Administrative Core

This Phase 2 renewal is premised upon the prior success of the “Center for Translational Viral Oncology” (CTVO)and upon evolving research themes that leverage new faculty expertise and a diverse catchment population that experiences viral malignancies at rates exceeding those in other areas of the USA. Virus-induced malignancies, such as human papilloma virus (HPV)-induced anogenital, and KSHV-associated Kaposi Sarcomas are highly prevalent in Louisiana and occur at increased incidence in people living with HIV. Given the regional need for viral cancer research, CTVO Phase 2 is essential to: 1) sustain the career development of talented Research Project Leaders (RPLs); 2) to support existing and coalescing research between regional scientists in viral oncology; and 3) to reinforce the evolution and institutionalization of cutting-edge core facilities. The overarching goal of CTVO is to improve disease management and quality of life across the diverse spectrum of Louisiana cancer patients through responsive research activity. Our immediate goal is to comprehensively prepare young investigators to conduct impactful viral oncology research and to better define how HIV co-infection predisposes malignancy. As part of this goal CTVO will continue to reinforce collaborations between existing cancer virology and COBRE programs at LSU New Orleans, LSU Baton Rouge, LSU Shreveport, and Tulane University, to form a highly productive collaborative network. The CTVO will support the scientific, mentoring and administrative needs of the RPLs by providing (i) mentoring teams composed of NIH-funded basic science and clinical investigators dedicated to guiding research project implementation and RPL career development; (ii) unique clinical material consisting of annotated biospecimens collected from HIV+ and HIV- patients with virus-associated cancers at the University Medical Center, New Orleans; (iii) a supportive administrative core (ADMIN) to facilitate mentoring, networking, career development, and critical external evaluation; (iv) dynamic research core facilities including the Cancer Center Biorepository, a molecular histopathology/analytical microscopy core (MHAM), a cellular immunology/metabolomics core (CIMC), a translational genomics core (TGC), and a biostatistics and bioinformatics core (BBC), included to assist in state-of-the-art RPL or pilot research endeavors. CTVO focuses this structure on four RPL-led investigations that 1) study HIV-1’s impact on immune reprogramming monocytes, 2) seek to define the molecular underpinnings of Kaposi’s Sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latency, 3) investigate interactions between human papilloma virus (HPV) and Epstein–Bar virus (EBV) in anogenital cancer, and 4) test relationships between human endogenous retroviral (HERV) expression and glioblastoma stemness and drug resistance. Finally, a pilot research program will support focused research to ensure CTVO dynamic growth.