Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
The research in the Diamond laboratory focuses on the interface between viral pathogenesis and the host immune response. For several years, we have been primarily focused on two globally important mosquito-borne human pathogens West Nile virus and Dengue virus. Both are single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses of the same genus (Flavivirus) that cause human disease worldwide. Recently, we have begun to study another member of the same virus family, hepatitis C, which causes chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Investigations with hepatitis C virus are aimed at generating a novel mouse model and understanding the epitope specificity of protective antibodies against this virus.