The laboratory of Ting-Ting Wu in the Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles studies the Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus, which is a tumor-associated gammaherpesvirus.
Due to the restricted host range of tumor-associated human gammaherpesviruses, the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) has the ability to provide an excellent in vivo model system. Therefore, the lab has also established an efficient genetic mutagenesis system to manipulate the large DNA genome of MHV-68.
Our research program has three main areas of research interests:
1) Identifying critical pathways for viral replication as potential therapeutic targets;
2) Elucidating viral strategies to evade the host immune surveillance;
3) Developing immunological approaches for therapies.
In recent years, we discovered several viral proteins that hijacks cellular pathways to downregulate type I interferon responses. We have been investigating these pathways to gain fundamental knowledge in cell biology. Understanding these cellular pathways may also provide insight to the endogenous mechanisms that regulate type I interferon responses. In addition to mechanistic studies, we also engineered the virus to be safe and immunogenic as vaccines and as virotherapy for cancers.
Ting-Ting Wu Laboratory 