How KSHV hides from the immune system via complement and Fc-receptor proteins
Official title: Immune Evasion Mechanisms of KSHV Complement and Fc-Receptor Proteins
Funded at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso · NIH-11261173 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how the virus that causes Kaposi sarcoma (KSHV) uses complement and Fc-receptor proteins to hide from the immune system, to help people with KSHV-related cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (El Paso, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AI159139-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261173 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people living with KSHV infection or with KSHV-related conditions such as Kaposi sarcoma, multicentric Castleman disease, or primary effusion lymphoma.
✕Less likely to help
People without KSHV infection or with cancers unrelated to KSHV are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this lab-focused research.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team made a version of KSHV that lacks a viral complement control protein (KCP) and produced new antibodies to detect KCP. They used bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology to engineer the recombinant virus and compare infected cells with and without KCP. Lab experiments include binding and bioassays to see how KCP and Fc-receptor proteins change immune recognition and cell survival. The goal is to reveal how the virus evades immune defenses and point to targets that could be used for future therapies or vaccines.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify viral targets for drugs or vaccines that help the immune system control or prevent KSHV-related cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown herpesviruses use similar immune-evasion strategies, but creating a KCP-null recombinant KSHV and new anti-KCP antibodies represents a relatively novel and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso
El Paso, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Muniraju, Murali Bagalur — Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso
- Study coordinator: Muniraju, Murali Bagalur
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.