Email: saifur.rahman@drexel.edu

Advisor: Dr. Brian Wigdahl
 
Thesis Research Summary

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the first human retrovirus identified, is the causative agent of adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), causing both immune and nervous system diseases. Thus, HTLV-1 serves as a useful model pathogen to study the immuno- and neuropathgenesis of retroviruses. Approximately 20 million people are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide, predominantly in tropical areas.

One of the major research areas of investigations in the laboratory involve delineating the role of viral factors and host immune response in the progression of HAM/TSP, a debilitating neurodegenerative autoimmune disease with some similarities to multiple sclerosis. A number of in vitro studies have indicated a potential role for the HTLV-1 transcriptional transactivator protein Tax in the demyelination and neuroinflammation caused by HTLV-1. But to date there is no systematic in vivo study confirming the direct role of Tax protein (cell-free and/or cell-associated) in this process because of the absence of a well characterized animal model for HAM/TSP. Therefore, a major thrust of my research will be to establish an animal model for studying Tax-mediated neurodegeneration during HTLV-1 infection. This model will also be utilized to study the host immune response with particular emphasis on characterizing the role of dendritic cells in HTLV-1-induced disease progression.