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My research focuses on the use of gene transfer vectors to deliver a variety of genes designed to treat or understand the mechanisms of HIV/AIDS, including neuroAIDS; other neurodegenerative diseases related to excessive oxidative stress; interactions between HIV and hepatitis C virus; metabolic enzyme deficiencies, especially of the liver; other nonneoplasitc diseases of the hematopoietic system. Most of our gene transfer studies involve SV40-derived viral vectors, which are used to provide permanent transgene expression in neurons, microglia, all derivatives of hematopoietic system and all epithelial cell types.
The techniques that I use in my research are molecular biology (cloning, PCR, Northern and Southern blotting, DNA restriction, in situ PCR, quantitative PCR and reverse transcriptase PCR, DNA sequencing, transfection, etc.); immunochemistry (immunostaining, Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, affinity purification); histologic analysis (conventional histology, enzyme histochemistry); enzyme activity (kinetic spectrophotometry, detoxification of reactive oxygen species); cell signaling (Ca2+ flux assays, selective enzyme inhibition, etc.); immunology (ELISA, lymphocyte culture, lymphocyte function assays).
Our goal is to understand and treat certain diseases, as mentioned above. The goal of our studies is to bring these approaches to clinical trials, in the hope of devising therapies useful for treating these diseases.
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