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Member Information
Francisco González-Scarano, MD
Professor, Departments of Neurology and Microbiology
Office Phone: 215-662-3360
Office Fax: 215-662-3362
Email: scarano@mail.med.upenn.edu
Website:
Education: BA 1971, Yale University ; MD 1975, Northwestern University
Keywords: HIV, microglia, neuropathogenesis, HIV Dementia.
Research and/or Clinical Interests:
HIV Neuropathogenesis, Neurovirulence, Bunyaviruses.
Summary:
Our laboratory studies viral neurotropism, in two groups of viruses.
Human immunodeficiency virus causes a dementia, in addition to its primary effects on the immune system. The projects in the laboratory are primarily oriented to defining the pathophysiology of this HIV Dementia, which may be mediated by either direct infection of astrocytes, neurons and oligodendrocytes, or more likely, by indirect effects from infection of microglia. Current projects involve the analysis of CD4 dependence of HIV strains and the potential for development of neutralization-resistant strains in the CNS environment. An SIV project will look at viral evolution within the CNS, including analysis of viral genomes at the level of single cells.
La Crosse virus is a member of the Bunyaviridae, a large family of viruses that includes the hantaviruses, which cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. La Crosse is a common cause of pediatric encephalitis. Current La Crosse projects look at the regions of the viral glycoproteins responsible for entry into muscle cells, and at the use of siRNA to inhibit La Crosse infections.
Representative Publications:
Martín, J., LaBranche, C. and González-Scarano, F. Differential CD4/CCR5 utilization, gp120 confromation and neutralization sensitivity between envelopes for a microglia-adapted HIV-1 and its parental isolate. Journal of Virology 75, 3568-3580, 2001.
Van der Meer, P., Goldberg, S.H., Fung, K.M., Sharer, L.R., González-Scarano, F., and Lavi, E. Expression Pattern of CXCR3, CXCR4, and CCR3 Chemokine Receptors in the Developing Brain. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 60, 25-32, 2001.
Albright A.V., Martín J., O'Connor M. and González-Scarano, F. Interactions between HIV-1 gp120, chemokines, and cultured adult microglial cells. Journal of Neurovirology 3, 196-207, 2001.
Ryzhova E.V., Crino P, Shawver L., Westmoreland S.V., Lackner A.A., and González-Scarano. F. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Encephalitis: Analysis of envelope sequences from individual brain multinucleated giant cells and tissue samples. Virology 297, 57-67, 2002.
Ryzhova, E.V., Whitbeck,C., Canziani, G., Westmoreland, S.V., Cohen, G., Eisenberg, R., Lackner, A.A., and González-Scarano, F. Rapid Progression to SAIDS Can Be Accompanied by Selection of CD4-independent gp120 Variants with Impaired Ability to Bind CD4. Journal of Virology 76, 7903-7090, 2002.
