Mercedes Rincón, Ph.D.

Professor of Medicine, Immunobiology Program
Director of Transgenic/Knockout Mouse Facility

Research Program: Cell Signaling & Growth Control
VCC Membership Level: Member Scientist

Contact Information

Given C331
89 Beaumont Avenue
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405

ph: (802) 656-0937
Mercedes.Rincon@uvm.edu

Biography

A native of Spain, Dr. Rincón was awarded her first academic fellowship at the age of fourteen. She earned her doctorate at the University of Madrid and completed postdoctoral studies in immunology at Yale University. After four years, she was promoted to research associate scientist, working in the laboratory of Richard Flavall, Ph.D., a pioneer in producing genetically modified mice. Dr. Rincón was recruited to UVM in 1995, in part to be the first director of the institution's Transgenic/Knockout Mouse Facility.

Research

Dr. Rincón studies the molecular mechanisms involved in the a) generation of T-cells in the thymus, b) activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, c) differentiation of naïve CD4 + T cells into effector and memory Th1 and Th2 cells, d) differentiation of CD8+ T-cells into effector cytotoxic cells, and e) death of CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells. A primary focus is the role of JNK and p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways in these processes. Several genetically-manipulated mouse models have already been generated and new models will be generated in the near future to address these questions. Microarray analysis has recently been used to identify new targets of these kinases in T-cells.

Another primary focus is the regulation and function of NFAT transcription factors during fetal thymocyte development and differentiation of CD4+ T-cells in the peripheral immune system. New transgenic mouse models have been recently generated to examine the role of these transcription factors during the immune response.

A third main project corresponds to the role of IL-6 in the differentiation of CD4+ T-cells into effector Th1 and Th2 cells. Dr. Rincón is studying the specific molecular mechanism by which this cytokine inhibits Th1 and promotes Th2 differentiation using different signaling pathways (e.g. JAK/STAT). She is also studying how IL-6 secreted by non-lymphoid cells can modulate the direction of an immune response and the progression of diseases.

Finally, Dr. Rincón has recently shown that IL-6 produced by breast tumor cells can confer drug resistance to these cells. She is currently performing translational research studies in collaboration with Dr. Hyman Muss and other VCC physicians to examine a potential correlation of IL-6 and drug resistance in breast and ovarian cancer patients.

Recent Publications

Diehl S, Krahl T, Rinaldi L, Norton R, Irvin CG, Rincon M. Inhibition of NFAT specifically in T cells prevents allergic pulmonary inflammation. J Immunol 2004 Mar 15 172(6), 3597-603.

Haynes L, Eaton SM, Burns EM, Rincon M, Swain SL. Inflammatory cytokines overcome age-related defects in CD4 T cell responses in vivo. J Immunol 2004 May 1 172(9), 5194-9. 

Fillmore PD, Brace M, Troutman SA, Blankenhorn EP, Diehl S, Rincon M, Teuscher C. Genetic analysis of the influence of neuroantigen-complete Freund's adjuvant emulsion structures on the sexual dimorphism and susceptibility to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Am J Pathol 2003 Oct 163(4), 1623-32. 

Saenger P, Rincon M. Precocious puberty: McCune-Albright syndrome and beyond. J Pediatr 2003 Jul 143(1), 9-10. 

Rincon M, Pedraza-Alva G. JNK and p38 MAP kinases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Immunol Rev 2003 Apr 192(131-42. 

Paredes M, Galindo A, Bernal M, Avila S, Andrade D, Vergara C, Rincon M, Romero RE, Navarrete M, Cardenas M, Ortega J, Suarez D, Cifuentes A, Salas A, Carracedo A. Analysis of the CODIS autosomal STR loci in four main Colombian regions. Forensic Sci Int 2003 Oct 14 137(1), 67-73.

Perucha M, Sanchez-Doblado F, Leal A, Rincon M, Arrans R, Nunez L, Carrasco E. Investigation of radiosurgical beam profiles using Monte Carlo method. Med Dosim 2003 Spring 28(1), 1-6. 

Diehl S, Rincon M. The two faces of IL-6 on Th1/Th2 differentiation. Mol Immunol 2002 Dec 39(9), 531-6.

Anguita J, Ramamoorthi N, Hovius JW, Das S, Thomas V, Persinski R, Conze D, Askenase PW, Rincon M, Kantor FS, Fikrig E. Salp15, an ixodes scapularis salivary protein, inhibits CD4(+) T cell activation. Immunity 2002 Jun 16(6), 849-59. 

Conze D, Krahl T, Kennedy N, Weiss L, Lumsden J, Hess P, Flavell RA, Le Gros G, Davis RJ, Rincon M. c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)1 and JNK2 have distinct roles in CD8(+) T cell activation. J Exp Med 2002 Apr 1 195(7), 811-23.

Diehl S, Chow CW, Weiss L, Palmetshofer A, Twardzik T, Rounds L, Serfling E, Davis RJ, Anguita J, Rincon M. Induction of NFATc2 expression by interleukin 6 promotes T helper type 2 differentiation. J Exp Med 2002 Jul 1 196(1), 39-49.

Hubbard AK, Timblin CR, Shukla A, Rincon M, Mossman BT. Activation of NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression by silica in lungs of luciferase reporter mice. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2002 May 282(5), L968-75.

Marquez M, Yepez CE, Sutil-Naranjo R, Rincon M. [Basic aspects and measurement of the antioxidant vitamins A and E]. Invest Clin 2002 Sep 43(3), 191-204.

Conze D, Weiss L, Regen PS, Bhushan A, Weaver D, Johnson P, Rincon M. Autocrine production of interleukin 6 causes multidrug resistance in breast cancer cells. Cancer Res 2001 Dec 15 61(24), 8851-8.

Conze D, Weiss L, Bhushan A, Johnson P, Rincón M. Autocrine prodction of interleukin 6 causes multidrug resistance in breast cancer cells. Cancer Research. 2001 61:8851-8858.

Guerder S, Rincon M, Schmitt-Verhulst AM. Regulation of activator protein-1 and NF-kappa B in CD8+ T cells exposed to peripheral self-antigens. J Immunol 2001 Apr 1 166(7), 4399-407. 

Hubbard AK, Timblin CR, Rincón M, Mossman BT. Use of transgenic luciferase reporter mice to determine activation of transcription factors and gene expression by fibrogenic particles. Chest. 2001 120:24S-25S

Timblin C, Robledo R, Rincón M, Cummins A, Pfeiffer L, Mossman BT. Transgenic mouse models to determine the role of epidermal growth factor receptor in epithelial cell proliferation, apoptosis and asbestosis. Chest. 2001 120:22S-24S.

Rincon M. MAP-kinase signaling pathways in T cells. Curr Opin Immunol 2001 Jun 13(3), 339-45.

Rincon M, Flavell RA, Davis RJ. Signal transduction by MAP kinases in T lymphocytes. Oncogene 2001 Apr 30 20(19), 2490-7.

David JP, Rincón M, Neff L, Horne WC, and Baron R. Carbonic anhydrase II is an AP-1 target gene in osteoclasts. J. Cell. Physiol. 2001 188: 89-97.

Merritt C, Enslen H, Diehl N, Conze D, Davis RJ, Rincon M. Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in vivo selectively induces apoptosis of CD8(+) but not CD4(+) T cells. Mol Cell Biol 2000 Feb 20(3), 936-46.

Weiss L, Whitmarsh AJ, Yang DD, Rincon M, Davis RJ, Flavell RA. Regulation of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (Jnk) gene expression during T cell activation. J Exp Med 2000 Jan 3 191(1), 139-46.

Millet I, Phillips RJ, Sherwin RS, Ghosh S, Voll RE, Flavell RA, Vignery A, Rincon M. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activity and enhancement of apoptosis by the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide. J Biol Chem 2000 May 19 275(20), 15114-21.