Priscilla C. Olsen, Ph.D.

Research

The Nussenzweig lab explores how the rapid proliferation of immune cells during infection could precipitate cancer. When the body is invaded by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, antibody-producing B cells swiftly expand their ranks to help clear the infection. This vigorous cellular replication comes with a price: When DNA is copied at a rapid pace to produce large numbers of cells, it is at risk of accruing damage, including the sorts of chromosome breaks and rearrangements that may trigger the development of lymphomas. I will stimulate the rapid division of B cells and identify the "fragile sites" within the genome that are prone to breaks and rearrangement. I will also assess whether a protein known to recognize and bind to spots of DNA damage can protect dividing B cells from genomic rearrangements at these sites—work that could point toward novel therapies for cancers that develop in the cells of the immune system.