Diane Griffin (Johns Hopkins)
MolBio Seminar Series
Dr. Griffin is Professor and Alfred and Jill Sommer Professor and Chair in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on how viruses cause disease, especially alpha-viruses, acute encephalitis and measles. Alpha-viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause encephalitis in mammals and birds. She has identified determinants of virus virulence and mechanisms of non-cytolytic clearance of virus from infected neurons. Her studies of measles are focused on identification of the mechanisms of virus-induced immuno-suppression in the context of virus clearance. Griffin's vaccine studies are defining the basis for atypical measles, and a new vaccine that can induce protective immunity in infants under the age of 6 months is under development.
RNA Virus Clearance: It isn’t easy
Viruses can cause acute, latent or persistent infections depending on the effectiveness of the immune response in clearance of the virus from sites of infection. Clearance of acute RNA virus infections is generally thought to occur by cytolytic mechanisms within a few days. Our studies of alphavirus encephalitis have shown that clearance of infectious virus from the infected neurons is complete 7-8 days after infection, but that clearance of viral RNA occurs over many weeks and is never complete. Suppression of virus reactivation requires long-term residence of immune cells in the brain and spinal cord. Likewise, our studies of measles virus infection has shown that infectious virus is cleared within 1-2 days after the rash has faded, but clearance of viral RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lymphoid tissues is ongoing for several months. These findings may help to explain slow resolution of symptoms, prolonged immune suppression and late appearance of disease associated with persistent infection.
Free and open to the university community and the public
Lynn Enquist, Ileana Cristea—Department of Molecular Biology
Ellen Brindle-Clark | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
