Section: Rotations

Robert Finberg, M.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Infectious Diseases and Immunology
   Medicine
   Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Cancer Center
   Center for AIDS Research
   Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
   Program in Immunology and Virology

Rotation Project Background

Dr. Finberg's research is in the area of host-microbial interactions. He is working on defining cell surface proteins that control the host responses to bacteria and viruses. He is characterizing the role of CD14 and the Toll-like proteins which are "pattern recognition" proteins involved in the immune response to many different microbial antigens. In addition he is working out the pathway for viral entry into cells and how that pathway can be exploited for gene delivery. His work in infections has led him to investigate the association between viruses and cancer and to develop new methods for enhancing the immune responses to viruses to eliminate virus associated malignancies.

Potential Rotation Projects

1. Virus receptor proteins (and viral pathogenesis):
   Because of their well defined genetics and spacious capsid, adenoviruses can be used to inject new genetic material into stem cells or, potentially, into tumor cells. The laboratory has defined the virus receptor protein for most adenoviruses, as well as the Coxsackie B group viruses . The use of several transgenic CAR expressing mouse strains are being studied and a CAR knock-out being created.



2. Viral genes and the host: induction of virus specific immune responses:
   The laboratory has demonstrated that viruses can be used as vectors to produce long-lasting immunity to defined antigens suggesting the possibility of new vaccine approaches to HIV-1 and other pathogens. In addition the laboratory has defined both viral proteins that affect cell death (and may lead to tumorigenesis) as well as cell proteins that result in viral persistence. The induction of immunity to herpesviruses (especially EBV) as a means of treating virus-associated malignancy is an ongoing project.



3. Host cell surface proteins and the basis of cellular activation events:
   The laboratory has studied the mechanism of signal transduction by non-membrane spanning glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored, cell surface proteins. GPI anchored cell surface proteins are important signal transducing proteins. Recent investigations have led to the definition of the cell surface interactions between bacterial lipopolysaccharide (lps) that results in triggering the cytokine release that leads to septic shock. Recent experiments have focussed on the definition of the role of the GPI anchored protein and the Toll like receptor (TLR) proteins in virus and bacterial induced signal transduction events.

Office: Research 228
Phone: 508-856-1886
Fax: 508-856-6176
E-mail: Robert.Finberg@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Immunology, Clinical Research, Infectious Disease

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