Vieira, Jeffrey

The laboratory primarily works on the molecular biology of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the eighth human herpesvirus (HHV-8). KSHV is involved in Kaposi's sarcoma, primary infusion lymphoma, and some forms of multicentric Castleman's disease. All herpesviruses can alternate between latent and lytic replication, which allows the permanent infection of the host, and is a vital aspect of the pathogenesis of these viruses. One area of research for the lab is the understanding of viral and cellular factors important for the activation of lytic genes, and the activation of lytic replication during the development of epithelium. We employ a recombinant KSHV that allow the distinction between latent and lytic gene expression by the expression of different fluorescent proteins. The lab also works on KSHV gene functioning and immunology.