DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Cancer Immunology

Research Abstract

We are interested in viruses that are casually associated with human cancer at the basic, translational and clinical level. Current studies are focused on the human gammaherpesvirus EBV and more recently KSHV (HHV-8). We investigate the process of virus binding to cells and viral tropism, with emphasis on the cellular receptors and viral attachment proteins. Additional studies in the laboratory address the relationship of viral gene expression to the development of cellular genetic changes that predispose to tumorgenesis. Translational studies in the laboratory have focused on characterizing the EBV/KSHV thymidine kinases as a potential targets for antiviral antitumor based therapies.

Publications

• Gill MB, Murphy JE, Fingeroth JD.Functional Divergence of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Related Gamma-2 Herpesvirus Thymidine Kinases: Novel Cytoplasmic Phosphoproteins That Alter Cellular Morphology and Disrupt Adhesion.J Virol 2005 Dec;79(
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• Zhang X, Wang JF, Chandran B, Persaud K, Pytowski B, Fingeroth J, Groopman JE.Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 alters endothelial function and enhances infection.J Biol Chem 2005 Jul 15;28
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• Hong YK, Foreman K, Shin JW, Hirakawa S, Curry CL, Sage DR, Libermann T, Dezube BJ, Fingeroth JD, Detmar M.Lymphatic reprogramming of blood vascular endothelium by Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.Nat Genet 2004 Jul;36(7):683-5.
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• Gill MB, Roecklein-Canfield J, Sage DR, Zambela-Soediono M, Longtine N, Uknis M, Fingeroth JD.EBV attachment stimulates FHOS/FHOD1 redistribution and co-aggregation with CD21: formin interactions with the cytoplasmic domain of human CD21.J Cell Sci 2004 J
  15138285
• Dezube BJ, Zambela M, Sage DR, Wang JF, Fingeroth JD.Characterization of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus-8 infection of human vascular endothelial cells: early events.Blood 2002 Aug 1;100(3):888-96.
  12130499
• Prota AE, Sage DR, Stehle T, Fingeroth JD.The crystal structure of human CD21: Implications for Epstein-Barr virus and C3d binding.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002 Aug 6;99(16):10641-6.
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