The Nebraska Center for Virology Research Program Our research program addresses pathogenic and therapeutic questions of some the most devastating viral and neuroimmune disorders facing the global community including molecular, epidemiological, and biochemical approaches to address fundamental questions concerning viral replication, latency, assembly and pathogenesis. These projects include the investigation of mechanisms of HIV replication and pathogenesis; and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, prion diseases and HIV-1-associated dementia. Other projects involve chronic and latent infections caused by viruses such as herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr and Kaposi's Sarcoma associated herpesvirus. Investigators are also studying viral host interactions including the mechanism of viral induced cellular transformation. | | | » | Herpesvirus | Anisa Kaenjak Angeletti, PhD | | » | Mechanisms that control stable replication of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) | Peter C. Angeletti, PhD | | » | Prion Targeting | Jason C. Bartz, PhD |
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APC are Required for Peptide Specific Killing, while Th2 Polarization Inhibits Lysis |
Deborah M. Brown, Ph.D. |
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Perforin in Required for CD4 Mediated Cytotoxicity During Influenza Infection |
Deborah M. Brown, Ph.D. |
| » | Protein Structure and Function, Proteomics | Pawel Ciborowski, PhD | » | HIV Neuropathogenesis | Howard Gendelman, MD |
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Evaluating different immunization strategies using adjuvants and antibody immunotherapies to enhance protective immune responses induced by HIV vaccine candidates. |
Santhi Gorantla, PhD |
| » | Genome-wide screening of host genes involved in virus-induced neurotoxic signaling using lentiviral siRNA library | Clinton Jones, PhD | » | Herpesviruses Latency | Clinton Jones, PhD | | » | Prion Entry into the Nervous System
| Anthony E. Kincaid, PhD | | » | The Antiviral Role of RNA Interference in Mammals | T. Jack Morris, PhD
| | » | RNA Virus Gene Expression | Asit K. Pattnaik, PhD | | » | IL-12 expression during innate anti-viral immunity against Theiler’s Virus infection | Thomas M. Petro, PhD | | » | Murine model of HIV-1encephalitis in NOD/SCID mice reconstituted with human lymphocytes | Larisa Poluektova, MD, PhD | » | Chlorella Viruses Biology | James Van Etten, PhD | » | HIV and Herpes Virus Pathogenesis | Charles Wood, PhD | » | HIV Neurophysiology | Huangui Xiong, MD, PhD | » | Herpes Viral Latency and Interferon Regulatory Factors | Luwen Zhang, PhD | » | Chemokines and HIV Dementia | Jialin Zheng, MD |
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NCV Research Close-Up 
HIV and Herpes Virus Pathogenesis Charles Wood, PhD - University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Biological Sciences. The laboratory focuses on HIV and human herpesvirus, and the roles play by these viruses in immunosuppression and cancer development. One of the ongoing projects is to study the transmission and evolution of HIV and Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), a virus linked to Kaposi's Sarcoma, a rare cancer often found in AIDS patients. This project is being carried out in Africa where infection by both HIV and HHV-8 is at the epidemic level. Our goal is to understand how these viruses regulate gene expression, replicate, transmit and cause diseases. This will lead to knowledge that can help in the development of strategies to prevent infection and disease development. | | |
