Our laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms by which pathogenic viruses infect the human host and cause disease. Our work centers around two main areas:

(i) The biology of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) . KS is a complex endothelial proliferation that is the most common neoplasm of patients with untreated AIDS. It results from infection with the KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV); most KS tumor cells display latent KSHV infection, with a smaller subset displaying lytic viral replication. Current work in the lab is focused on: (i) the identification of latent proteins and miRNAs and characterization of their effects on cell growth and survival; (ii) determination of the mechanisms by which latent infection is maintained; (iii) characterization of viral proteins involved in evasion of host immunity; and (iv) analysis of the molecular basis of the switch from latency to lytic viral replication.

(ii) New human pathogens . In collaboration with Dr. Joseph DeRisi, our lab is also undertaking a search for new viral pathogens in acute and chronic human diseases, including neoplasms and inflammatory states. We employ a custom DNA microarray bearing the most conserved sequences from all known viruses; this array is used to interrogate RNA samples derived from patient biopsies. New genomes identified in this way are cloned and characterized, and their links to the disease state probed epidemiologically and biochemically.