GEORGE BELOV, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine

Honors:  Associate Editor, Journal of Virology

 

Research interests: Replication of positive strand RNA viruses, virus-cell interaction, remodeling of cellular membranous organelles into viral replication complexes. 

 

Dr. Belov’s research is focused on the hijacking of the cellular metabolism pathways by positive strand RNA viruses for the development of the viral replication organelles. All positive strand RNA viruses of eukaryotes replicate their genomes in association with membranes.  Assembly of the replication machinery on membranes increases local concentration of the viral proteins, provides structural scaffold for multi-component replication complexes, and hides dsRNA replication intermediates from the cellular innate immunity mechanisms.  Dr. Belov’s lab employs modern molecular biology and virology techniques to study the membrane remodeling in cells infected with poliovirus, Coxsackie B3 virus and other picornaviruses. His group has discovered the major rerouting of the cellular lipid synthesis pathways induced by diverse picornaviruses, elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of the regulation of the membrane synthesis in the cells. Identification of the cellular factors required for the viral replication will provide new targets for the development of therapies against these pathogens which are markedly resistant to conventional therapies.

 

JAEKEUN PARK, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine

 

Research interests: Influenza virus/host interactions, T cell responses to influenza virus vaccination and infection, Influenza animal model.

Pandemic and epidemic influenza A viruses are among the most significant causes of global mortality. Although vaccination has been the mainstay of influenza prevention for over 75 years, no highly efficacious or durably protective vaccine has yet been produced due to critical gaps in knowledge, including 1) incomplete understanding of immune correlates of protection, leading to 2) lack of effective vaccine strategies to induce broad and durable protection, and 3) imperfect animal models in which to model vaccine efficacy. To help identify vaccine interventions that are effective against the epidemic, pandemic, and zoonotic influenza viruses, Dr. Park aims to 1) define cellular and mucosal immune components that play key roles in protection, 2) identify vaccination regimens that effectively stimulate protective cellular and mucosal immune components, and 3) improve animal models that can reliably support influenza vaccine development. As the first steps, the Park lab will utilize immune cell profiling/phenotyping, mouse and ferret influenza models, and bulk/single-cell transcriptomics to understand the role of resident memory T cells (Trm) relating to influenza protection and pathogenesis. This interdisciplinary approach is expected to offer insights into various aspects of Trm that could potentially support the development of more effective influenza vaccines and vaccination strategies.

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XIAOPING ZHU, Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine

 

Research interests: Development of mucosal vaccines, Molecular and signaling mechanisms underlying mucosal inflammation and allergy

 

The mucosal surfaces lining the respiratory, intestinal, and genital tracts are not only the entry sites of infection for viruses but also places of initiating local defense against viral infections. At mucosal tissues, viruses are initially detected and destroyed non-specifically by innate immune mechanisms, but if the viruses escape the early defense mechanisms, they are detected and eliminated specifically by adaptive immune mechanisms. Innate immune responses include the production of virus-induced cytokines, such as interferon and natural killer (NK) cell activity, activation of signaling pathway by toll-like receptors or intracellular sensors, and defensins, etc. The major adaptive immune mechanisms include specific secretory IgA and IgG antibodies in viral elimination by forming immune complexes shortly after infection and T lymphocytes in the recovery from viral infection. Also, mucosal infections by viruses trig or exacerbate mucosal inflammation. To further understand the protective or inflammatory mechanism at the mucosal surfaces, the Zhu laboratory studies the interaction of mucosally transmitted viruses with those of mucosal epithelial cells and immune cells lining or within the mucosal surfaces. For example, they address questions whether viral infections of mucosal antigen presenting cells influence the mucosal immune response by thwarting the capacity of antigen presentation or how the mucosal inflammation is triggered and regulated during viral infections. Study of host-virus interactions at mucosal surfaces is crucial to understanding the process of mucosal immunity and immune evasion during viral infections, and provides an essential knowledge for the development of effective mucosal vaccine and immunotherapeutic strategies to mucosal infections.

 

 

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