Mission of the VIROLOGY Division

The Virology Division, a research-oriented Basic Science component of the Research and Development Section of MDL, uses a diverse array of experimental strategies to study the molecular, cellular, biochemical, and immunological interactions of viruses with their hosts. These analyses have significant implications in the development of novel antiviral, gene therapy, and vaccine strategies.

VIROLOGY Research Teams
Herpes simplex viruses cause a variety of infections, remain latent in neuronal tissue in their host for life, and can be reactivated to cause lesions at or near the site of infection. While the mechanism of viral reactivation from the latent state remains unclear, it is likely that the process involves the transfer of a neuronal signal to the viral replication machinery.

The initial goal of our Division is to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the replication and assembly of human herpes simplex virus. We use biochemical and molecular genetic techniques to identify and characterize the viral and cellular gene products which are important in the regulatory processes.

Host Response to Virus
Signal Transduction and Apoptosis. One long-term goal of our Division is to define the cellular signaling mechanisms which regulate the synthesis and modification of HSV proteins during infection. We identify and determine the function of the factors responsible for these prospective signaling processes. Thus, a major focus of our lab is an analysis of the induction and prevention of apoptosis during HSV infection. We are also developing our recently discovered viral oncoapoptosis process as a novel viro-peutic anti-cancer gene therapy strategy.

Virus Replication and Assembly
Viral Molecular Genetics. Our Division has the capacity to generate recombinant herpes simplex viruses using state-of-the-art molecular biology tools. An assessment of the replication capacity of specifically mutated viruses enables us to define the exact regulatory functions of specific HSV gene products.

Viroceutical Research
The research emphasis of this team will initially focus on Viral Oncoapoptotic approaches for cancer therapy.

Viral Physiology and Pathogenesis
The research emphasis of this Team is initially on identification of the cellular requirements for the in vitro replication of significant human viral pathogens. Viruses under investigation include Human Papillomavirus, hepatitis C virus, Varicella-Zoster virus, and molluscum contagiosum.
The long term goal of this Team is the development of valid pre-clinical vertebrate animal model systems for the analysis of significant human viral pathogens.