfer techniques with genetically modified mice in a bacterial challenge model to test the function of ICAM-1 on CD8+ T-cells. These studies revealed that ICAM-1 is not required for optimal clonal expansion. However, there is a dramatic loss of ICAM-1 deficient memory T-cells after bacterial challenge. These results suggest that ICAM-1 on T-cells is critical for the generation of a productive T-cell response. Our focus is to understand the importance of ICAM-1 on T-cells and dissect its involvement in the generation and maintenance of memory CD8+ T-cells.