Internet Address: jluka
RESEARCH INTEREST | PUBLICATIONS |
IMAGE GALLERY | PROTOCOLS |
HHV-6 and HHV-7 PAGE | Diagnostic Microchip Development |
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO HERPESVIRUSES | LINKS TO OTHER SITES |
POSITIONS HELD
EDUCATION
My research interest is focused on the lymphotropic human herpesviruses, EBV, HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8. While EBV and HHV-8 are associated with human neoplasm's (Burkitt's lymphoma, NPC, Kaposi's Sarcoma), HHV-6 and HHV-7 have not been associated with any known neoplasm's in humans. In my laboratory we identified several strains of HHV-6 which can transform T-lymphocytes and endothelial cells in vitro. Characterization of these immortalized or transformed cell line are in progress. Recently we also successfully isolated a HHV-7 genome containing T-cell line from a patient, and we are in progress to identify latency associated viral transcript in this cell line.
In the past few years T-cell lymphomas containing latent EBV genomes have been detected, and it was proposed that EBV may be the causative agent of these lymphomas. In vitro EBV only infects B-cells; therefore no in vitro model exists for transformation of T-cells by EBV. In my laboratory, methods were developed to introduce EBV into T-cells and transform or immortalize them. The immortalized T-cell lines contain episomal EBV genome and express EBNA-1 and other EBV latency associated proteins. Our protocol represents the first in vitro transformation method of T-cells by EBV and the method is presently in use to identify the viral and cellular genes involved in the transformation and establishment of EBV latency in T-cells.
During the last several years in my laboratory, monoclonal antibodies were developed to twenty one distinct EBV proteins, seventeen HHV-6 proteins, six HHV-7 proteins, four CMV proteins, two HSV-1 proteins, and four HHV-8 proteins . We have approximately 200 hybridomas some of which react with the same viral protein, but each one recognizes a different epitope on the corresponding protein. These monoclonals are used in my research to characterize the interaction between these viruses and the host cells.
Go to Janos Luka's Publications
Martindale's Health Science Guide
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Garry Lab Web Pages-WWW Virology Servers
For model Railroad fans
MicroMacro
European model trains |
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