Neurovirology
The main focus of the laboratory for the last 11 years has been on Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) latency in the human nervous system. VZV causes varicella (chickenpox) as a primary infection, and after a variable latent period in spinal and trigeminal ganglia, reactivates to cause herpes zoster (shingles) which is an extremely painful skin eruption which can lead to severe chronic pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), especially in the elderly population. VZV infections can also lead to a variety of serious neurological diseases, especially in immunocompromised patients such as those with HIV/AIDS. We are primarily interested in the mechanisms which determine VZV latency. Our group has defined unambiguously the cellular location of latent VZV in human ganglia (neuronal cells) and has also carried out a major study of VZV gene expression during ganglionic latency. We have also studied animal models of VZV latency with international colleagues .We are currently focussing our attention on viral factors that may determine the development of post-herpetic neuralgia and have been working with Prof J.Breuer in London, and with Prof P.Ghazal in SCGTI in Edinburgh on long oligonucleotide VZV microarrays to look at the transcriptional profiles of different patient's VZV isolates.
We also have a longstanding interest in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and have been investigating the possible viral aetiology of MS. We have examined as part of the recently formed Glasgow Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Group (GMSG) human MS brain tissue for the presence of Human Herpes virus-6 (HHV-6), HHV-7,HHV-8 and EBV to help define the frequency and cellular location of these herpes viruses in both normal and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) brain tissues. More recently, we have been collaborating with Susan Barnett's group in the Division to look at maeven gene expression in MS lesions which is our current focus in this area.
Principal investigator:
Staff:
Dr Esther Grinfeld (post-doctoral)
Dr Paul Montague (post-doctoral)
Mrs Roslyn Goodwin (technician)
Mrs Jan Gairns (technician)
Main collaborators:
Prof. J. Breuer (Barts and London Medical School, London)
Profs Donald Gilden, Randall Cohrs and R.Mahalingam (University of Colorado, Denver),
Prof P.Ghazal (SCGTI University of Edinburgh)
Dr. C. Sadzot (University of Liege)
Dr Susan Barnett (University of Glasgow)
Funding:
Chief Scientist Office, (CSO) Scottish Executive
Multiple Sclerosis Society in Scotland
Crusade Laboratories Ltd