Abstract

Dr. Igor J. Korainik received his medical degree from Geneva Medical School, Switzerland. He subsequently performed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Geneva University Hospital. He then received post-doctoral training in Molecular Virology in Dr. R.C. Gallo's laboratory at the National institutes of Health. he is currently in his last year of residency in Neurology at the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Training Program. He will be made Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel hospital immediately after his residency. He plans a full-time career as an academic investigator and teacher. The support he would receive from this award would play an important part in his growth to scientific independence. JC virus (JCV) is the etiologic agent of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML). The determinants of JCV quiescence and spread in the body as well as the exact cell type carrying JCV in the blood remain unknown. The nature of the immune response which prevents the onset of PML in the immunocompetent population and most HIV-infected individuals has not been elucidated. Dr. Koralnik will determine the prevalence and the genetic variation of JCV in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with HIV infection, and he will identify the phenotype of JCV-infected cells. He will also characterize the cellular immune response to JCV. Finally, he will attempt to establish a non-human primate model of Pml. Dr. Koralnik's scientific growth will be achieved in the Division of Viral Pathogenesis (Dr. Letvin, Chief) and the Neurology Department at the Beth Israel Hospital (Dr. Saper, Chairman). The technical expertise and commitment to work in elucidating the immunopathogenesis of PML in the setting of AIDS by other members of the Division of Viral Pathogenesis and the Neurology Department will immeasurably assist Dr. Koralnik in his scientific progress. Dr. Letvin and Dr. Saper are fully committed to Dr. Koralnik's development as an independent investigator.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) (K08)
Project #
5K08NS001919-03
Application #
2891421
Study Section
NST-2 Subcommittee (NST)
Program Officer
Kerza-Kwiatecki, a P
Project Start
1997-07-01
Project End
2002-06-30
Budget Start
1999-07-01
Budget End
2000-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
076593722
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02215

  Publications

Chen, Yiping; Sharp, Paul M; Fowkes, Mary et al. (2004) Analysis of 15 novel full-length BK virus sequences from three individuals: evidence of a high intra-strain genetic diversity. J Gen Virol 85:2651-63
Axthelm, Michael K; Koralnik, Igor J; Dang, Xin et al. (2004) Meningoencephalitis and demyelination are pathologic manifestations of primary polyomavirus infection in immunosuppressed rhesus monkeys. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 63:750-8
Du Pasquier, R A; Corey, S; Margolin, D H et al. (2003) Productive infection of cerebellar granule cell neurons by JC virus in an HIV+ individual. Neurology 61:775-82
Kim, John Y H; Koralnik, Igor J; LeFave, Mark et al. (2002) Medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors rarely contain polyomavirus DNA sequences. Neuro Oncol 4:165-70
Koralnik, Igor J; Du Pasquier, Renaud A; Kuroda, Marcelo J et al. (2002) Association of prolonged survival in HLA-A2+ progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy patients with a CTL response specific for a commonly recognized JC virus epitope. J Immunol 168:499-504
Petrogiannis-Haliotis, T; Sakoulas, G; Kirby, J et al. (2001) BK-related polyomavirus vasculopathy in a renal-transplant recipient. N Engl J Med 345:1250-5
Du Pasquier, R A; Clark, K W; Smith, P S et al. (2001) JCV-specific cellular immune response correlates with a favorable clinical outcome in HIV-infected individuals with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. J Neurovirol 7:318-22
Koralnik, I J; Du Pasquier, R A; Letvin, N L (2001) JC virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in individuals with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. J Virol 75:3483-7
Pfister, L A; Letvin, N L; Koralnik, I J (2001) JC virus regulatory region tandem repeats in plasma and central nervous system isolates correlate with poor clinical outcome in patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. J Virol 75:5672-6
Kempf, W; Margolin, D H; Dezube, B J et al. (2000) Clinicopathological characterization of an HIV-2-infected individual with two clonally unrelated primary lymphomas. Am J Hematol 65:302-6

Showing the most recent 10 out of 12 publications