03/19/2021
With this funding, Drs. O’Connor and Longworth will investigate how host cells attempt to subvert human cytomegalovirus replication.
Christine O’Connor, PhD, Genomic Medicine Institute, and Michelle Longworth, PhD, Department of Inflammation & Immunity, have been awarded a two-year, roughly $440,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the antiviral role of the protein NCAPD3 in the host response to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV).
HCMV is an extremely common virus found in more than 70 percent of the U.S. population. After initial infection, HCMV establishes lifelong latency, where it lies dormant in an individual’s cells. HCMV rarely causes symptoms in healthy individuals, but it can lead to severe illness and death for those with weakened immune systems. Currently, there is no vaccine or cure.
With this grant, Drs. O’Connor and Longworth seek to clarify how host cells suppress HCMV replication. Their preliminary data indicates that NCAPD3, a protein subunit of condensin II (a large protein complex involved in organizing DNA and regulating gene transcription), is upregulated by HCMV infection and restricts viral replication. To build upon these findings, they will investigate the underlying mechanisms by which NCAPD3 combats HCMV infection and is regulated during infection.
“We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of host cell dynamics in response to HCMV infection,” says Dr. O’Connor. ”This knowledge will lay the foundation for future development of novel therapeutics to combat HCMV infection and disease.”
“This work is exciting because it has the potential to uncover new ways in which DNA organization is manipulated in response to viral pathogens,” added Dr. Longworth.
Drs. O’Connor and Longworth received an Accelerator Award through the Cleveland Clinic Research Accelerator Concept Development Program in 2018 for this work.
Image: Christine O’Connor, PhD (left) & Michelle Longworth, PhD (right)
Associate Staff
Lab Profile
Associate Staff
Lab Profile
Dr. O’Connor’s team will investigate the underlying mechanisms by which human cytomegalovirus manipulates host cells to regulate viral latency and reactivation.
The findings identify potential drug targets for a virus that has no vaccine or cure.
The preclinical findings build on more than a decade of research into retrotransposable elements and their role in neural development.
The future of health starts with your support. Donations supply researchers with the tools, space and staff they need to think big.
Give to Cleveland Clinic