Heinz Baumann, Ph.D. [http://www.roswellpark.org/document_3362.html]

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY  14263
Tel: 716-845-4587
Fax: 716-845-5908
E-mail: heinz.baumann@roswellpark.org

The laboratory headed by Dr. Heinz Baumann pursues two long-term research projects. The first has the overall goal of characterizing the cellular and molecular action of inflammatory mediators. Current work aims to identify the mechanisms by which members of the hematopoietic cytokine family control proliferation and expression of differentiation genes in various normal and transformed cell types. Over the last several years, the Baumann laboratory has characterized the signaling functions of the receptors for the interleukin-6-related cytokines, oncostatin M and leukemia inhibitory factor.

The second project focuses on the genetics of the hepatic acute phase response and the physiological role of the plasma proteins induced by inflammation. The investigations identify the genetic targets through which the signals of inflammatory factors induce the expression of acute phase plasma protein genes in liver and other cell types. The role of the induced gene products (i.e., alpha-l-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin and alpha-l-protease inhibitor) in the control of the inflammatory process, systemic homeostasis and development of epithelial tumors is determined in gene-knockout and transgenic mouse models.