Publications by authors named "A Grundhoff"
Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is the causative agent of the majority of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC). The virus has limited coding capacity, with its early viral proteins, large T (LT) and small T (sT), being multifunctional and contributing to infection and transformation. A fundamental difference in early viral gene expression between infection and MCPyV-driven tumorigenesis is the expression of a truncated LT (LTtr) in the tumor.
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- Metagenomics helps diagnose infections, but there hasn't been much comparison of methods for finding viruses across different labs.
- A study was done by the European Society for Clinical Virology to test twelve different lab methods using a special reference panel that simulates low amounts of viruses.
- The results showed that most methods could find common viruses, but some struggled with very low amounts, suggesting labs need to follow the same standards for better results.
Article Synopsis
- Drug-based antiretroviral therapies (ART) effectively control HIV replication but can't eliminate the virus since it remains as integrated proviral reservoirs in cells.
- Genome editing tools like the HIV-1 LTR-specific designer-recombinase Brec1 show promise in removing these integrated HIV genomes, indicating potential for curative therapies.
- A comprehensive preclinical study of Brec1 demonstrated it has minimal safety risks, including no harmful immune responses, making it a suitable candidate for future clinical trials aimed at eradicating HIV-1.
Herpesviruses are large DNA viruses and include important human and veterinary pathogens. Their genomes can be cloned as bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and genetically engineered in Escherichia coli using BAC recombineering methods. While the recombineering methods are efficient, the initial BAC-cloning step remains laborious.
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