Professor of Virology, School of Medicine
Phone: (919)966-3507
Fax: (919) 843-6924
CB# 7292
Carolina Vaccine Institute
9th Floor Burnett-Womack
Education
Ph.D., University of Texas, 1973
Postdoc, Queens University, 1973-1976
B.A., Rice University, 1968
Research Summary
Our research is in two areas, the molecular genetics of viral pathogenesis and its application to vaccine design. We have used a series of site-directed mutants in the molecularly cloned virus background to elucidate several of the steps in Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) pathogenesis and to examine the genetics of reversion to virulence in vivo. This work is supported by an NIH R01 grant, currently funded through its 16th year (2005).
The second area is design of live virus vaccines and vaccine vectors for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention in infectious disease and cancer. In animal models of several important human and animal infectious diseases, e.g. influenza, Marburg, Ebola and simian immunodeficiency virus, VEE vectored vaccines have proven safe, immunogenic and protective. Under the auspices of AlphaVax, Inc., IAVI, NIH, and the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative, phase I clinical trials have begun at four sites in the U.S. with two sites in South Africa. In 1999, we were designated as one of the NIH HIV Vaccine Research and Design teams, and under this funding (through 2004), we are designing and testing second generation VEE-vectored prophylactic HIV vaccines. An additional grant from NIH (through 2006) is supporting the design, manufacture and clinical testing of a therapeutic HIV vaccine concept.
In collaboration with Drs. Jon Serody and Roland Tisch, we are generating and testing vaccines that may be of therapeutic value in breast cancer. These VEE-vectored vaccines express the Her2/Neu gene, and in transgenic animal models show promising immunological responses and protective effects. The VEE vectors are capable of infecting human dendritic cells (DC) under defined conditions, making it theoretically possible to program autologous DC from patients to stimulate an effective immune response to their own tumor. Our work is proceeding toward a clinical trial of this concept
Publications
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