Dr. Barbara Lee-Faubert Kaplan

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Michigan State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Center for Integrative Toxicology
Assistant Professor

Mailing Address

312 Food Safety and Toxicology
East Lansing, Michigan 48824
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (517) 884-2062
Fax: (517) 432-3218
blkaplan@msu.edu

Qualifications

Ph.D., Michigan State University, Pharmacology and Toxicology, 2001.
B.S., University of California, Davis, Environmental Toxiocology, 1992.

Expertise and Research Interests

The focus of my research is to understand the mechanism by which cannabinoid compounds suppress T cell function. Plant-derived cannabinoid compounds (i.e., those derived from marijuana) include both psychoactive (such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and non-psychoactive (such as cannabinol and cannabidiol) compounds. The ability of these compounds to exhibit psychoactive properties correlates with their binding affinity to one of the cloned cannabinoid receptors, CB1. Despite differences in cannabinoid receptor binding affinity and magnitude of psychoactive properties, many of the plant-derived cannabinoid compounds are immunosuppressive. Indeed, we have shown that the T cell growth factor interleukin-2 is sensitive to suppression by these compounds. The mechanism by which cannabinoids suppress interleukin-2 is at the level of transcription and is mediated, in part, through suppression of several transcription factors, including AP-1, NFAT and NF-kB. Importantly, the direct T cell suppression does not involve either one of the two known cannabinoid receptors (CB1 or CB2). Currently, I am assessing the ability of one non-psychoactive, plant-derived compund, cannabidiol, to suppress T cell function in two different in vivo models.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Immunology, Toxicology.

Additional Terms:

Immunology, Immunotoxicology.

Memberships

Society of Neuroimmune Pharmacology
Society of Toxicology

Honors and Awards

2008, Intramural Seed Grant, Michigan State University Respiratory Research Initiative Group
2007, Junior Faculty Travel Award for Immunology, 2007, American Association of Immunology
2006, Intramural Seed Grant, Michigan State University Respiratory Research Initiative Group
2006, Research Expense Award, Michigan State University National Food Safety and Toxicology Center

Previous Positions

2001-2004, Research Associate, University of Chicago, Surgery
1994-1995, Chemist III, Quanterra, Inc.
1992-1994, Chemist I, Eureka Laboratories, Inc.

Funding Received

  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Co-Investigator, "Environmental, Microbial and Mammalian Biomolecular Responses to AhR Ligands", , 2006 to 2011.
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Co-Investigator, "IL-2 Suppression by Endocannabinoid Activation of PPAR-gamma", , 2005 to 2010.

Publications

  • Kaplan BL, Springs AE, Kaminski NE (Jul 2008) The profile of immune modulation by cannabidiol (CBD) involves deregulation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)., Biochemical pharmacology Abstract
  • Rockwell CE, Raman P, Kaplan BL, Kaminski NE (May 2008) A COX-2 metabolite of the endogenous cannabinoid, 2-arachidonyl glycerol, mediates suppression of IL-2 secretion in activated Jurkat T cells., Biochemical pharmacology Abstract
  • Kaminski NE, Kaplan BL, Holsapple MP (2007) Toxic Responses of the Immune System In Klaassen CD (eds), Casarett and Doull's Toxicology, 7th Edition, New York, McGraw Hill (bookchapter)
  • Kaplan BL, Callender GG, Norell H, Kiessling R, Nishimura MI (Jun 2006) Interferon-gamma renders tumors that express low levels of Her-2/neu sensitive to cytotoxic T cells., Cancer Immunol Immunother, 55 (6), 653-62
  • Kaplan BL, Ouyang Y, Rockwell CE, Rao GK, Kaminski NE (Jun 2005) 2-Arachidonoyl-glycerol suppresses interferon-gamma production in phorbol ester/ionomycin-activated mouse splenocytes independent of CB1 or CB2., Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 77 (6), 966-74 Abstract
  • Kaplan BL, Moore TV, Schreiber K, Callender GG, Schreiber H, Nishimura MI (Jun 2005) A new murine tumor model for studying HLA-A2-restricted anti-tumor immunity., Cancer Letters, 224 (1), 153-66 Abstract
  • Kaplan BL, Ouyang Y, Herring A, Yea SS, Razdan R, Kaminski NE (Jun 2005) Inhibition of leukocyte function and interleukin-2 gene expression by 2-methylarachidonyl-(2'-fluoroethyl)amide, a stable congener of the endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand anandamide., Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 205 (2), 107-15 Abstract
  • Faubert Kaplan BL, Kaminski NE (Oct 2003) Cannabinoids inhibit the activation of ERK MAPK in PMA/Io-stimulated mouse splenocytes., International Immunopharmacology, 3 (10-11), 1503-10 Abstract
  • Kaplan BL, Rockwell CE, Kaminski NE (Sep 2003) Evidence for cannabinoid receptor-dependent and -independent mechanisms of action in leukocytes., The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 306 (3), 1077-85 Abstract
  • Kaplan BL, Yu DC, Clay TM, Nishimura MI (May-Aug 2003) Redirecting T lymphocyte specificity using T cell receptor genes., International Reviews of Immunology, 22 (3-4), 229-53 Abstract
  • Herring AC, Faubert Kaplan BL, Kaminski NE (Apr 2001) Modulation of CREB and NF-kappaB signal transduction by cannabinol in activated thymocytes., Cellular Signalling, 13 (4), 241-50 Abstract
  • Faubert BL, Kaminski NE (Feb 2000) AP-1 activity is negatively regulated by cannabinol through inhibition of its protein components, c-fos and c-jun., Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 67 (2), 259-66 Abstract

Profile Details

Last Updated: 8/5/2008

COS Expertise ID #1227468
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/blkaplan