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| Viral Immunology and Immunopathology | |||||||
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My laboratory is interested in studying the contribution of virus-specific T lymphocytes to enhanced disease and immunopathology during virus infection. Our laboratory studies the mouse model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children worldwide. An experimental formalin-inactivated (FI) RSV vaccine developed in the United States during the 1960's led to exacerbated disease in vaccinated infants upon a subsequent natural infection. It is believed that the immune system was largely responsible for the enhanced disease exhibited by the children that received the FI-RSV vaccine.
The BALB/c mouse model of RSV infection faithfully mimics the human respiratory disease. Mice previously immunized with FI-RSV exhibit extensive lung inflammation and injury, pulmonary eosinophilia, and enhanced disease following challenge RSV infection. Our work has recently demonstrated that CD8 T cells can inhibit RSV vaccine-enchanced pulmonary eosinophilia. We are currently studying the underlying mechanisms by which virus-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells mediate damage within the infected lung as well as their role in causing systemic illness. The goal of our studies is to gain a better understanding of the immune determinants that lead to RSV vaccine-enhanced disease so that safer and more effective vaccines can be developed in the future. |
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| Selected Publications | |||||||
| Click Here for a Complete List of Articles | |||||||
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Castilow, E.M., Olson, M.R., Meyerholz, D.K. and Varga S.M. Differential role of gamma interferon in inhibiting pulmonary eosinophilia and exacerbating systemic disease in fusion protein-immunized mice undergoing challenge infection with respiratory syncytial virus. Journal of Virology. 82: 2196-2207, 2008.
Castilow, E.M., Meyerholz, D.K. and Varga S.M. IL-13 is required for eosinophil entry into the lung during respiratory syncytial virus vaccine-enhanced disease. Journal of Immunology 180: 2376-2384, 2008. Olson, M.R. and Varga S.M. CD8 T cells inhibit respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine-enhanced disease. Journal of Immunology 179: 5415-5424, 2007. |
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| Department/Program Affiliations |
| Microbiology |
| MSTP |
| Immunology |
| Biosciences |