Keap1-NRF2 pathway and EBV: how a cellular defense system helps the virus persist
Official title: Beyond Antioxidant Defense: Multiple Roles of the Keap1-NRF2 Pathway in EBV Pathogenesis
Funded at East Tennessee State University · NIH-11444932 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at East Tennessee State University will look at how EBV may hijack a key cellular defense pathway to support virus survival and disease, with potential implications for treating EBV-related illnesses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | East Tennessee State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Johnson City, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $570,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R15AI202611-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11444932 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with EBV-related conditions or at risk for EBV-associated malignancies could indirectly benefit from therapies arising from this work.
✕Less likely to help
This project is a basic science study; individual patients may not directly benefit unless therapies are developed.
What this research studies
Researchers will explore how EBV activates the Keap1-NRF2 pathway beyond its antioxidant role, and how this affects metabolism, autophagy, and stress-response signaling. They will map how NRF2-driven changes help EBV latency persist and promote disease. The team plans experiments to see how NRF2 alters cellular energy use, lysosome function, and the ISR-ATF4 pathway in infected cells. Findings could reveal new targets to disrupt EBV latency and associated disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding this pathway could lead to new strategies to prevent EBV persistence and related diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest NRF2 is linked to viral latency and cellular stress responses, but a direct mechanistic link to EBV-driven pathogenesis is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ning, Shunbin — East Tennessee State University
- Study coordinator: Ning, Shunbin
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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.