Washington University in Saint Louis

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Michael Diamond

URL: http://mednews.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/217.html

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Michael Purdy
Senior Medical Sciences Writer
purdym@wustl.edu
(314) 286-0122

Assistant professor of molecular microbiology

Expertise: Dengue, West Nile Virus, West Nile encephalitis, vaccine, vaccination, immunity, hemorrhagic fever, infectious diseases, therapeutics, flavivirus

Bio: Diamond is an expert in the effects of West Nile Virus (WNV) and other mosquito-borne viruses on the human immune and nervous systems. He uses mouse models to study the viruses' ability to infect the central nervous system and has identified genetic factors that can increase the chances a WNV infection will lead to serious neurological complications. With his colleagues at WUSTL, Diamond has also been involved in efforts to generate therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to WNV. Recent efforts produced an antibody that could boost the WNV-infection survival rate of a line of mice from 10 percent to 90 percent even when the antibody was administered 5 days after infection. Diamond's work with dengue virus includes studies of how the virus interacts with interferons, a group of proteins that can inhibit viral replication. In addition, his lab pursues the structural basis of antibody-mediated neutralization and enhancement of dengue virus infection.

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Showing 2 Stories.
Building better vaccines

Immune compound blocks virus' ability to hijack antibodies (http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/10736.html)

Dec. 12, 2007 -- Researchers at the School of Medicine have shown that a controversial phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection is suppressed by C1q, a blood-borne, immune system compound. Better understanding of ADE should help public health experts and clinicians working to control some viral disease outbreaks and aid efforts to design safe and effective vaccines.


A valuable explanation

West Nile virus' spread through nerve cells linked to serious complication (http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/10347.html)

Oct. 17, 2007 -- Scientists believe they have found an explanation for a puzzling and serious complication of West Nile virus infection. Researchers showed that the virus can enter a nerve cell, replicate and move on to infect other nearby nerve cells. Viruses traveling this infectious pathway can break into the central nervous system, triggering a condition known as acute flaccid paralysis that leaves one or more limbs limp and unresponsive.



Showing 2 Stories.

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