Cytomegalovirus selectively blocks antigen processing and presentation of its immediate-early gene product. Tumor and viral immunobiology. The overall goals of the laboratory are to elucidate principles underlying T cell recognition of viruses and cancer cells, determine why such responses often fail to eliminate the viral pathogen or cancer, and develop cellular and molecular approaches to manipulate cellular immunity to treat human viral and malignant diseases. Immunobiology of cytomegalovirus.
Immunocompromised hosts harboring latent CMV infection often develop life-threatening CMV infection.
Studies are also investigating the molecular mechanisms by which CMV evades elimination by T cells. Genetic modification of T cells to improve therapeutic efficacy. Additional studies are examining the introduction of genes encoding T cell receptors specific for tumor antigens as a means to provide tumor-reactive T cells in settings in which such cells cannot be isolated. Molecular strategies are being used to monitor the presistence, function, and localization of these transferred T cells in lymph nodes. T cell recognition and lysis of target cells requires a set of signals from surface receptors, including the T cell and IL-2 receptors.