Peptide-mediated immunotherapy of KSHV-associated malignancy Research Area: 5-DE-109 Novel Immunotherapies to Treat HIV/AIDS-related Oral Manifestations and AIDS Malignancies Kaposi sarcoma (KS), specifically oral KS, is the leading cause of cancer in patients with HIV infection. While there is a reduction in the incidence of oral KS among patients receiving HAART, an increasing concern is the development and spread of drug resistant HIV-1 strains, which in turn leads to reoccurrence of oral complication. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an etiological agent to induce KS tumors, pleural effusion lymphomas and multicentric Castleman's disease. We have recently developed a new primate model that significantly recapitulates the important aspects of the KSHV infection and pathogenesis of humans, thus providing a unique tool for the development of potential therapeutic strategies against KSHV infection. Autophagy is a new, emerging cellular pathway in which dynamic morphological changes of subcellular membranes leads to the degradation of proteins and organelles. This process also plays a role in the anti-microbial and anti-tumor responses of the host by degrading intracellular microbes and by suppressing cancer cell growth, respectively. We discover the autophagy death- inducing therapeutic activity of the viral FLIP short peptides. Thus, the goal of this proposal is to test the efficacy of the vFLIP peptide as a therapeutic agent against KSHV-associated malignancies in culture and xenografted murine model (Approach1) and in common marmoset primate model (Approach 2).

Public Health Relevance

Kaposi sarcoma (KS), specifically oral KS, is the leading cause of cancer in patients with HIV infection. The goal of this proposal is to test the efficacy of the vFLIP peptide as a therapeutic agent against KSHV-associated malignancies in culture and xenografted murine model and in common marmoset primate model.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
NIH Challenge Grants and Partnerships Program (RC1)
Project #
5RC1CA147868-02
Application #
7944014
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-OTC-K (58))
Program Officer
Read-Connole, Elizabeth Lee
Project Start
2009-09-30
Project End
2012-02-29
Budget Start
2010-09-01
Budget End
2012-02-29
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$498,591
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Southern California
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
072933393
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90089
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Inn, Kyung-Soo; Lee, Sun-Hwa; Rathbun, Jessica Y et al. (2011) Inhibition of RIG-I-mediated signaling by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-encoded deubiquitinase ORF64. J Virol 85:10899-904
Lee, Hye-Ra; Choi, Won-Chan; Lee, Stacy et al. (2011) Bilateral inhibition of HAUSP deubiquitinase by a viral interferon regulatory factor protein. Nat Struct Mol Biol 18:1336-44
Lee, Hye-Ra; Lee, Stacy; Chaudhary, Preet M et al. (2010) Immune evasion by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Future Microbiol 5:1349-65