Assist. Prof. Fay Magnusson

Fay Magnusson obtained her PhD in Immunology in 2008 from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, under the guidance of Pr. Roland Liblau in France and Pr. Khashayarsha Khazaie at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, MA, USA. She obtained her full PhD training at the DFCI in the laboratory of Pr. Harald von Boehmer from Harvard Medical School. She then became a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Pr. Chen Dong at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, USA. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Medical Microbiology Department of Istanbul Medipol University International School of Medicine.

Dr. Magnusson’s research interests lie in understanding the role of immune cells in cancer progression and metastasis. She focuses on non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the role of newly discovered innate lymphoid cells group 2 (ILC2) in shaping the immune response to cancer, particularly the CD4 T cell immune response to cancer. To this aim, she uses both ex vivo cells obtained from cancer patient samples and studies their function in vitro, and animal models of lung cancer for in vivo studies. Her research goals are to find new targets for cancer immunotherapy.

Selected Publications;

CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha negatively regulates IFN-gamma expression in T cells.

Tanaka, S., Tanaka, K., Magnusson, F., Chung, Y., Martinez, G.M., Wang, Y.H., Nurieva, R.I., Kurosaki, T., and Dong, C. 2014. “CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha negatively regulates IFN-gamma expression in T cells.” J Immunol, 193(12):6152-60.

T-Regulatory Cells Shift from a Protective Anti-Inflammatory to a Cancer Promoting Pro-Inflammatory Phenotype in Polyposis.

Gounaris, E., Blatner, N., Denis, K., Magnusson, F., Gurish, M., Stom, T., Gounari, F., and Khazaie, K. 2009. “T-regulatory cells shift from a protective anti-inflammatory to a cancer promoting pro-inflammatory phenotype in polyposis.”, Cancer Res, 69(13):5490-7.

Direct Presentation of Antigen by Lymph Node Stromal Cells Protects Against CD8 T-Cell Mediated Intestinal Autoimmunity.

Magnusson, F., Liblau, R.,S., Von Boehmer, H., Pittet, M., Lee, J.W., Turley, S.J. and Khazaie, K. 2008. “Direct presentation of antigen by lymph node stromal cells protects against CD8 T-cell mediated intestinal autoimmunity ”, Gastroenterology, 134(4):1028-37.

Foxp3+ CD25+ Regulatory T Cells Specific for a Neural Self-Antigen are Induced at the Double Positive Thymic Stage.

Cabarrocas, J., Cassan, C., Magnusson, F., Piaggio, E., Mars, L., Derbinsky, J., Kyewski, B., Gross, D-A., Salomon, B., Bauer, J., Khazaie, K., Saoudi A., and Liblau, R. S. 2006. “Foxp3+ CD25+ regulatory T cells specific for a neural self-antigen are induced at the double positive thymic stage”, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 103(22):8453-8.

Role of Intercalation and Redox Potential in DNA Photosensitization by Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes: Assessment Using DNA Repair Protein Tests.

Gicquel E, Souchard JP, Magnusson F, Chemaly J, Calsou P, Vicendo P. “Role of intercalation and redox potential in DNA photosensitization by ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes: assessment using DNA repair protein tests.” Photochem Photobiol Sci, 2013 Aug;12(8):1517-26.