Maury, Wendy, Ph.D.

A goal of our research is to understand how enveloped viral glycoproteins bind to and enter permissive cells. An appreciation of the cellular attachment factors, receptors and subsequent internalization pathways used by a virus to enter cells provide an avenue for the development of antiviral therapies. To this end, my laboratory studies two related lentiviruses, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) as well as the filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg. Our recent studies have helped to elucidate the endosomal pathway used by EIAV and filoviruses for entry and identified Ebola glycoprotein amino acids that are critical for Ebola virus internalization. Most recently we have helped elucidate cellular proteins that mediate filovirus uptake. Several different approaches are currently being developed within the lab to block the entry of these viruses into target cells.

As a twist on this same theme, we have used the knowledge gained from our studies on virus glycoproteins to develop more efficient vectors for the delivery of therapeutic genes. A number of viral glycoproteins such as Ebola virus broadly enter a variety of different host cells and will readily incorporate onto the surface of viral vectors that can be used to deliver gene therapy. Through the identification of viral glycoprotein motifs that are important for mediating entry into cells, we are developing better viral vectors for genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia A.

Finally, in a related project on lentiviruses, the inhibitory activities against lentiviruses of constituents of three important medicinal plant genera, Echinacea, Hypericum and Prunella, are being explored.