Clinical Expertise
Neuropathology
Our laboratory performs basic and applied research on viral oncogenesis with efforts focused in the following three areas:
Merkel cell carcinoma and Merkel cell polyomavirus. We recently discovered a new human polyomavirus that we call Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV). This virus is etiologically associated with a rare, but one of the most clinically aggressive skin cancers in humans. We are currently investigating the transforming properties of this virus and its encoded oncogenes.
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. We are investigating biologic properties of KSHV, the eighth human herpesvirus, also identified in our laboratory. KSHV causes Kaposi's sarcoma, the most common AIDS-associated malignancy, as well as a B-cell lymphoma. Through extensive molecular piracy, the virus has incorporated numerous genes which affect cell proliferation pathways, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and immune modulation.
New Pathogen Discovery. We continue to be interested in the search for new pathogens in human diseases and have developed new methodologies, which utilize information gained from the Human Genome Project, as well as advanced sequencing technologies.
Chang Y, Cesarman E, Pessin MS, et al. Identification of herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in AIDS-associated Kaposi’s sarcoma. Science 1994; 265:1865-69.
Moore PS and Chang Y. Detection of herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in Kaposi’s sarcoma from persons with and without HIV infection. New Eng. J. Med., 1995; 332:1181-85.
Gao SJ, Kingsley L, Hoover D, Spira T, Rinaldo C, Saah A, Phair J, Detels R, Parry P, Chang Y, Moore PS. Seroconversion to antibodies against Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-related latent nuclear antigens before the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma. New Eng. J. Med., 1996; 335:233-41.
Russo JJ, Bohenzky RA, Chien M, Chen K, Yan M, Maddalena D, Parry JP, Peruzzi D, Edelman IS, Chang Y, Moore PS. The nucleotide sequence of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (HHV8). Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 1996; 93:148627.
Moore PS, Boshoff C, Weiss RA, Chang Y. Molecular mimicry of human cytokine and cytokine-response pathway genes by KSHV. Science 1996; 274:1739-44.
Chang Y, Moore PS, Talbot SJ, Boshoff CH, Zarkowska T, Godden-Kent, Paterson H, Weiss RA, Mittnacht S. Cyclin encoded by KS herpesvirus. Nature 1996; 382:410.
Sarid R, Sato T, Bohenzky RA, Russo JJ, Chang Y. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus encodes a functional bcl-2 homologue. Nature Med 1997; 3:293-8.
Boshoff C, Endo Y, Collins PD, Takeuchi Y, Reeves JD, Schweickart VL, Siani M, Sasaki T, Williams TJ, Gray PW, Moore PS, Chang Y, Weiss RA.Angiogenic and HIV inhibitory functions of KSHV-encoded chemokines. Science 1997; 278:290-294.
Chatterjee M, Osborne J, Bestetti G, Chang Y. Moore PS. Viral IL-6-Induced Cell Proliferation and Immune Evasion of Interferon Activity. Science 2002; 298:1432-5.
Feng H, Shuda M, Chang Y and Moore PS. Clonal Integration of a Polyomavirus in Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Science 2008 319(5866): 1096-1100.
Shuda M, Feng H, Kwun H, Rosen ST, Gjoerup O, Moore PS, Chang Y. T-antigen mutations are a tumor-specific signature for Merkel cell polyomavirus. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 2008 21;105(42):16272-7.
Shuda M, Velásquez C., Cheng E., Cordek DG, Kwun HJ, Chang Y, Moore PS. CDK1 substitutes for mTOR kinase to activate mitotic cap-dependent protein translation. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 2015 May 12;112(19):5875-82.
Toptan T, Abere B, Nalesnik MA, Swerdlow SH, Ranganathan S, Lee N, Shair KH, Moore PS, Chang Y.Circular DNA tumor viruses make circular RNAs. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 2018 Sept 11;115(37):E8737-E8745.