Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute
@vgti.bsky.social
VGTI provides lifesaving solutions through transformative biomedical discovery and research, enabling the prevention and cure of global infectious diseases.
www.ohsu.edu/vaccine-gene-therapy-institute
www.ohsu.edu/vaccine-gene-therapy-institute
Pinned
Located on the OHSU West campus, the VGTI is a free-standing facility that includes access to biosafety level 3 laboratories, and state-of-the-art core technologies such as spatial profiling and transcriptomics, single cell transcriptomics, and flow cytometry. Current faculty engage in
In their new publication our Caposio, Frueh, and Hancock lab teams with their contributors, establish Notch pathway suppression as a critical viral strategy for reactivation and highlight potential therapeutic targets for preventing HCMV disease.
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41660859/
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41660859/
February 10, 2026 at 9:47 PM
In their new publication our Caposio, Frueh, and Hancock lab teams with their contributors, establish Notch pathway suppression as a critical viral strategy for reactivation and highlight potential therapeutic targets for preventing HCMV disease.
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41660859/
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41660859/
Amazing work by our Okoye, Hansen, Estes, Axthelm, Picker lab teams with their contributors, on their new publication investigating treatments using barcoded SIVmac239 in rhesus macaques!
Read more about SIV by visiting:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41617893/
Read more about SIV by visiting:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41617893/
February 3, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Amazing work by our Okoye, Hansen, Estes, Axthelm, Picker lab teams with their contributors, on their new publication investigating treatments using barcoded SIVmac239 in rhesus macaques!
Read more about SIV by visiting:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41617893/
Read more about SIV by visiting:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41617893/
Congratulations to our Okoye, Estes, Axthelm, and Picker Lab teams with their contributors on their new publication which investigates the magnitude and activation of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells.
Read more about SIV T Cell responses by visiting the below link.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41609736/
Read more about SIV T Cell responses by visiting the below link.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41609736/
February 2, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Congratulations to our Okoye, Estes, Axthelm, and Picker Lab teams with their contributors on their new publication which investigates the magnitude and activation of SIV-specific CD8+ T cells.
Read more about SIV T Cell responses by visiting the below link.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41609736/
Read more about SIV T Cell responses by visiting the below link.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41609736/
In this recently updated publication our Frueh, Streblow, and Hansen lab teams with their contributors, explore Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encoding and four viral Fc-gamma receptors (vFcγRs) that counteract antibody-mediated activation in vitro.
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39885150/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39885150/
January 28, 2026 at 5:47 PM
In this recently updated publication our Frueh, Streblow, and Hansen lab teams with their contributors, explore Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encoding and four viral Fc-gamma receptors (vFcγRs) that counteract antibody-mediated activation in vitro.
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39885150/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39885150/
In their new publication, our Sacha affiliate lab with their contributors, explore the association with ccf-mtDNA dynamics in acute and chronic HIV infections.
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556528/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556528/
January 26, 2026 at 8:42 PM
In their new publication, our Sacha affiliate lab with their contributors, explore the association with ccf-mtDNA dynamics in acute and chronic HIV infections.
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556528/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556528/
In this review, our Hessell and Haigwood affiliate lab team with their contributors, address human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as a strategy for treating and preventing viral infections in pediatric populations.
Read the full article at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40174915/
Read the full article at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40174915/
December 1, 2025 at 5:33 PM
In this review, our Hessell and Haigwood affiliate lab team with their contributors, address human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as a strategy for treating and preventing viral infections in pediatric populations.
Read the full article at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40174915/
Read the full article at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40174915/
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41272845/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41272845/
Long-read structural variant discovery and targeted short read genotyping enables population scale characterization of structural variation in rhesus macaques - PubMed
This dataset represents the largest study of structural variation in rhesus macaques to date and demonstrates use of both long and short-read datasets to generate SV genotype data. These data enable the consideration of structural variation impact in rhesus macaque-based research and will also aid t …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41272845/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41272845/
Our Bimber affiliate lab team with their contributors, recently published a paper where they seek to understand the degree and implications of intraspecies structural variation is essential to all biomedical research using rhesus macaques as a model.
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Our Bimber affiliate lab team with their contributors, recently published a paper where they seek to understand the degree and implications of intraspecies structural variation is essential to all biomedical research using rhesus macaques as a model.
...can be used to evaluate immune and viral determinants of protection against cCMV.
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41286406/
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41286406/
A rhesus macaque model of congenital cytomegalovirus infection reveals a spectrum of vertical transmission outcomes - PubMed
Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects worldwide, yet immune determinants of protection to inform maternal vaccine design remain elusive due to the lack of a translational animal model. Here, we characterized the outcome of primary rhesus CMV (RhCMV) infec …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 25, 2025 at 6:32 PM
...can be used to evaluate immune and viral determinants of protection against cCMV.
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41286406/
Read more at:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41286406/
In their newly published paper, our Frueh Lab with their contributors characterized the outcome of primary rhesus CMV (RhCMV) infection in pregnant, immunocompetent, RhCMV-naïve rhesus macaques. This model provides new insights into the complexity of CMV vertical transmission and...
November 25, 2025 at 6:32 PM
In their newly published paper, our Frueh Lab with their contributors characterized the outcome of primary rhesus CMV (RhCMV) infection in pregnant, immunocompetent, RhCMV-naïve rhesus macaques. This model provides new insights into the complexity of CMV vertical transmission and...
In this study, our Picker and Hansen lab teams with their contributors, provide preliminary evidence that combining their selected orthogonal antiviral mechanisms can offer increased protection against SIV.
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40529575/
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40529575/
November 11, 2025 at 5:22 PM
In this study, our Picker and Hansen lab teams with their contributors, provide preliminary evidence that combining their selected orthogonal antiviral mechanisms can offer increased protection against SIV.
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40529575/
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40529575/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41134633/
A cytoplasmic motif in HLA-E that drives clathrin-mediated endocytosis and VCP-associated postendocytic trafficking - PubMed
Human Leukocyte Antigen E (HLA-E) is a nonclassical MHC class I molecule that exhibits dual immunological functions in regulating natural killer (NK) cells and T cells through unusual trafficking patterns. We previously reported that HLA-E surface expression is low and transient due to its cytoplasm …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
October 28, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41134633/
In this publication, our Frueh Lab and their contributors, expand on their previous findings related to HLA-E surface expression. This updated study reveals previously unrecognized endosomal trafficking pathways and regulatory mechanisms that distinguish HLA-E from classical HLA class I molecules.
October 28, 2025 at 4:44 PM
In this publication, our Frueh Lab and their contributors, expand on their previous findings related to HLA-E surface expression. This updated study reveals previously unrecognized endosomal trafficking pathways and regulatory mechanisms that distinguish HLA-E from classical HLA class I molecules.
In their recent publication, our Streblow lab with their contributors, explore the emergence of mosquito-borne alphaviruses that cause chronic arthritis or encephalitis and highlight the urgent need for broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics.
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41090377/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41090377/
October 22, 2025 at 6:13 PM
In their recent publication, our Streblow lab with their contributors, explore the emergence of mosquito-borne alphaviruses that cause chronic arthritis or encephalitis and highlight the urgent need for broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics.
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41090377/
Read more at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41090377/
Read more at:
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
A Proof‐of‐Concept Phase 2a Partly Randomised Study Evaluating Leronlimab in Patients With Presumed Non‐Cirrhotic Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis | Request PDF
Request PDF | A Proof‐of‐Concept Phase 2a Partly Randomised Study Evaluating Leronlimab in Patients With Presumed Non‐Cirrhotic Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis | Chemokine receptor ty...
www.researchgate.net
October 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Read more at:
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Leronlimab directly binds the extracellular domains of CCR5, modulates downstream signaling and potentially can slow, reverse, or prevent fibrosis. In this proof‐of‐concept study, our Hansen Lab with contributors, demonstrated that leronlimab has a favorable safety profile and was well tolerated.
October 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Leronlimab directly binds the extracellular domains of CCR5, modulates downstream signaling and potentially can slow, reverse, or prevent fibrosis. In this proof‐of‐concept study, our Hansen Lab with contributors, demonstrated that leronlimab has a favorable safety profile and was well tolerated.
In this recent publication our Bimber, Hansen, Picker lab teams and their contributors demonstrate that systemic vaccination promotes a Trm cell response in barrier compartments and that Trm cells repurpose abundant neighboring stromal, parenchymal, and immune cells to amplify alarm signals...
October 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
In this recent publication our Bimber, Hansen, Picker lab teams and their contributors demonstrate that systemic vaccination promotes a Trm cell response in barrier compartments and that Trm cells repurpose abundant neighboring stromal, parenchymal, and immune cells to amplify alarm signals...
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41004538/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41004538/
Liver biopsies obtained throughout SIV infection reveal evolving interferon stimulated protein expression within distinct monocyte/macrophage subsets - PubMed
Liver dysfunction is more common and more severe among people with HIV than in the general population. Our previous transcriptomic analysis identified an increased hepatic type-1 interferon (IFN-1) re...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
October 3, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Read the full article here:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41004538/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41004538/
Liver dysfunction is more common and severe among people with HIV than in the general population. In this recent publication, our Burwitz affiliate lab explores the correlation between different cell types in the IFN-1 response, focusing on macrophage subsets during the acute phase of SIV infection.
October 3, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Liver dysfunction is more common and severe among people with HIV than in the general population. In this recent publication, our Burwitz affiliate lab explores the correlation between different cell types in the IFN-1 response, focusing on macrophage subsets during the acute phase of SIV infection.
...of the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis.
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659247/
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659247/
Integrated lipidomic and proteomic profiling reveals metabolic network disruption by SARS-CoV-2 variants - PubMed
The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has produced myriad viral strains with increasing transmissibility and capacity for immune evasion. While effective vaccination campaigns have reduced the fatalities ...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
September 30, 2025 at 9:09 PM
...of the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis.
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659247/
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40659247/
In their recent publication, our Tafesse affiliate lab with their contributors, explore SARS-CoV-2 and whether the patterns of host lipid rewiring remained consistent across variants and whether the changes in the abundance of lipid classes are related to changes in the expression...
September 30, 2025 at 9:09 PM
In their recent publication, our Tafesse affiliate lab with their contributors, explore SARS-CoV-2 and whether the patterns of host lipid rewiring remained consistent across variants and whether the changes in the abundance of lipid classes are related to changes in the expression...
...their potential antiviral activity, as typically prodrugs increase solubility and delivery. Additional studies are underway to elucidate the mechanism of action of these analogues.
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939252/
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939252/
Novel tricycle expanded purine nucleosides with pan-viral activity - PubMed
A series of thiophene-expanded tricyclic nucleosides featuring modifications not previously investigated, including sugar and nucleobase modifications, were synthesized as potential antiviral therapeu...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
September 17, 2025 at 8:53 PM
...their potential antiviral activity, as typically prodrugs increase solubility and delivery. Additional studies are underway to elucidate the mechanism of action of these analogues.
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939252/
Read the full article here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939252/
In collaboration with Dr. Seley-Radtke’s group at the University of Maryland, our Hirsch lab has contributed to a study identifying a new series of thiophene-expanded tricyclic nucleosides as potential antiviral therapeutics. In addition, their corresponding prodrugs were also pursued to probe...
September 17, 2025 at 8:53 PM
In collaboration with Dr. Seley-Radtke’s group at the University of Maryland, our Hirsch lab has contributed to a study identifying a new series of thiophene-expanded tricyclic nucleosides as potential antiviral therapeutics. In addition, their corresponding prodrugs were also pursued to probe...
In addition, MHC-E has a number of fascinating functions in regulating immunity that have many possible applications for the development of vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and cancer." -Klaus Früh, Ph.D.
Here is a link to the full text:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here is a link to the full text:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Targeting MHC-E as a new strategy for vaccines and immunotherapeutics - Nature Reviews Immunology
The dual nature of non-polymorphic MHC-E as a ligand for innate receptors and as an antigen-presenting protein raises the possibility of new, universally effective vaccines and immunotherapies for inf...
www.nature.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:03 PM
In addition, MHC-E has a number of fascinating functions in regulating immunity that have many possible applications for the development of vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and cancer." -Klaus Früh, Ph.D.
Here is a link to the full text:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here is a link to the full text:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...