CD22 in the human genome codes for a protein of the same name, which is normally expressed only on the surface of B-lymphocytes. The primary hypothesis is that inappropriate activation of CD22 enables cell metastasis to lymph nodes and bone. The aim of this research is to determine whether CD22 is activated in cancerous ovarian cell lines, whether CD22 is expressed on the surface of these cells, and to compare the expression of CD22 expression on B-cell lines with cancerous ovarian cells to determine expression patterns and characterize normal and aberrant CD22 receptor substrate interactions on bone marrow stromal cells. This research will improve understanding of aberrant expression of CD22 on tumors, which may potentially be used for antibody-directed therapy for ovarian cancer
