Groopman Lab
Dr. Groopman's laboratory is pursuing a number of projects related to HIV in signal transduction. These include studies of Kaposi's sarcoma spindle cells, specifically the effects of exogenous cytokines and recently discovered virus KS/HHV8. The biology of normal endothelium is also being investigated with regard to regulation of nitric oxide production and pathways of programmed cell death (apoptosis).
A new program in the growth and chemotaxis of ovarian cancer cells has been initiated. Characterization of chemokine-mediated signal transduction pathways in blood cells and endothelium has become a major focus of the laboratory. Studies of dermal microvasculature also have been initiated.
In this past year, a number of high profile papers from the laboratory were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and Blood. These primarily identified new signal molecules operative in pathways of T-cell activation, Kaposi's sarcoma growth, and endothelial cell proliferation and spread.