Harry Greenberg

Harry Greenberg, Professor Medicine; Microbiology and Immunology Lab Surge Building/Gastroenterology/Room P305, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5100 Tel: (650) 493-5000, ext. 3121 FAX: (650) 852-3259

My interests are in pathogenic viruses that infect the GI tract and liver. My primary focus is on molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis, viral determinants of protective immunity, the molecular basis of host range, virulence and tissue tropism, vaccine development, and epidemiology with specific emphasis on the role of enteric viruses in less developed countries. Some of the ongoing studies in the lab deal with the following questions:

(i) What rotavirus gene(s) code for host range restriction and virulence? These studies involve the use of genetic analysis and animal models.

(ii) What proteins and regions of the rotavirus proteins code for neutralizing epitopes, cell fusion activity, viral receptors, viral HA, protective immunity? These studies involve sequence analysis of viral mutants, site specific mutagenesis, and expression of viral genes.

(iii) What is the mechanism for rotavirus neutralization and cell entry? These studies use viral genetics recombinant virus-like particles and monoclonal antibodies as well as individually expressed viral proteins in a variety of cell culture assays.

(iv) What are the immune effector mechanisms that mediate protection from and resolution of rotavirus infection? These studies involve animal models, cell transfer studies, FACS analysis and transgenic mice.

(v) What regions on the hepatitis C virus surface are the target of neutralizing antibodies? What are the requirements for growth of HCV in vitro? What is the mechanism regulating clearance, or lack of clearance of HCV infection? These studies involve a variety of cell biologic techniques as well as studies using various expression vectors and monoclonal antibodies.

Burns JW, Siadat-Pajouh M, Krishnaney A, Greenberg HB. Protective effect of rotavirus VP6-specific IgA monoclonal antibodies that lack neutralizing activity. Science 272:104-107, 1996.
Franco MA, Greenberg HB. Immunity to rotavirus in T cell deficient mice. Virology, 238:169-179, 1997.
Rott LS, Rosé JR, Bass D, Williams MB, Greenberg HB, Butcher EC. Expression of mucosal homing receptor alpha4beta7 by circulating CD4+ cells with memory for intestinal rotavirus. J. Clin. Invest., 100:1204-1208, 1997.
Gilbert J, Greenberg HB. Cleavage of RRV VP4 arginine 247 is essential for rotavirus-like particle induced fusion-from-without. J.Virol. 72:5323-5327, 1998.

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