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Stuart N. Isaacs, M.D.
Dr. Isaacs’
laboratory focuses on using poxviruses as a model system to study viral
proteins that are involved in viral pathogenesis, dissemination, and
evasion of the host immune response. Poxviruses, which are used widely
as a tool for research and vaccine development, express proteins that
inhibit complement activation, bind IL-1, TNF, and interferons, and
decrease the host inflammatory response by other mechanisms. Elucidation
of these processes could lead to a safer virus vector. Furthermore,
the study of these defense molecules encoded by the virus might give
insights into the control of inflammation, as well as, the development
of new anti-inflammatory drugs. The laboratory has also been pursuing
the use of vaccinia virus as a vaccine vector. They are investigating
a novel way of targeting foreign antigens to the outer envelope of the
vaccinia virion. Presentation of antigens in this manner may result
in enhanced immunity against the foreign antigen when compared to standard
vaccinia viruses vectors. The lab is also involved with anti-bioterrorism
research. Dr. Isaacs is the poxvirus program project leader for the
Middle-Atlantic
Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious
Diseases. His lab is developing novel therapies to treat smallpox
and complications from the smallpox vaccine. This work involves techniques
in molecular biology, construction of recombinant viruses, studies of
protein expression and isolation, development, screening, and characterization
of monoclonal antibodies, and investigations of viral pathogenesis in
laboratory animals.
Selected publications:
Weaver JR, Isaacs SN. Monkeypox virus and insights into its immunomodulatory proteins. Immunological Reviews. 225:96-113, 2008.
Girgis NM, DeHaven BC, Fan X, Viner KM, Shamim M, Isaacs SN. Cell surface expression of the vaccinia virus complement control protein is mediated by interaction with the viral A56 protein and protects infected cells from complement attack. Journal of Virology. 82:4205-14, 2008.
Weaver JR, Shamim M, Alexander E, Davies DH, Felgner PL, Isaacs SN. The identification and characterization of a monoclonal antibody to the vaccinia virus E3 protein. Virus Research. 130:269-74, 2007.
Aldaz-Carroll L, Xiao Y, Whitbeck JC, de Leon MP, Lou H, Kim M, Yu J, Reinherz EL, Isaacs SN, Eisenberg RJ, Cohen GH. Major neutralizing sites on vaccinia virus glycoprotein B5 are exposed differently on variola virus ortholog B6. Journal of Virology. 81:8131-9, 2007.
Viner KM, Girgis N, Kwak H, Isaacs SN. B5-deficient vaccinia virus as a vaccine vector for the expression of a foreign antigen in vaccinia immune animals. Virology. 361:356-63, 2007.
Xiao Y, Aldaz-Carroll L, Ortiz AM, Whitbeck JC, Alexander E, Lou H, Davis HL, Braciale TJ, Eisenberg RJ, Cohen GH, Isaacs SN. A protein-based smallpox vaccine protects mice from vaccinia and ectromelia virus challenges when given as a prime and single boost. Vaccine. 25:1214-24, 2007.
Contact:
Stuart Isaacs, M.D.
502 Johnson Pavilion
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6073
isaacs@mail.med.upenn.edu
(215) 662-2150
Education:
Medical School: Yale University
ID Training: Tufts-New England Medical Center
Post-doctoral Research: National Institutes of Health, NIAID, Laboratory of Viral Diseases
Academic Rank: Associate Professor of Medicine
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