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RETRO-ACTIVE NEWS
A Newsletter of the Center for Retrovirus Research & Comprehensive Cancer Center, RNA
Oncogenic Virus Program, The Ohio State University. Volume No.14, Fall Quarter, 1999.
ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS: The quarterly meeting of the RNA Tumor Virus
Program/Center for Retrovirus Research Group was held 10/21/99. Dr. Mathes updated
members on the Comprehensive Cancer Center Retreat, the NIH critique of the Program,
Website development. Dr. Boris-Lawrie updated members on the nominee for the
Distinguished Career Award in Retrovirology. Items to be included in a new five-year
strategic plan were discussed. Next meeting tentatively scheduled for Jan. 20, 2000.
TRAINING GRANT APPLICATION IN DEVELOPMENT: Members of the Center for Retrovirus Research
and RNA Oncogenic Virus Program are developing a Training Grant Application in the area of Mouse Models for
Infectious Disease and Cancer to be submitted to the National Center for Research Resources (February, 2000). Please
contact Dr. M. Lairmore 292-4819 or Dr. Thomas Rosol at 292-4265 for more information.
SELECTED FACULTY APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS
Dr. Louis Mansky (Molecular Virology, Immunology, & Medical Genetics): July, 1999, Appointed to NIH Study
Section, Special Emphasis Panel for the "Evolution of Infectious Diseases", ZRG1 GEN (01). Dr. Mansky was also
awarded (August, 1999) an American Society for Virology travel grant to attend the XI th International Congress of
Virology, Sydney, Australia
Dr. Patrick Green (Veterinary Biosciences) was appointed to the American Cancer Society, Molecular and Cell Biology
of Cancer Study Section (1999-2002).
Dr. Kathleen Boris-Lawrie (Veterinary Biosciences) was awarded a NIH grant as Principal Investigator, R21 AI4632501 entitled "Innovative HIV Structural Gene Vectors as Live-Attenuated HIV Vaccine". Award dates; August 1, 1999 July 30, 2001. $438,000 total costs
Dr. Michael Lairmore (Veterinary Biosciences) was awarded a NIH grant as Principal Investigator, R01 RR14324-01
entitled "Animal Models of Molecular Pathogenesis of HTLV-1”. Award dates; July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2004,
$1,561,636 total costs.
Dr. Mark Wewers, (Internal Medicine) was awarded a NIH grant as Principal Investigator, RO1 HL63649-01 entitled
"Macrophage HIV Infection in the Lung Microenvironment". Award dates; July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2004; $1,371,790
total costs.
Dr. Michael Para (Internal Medicine) was awarded a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contract to conduct
investigations of the VaxGen gp120 AIDS vaccine trial. The study seeks information regarding accrual, informed
consent process, retention, unblinding, and behavior change. Data will be used to help optimize future vaccine trials in
the United States. Total award for the 4 year vaccine trial and accrual study $1.600,000.
GRADUATE STUDENT/POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP NEWS
Debbie Ruehlmann, DVM, (Dr. M. Podell - Advisor; Veterinary Clinical Sciences) who is conducting research in
impaired physiologic cortical maturation in FIV-infected cats as a model of neuroAIDS, passed her board certification
and is now a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology).
Stacey Hull, BS, (Dr. K. Boris-Lawrie - Advisor, Veterinary Biosciences and Molecular, Cell, and Developmental
Biology - MCDB - Program) won 1st prize for her poster presentation regarding HIV/SIV expression at the College of
Veterinary Medicine Research Day, 1999 and 2nd prize invited oral presentation (Biological Sciences category) at the
Ohio State University Graduate Research Day, 1999. Ms. Hull also presented her research at the Retroviruses Meeting,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
Kazuyo Maruyama, MS (Dr. M. Podell - Advisor; Veterinary Clinical Sciences). Graduate Student Research Award for
"Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in FIV-infected cats.
Tiffiney Roberts, BS, (Dr. K. Boris-Lawrie - Advisor, Veterinary Biosciences and MCDB Program) won 1st prize for her
poster presentation (Biological Sciences category) at the Ohio State University Graduate Research Day, 1999 and 2nd
prize for her poster presentation at the College of Veterinary Medicine Research Day, 1999. Ms. Roberts also presented
her research at the Retroviruses Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
Nathaniel Collins, DVM, PhD, (Dr. M. Lairmore - Advisor, Veterinary Biosciences) received the Distinguished
Graduate Student Publication Award for his article, “Selective Ablation of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1
p12-I Reduces Viral Infectivity In Vivo,” published in the journal Blood. Awarded funded by Roche Molecular
Biochemicals and the Department of Veterinary Biosciences. Dr. Collins as was the recipient of the National Phi Zeta
Honor Society Award for his research publication.
Melinda Butsch, BS, (Dr. K. Boris-Lawrie - Advisor, Veterinary Biosciences and Ohio State Biochemistry Program)
won 2nd place in the Distinguished Graduate Student Publication Award category for her article, “The 5’ RNA Terminus
of Spleen Necrosis Virus Contains a Novel Posttranscriptional Control Element That Facilitates Human
Immunodeficiency Virus Rev/RRE-Independent Gag Production,” published in the Journal of Virology. Awarded funded
by Roche Molecular Biochemicals and the Department of Veterinary Biosciences.
SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Kusuhara K, Anderson M, Pettiford S, and Green PL. (1999) HTLV-2 Rex protein increases the stability & promotes
nucleus-to-cytoplasm transport of gag/pol and env RNAs. J. Virol 73:8112-8119.
Collins N, D'Souza C, Albrecht B, Robek M, Ratner L, Ding W, Green P, and Lairmore M. 1999. Proliferation
Response to IL-2 and Jak/Stat Activation of T-cells Immortalized by Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 is
Independent of Open Reading Frame I Expression. J.Virol. 73:9642-9649
Butsch, M., S. Hull, Y. Wang, T.M. Roberts, K. Boris-Lawrie. 1999. The 5’ RNA terminus of
spleen necrosis virus contains a novel post-transcriptional control element that facilitates human immunodeficiency virus
Rev/RRE-independent Gag production. J. Virol. 73: 4847-4855.
Kucerova, L., V. Altanerova, C. Altaner, K. Boris-Lawrie. 1999. Bovine leukemia virus structural
gene vectors are immunogenic and lack pathogenicity in a rabbit model. J. Virol. 73:8160-8166.
Carrodeguas L, Orosz CG, Waldman WJ, Sedmak DD, Adams PW, VanBuskirk AM. Trans vivo analysis of
human delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity. Hum Immunol 60:640-651, 1999.
UPCOMING MEETINGS/SEMINARS OF INTERESTS*
Dr. Brian Cullen, Professor, Departments of Genetics and Microbiology Investigator, Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, NC. February 21, 2000, MCDB Seminar Series.
Dr. Jerome Zack, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California-Los
Angeles, CA, April 4, 2000. Distinguished Virology Seminar Series (MVIMG).
Dr. Lee Ratner, Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, Washington University, St.Louis, MO. May 31, 2000,
Distinguished Virology Seminar Series (MVIMG).
NEWSLETTER INPUT: Address comments to Dr. Michael Lairmore at website; http://www.vet.ohiostate.edu/docs/biosci/lairmore.html. E-mail: [email protected].