w.rawlinson@unsw.edu.au

Senior Virologist and Head of Virology Division

SEALS, Level 4 Prince of Wales Hospital.

Tel: 9382 9113

Molecular biology of viruses

Viruses cause the majority of illness worldwide. Important projects in the Virology Research Laboratory are available in basic and applied molecular and cellular virology. All of these involve training in molecular methods, protein chemistry, computer databases (ANGIS), statistics, and sequence analysis.  The studies are funded by the NH&MRC, ARC, Cancer Council, charitable, and industry grants.

Program 1:   Antivirals and resistance

Project leaders: Dr Gillian Scott

Tel: 9382 9096, email:   gillian.scott@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

Disease caused by Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other viruses can be further complicated by the development of resistance to the antiviral agents used to treat these infections. We study mutations conferring antiviral resistance, viral genes responsible for viral replication, and new antiviral agents.

Selected References (Available on request)

• Scott G.M., Weinberg A., Rawlinson W.D. and Chou S. (2007)Multi-Drug Resistance Conferred by Novel DNA Polymerase Mutations in Human Cytomegalovirus Isolates. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 51(1): 89-94.

• Scott G.M., Isaacs M.A, Zeng F., Kesson A.M., Rawlinson W.D. (2004) Cytomegalovirus antiviral resistance associated with treatment induced UL97 (protein kinase) and UL54 (DNA polymerase) mutations. Journal of Medical Virology 74:85-93.

• Scott, G.M., Ng, H.-I., Morton, C.J., Parker, M.W., Rawlinson, W.D. (2005) Murine cytomegalovirus resistant to antivirals has genetic correlates with human cytomegalovirus. Journal of General Virology, 86: 2141-2151.

Program 2:   Clinical molecular diagnosis of viral infection and clinical trials.

Project leaders: Dr Cristina Baleriola

Tel: 9382 9052  email:  mciverc@sesahs.nsw.gov.au

Research projects include the development and analysis of new molecular tests such as multiplex PCR for the diagnosis of respiratory viruses and other agents of clinical disease, and use of these tests in clinical trials investigating prevalence of pathogens in the Australian population.

Selected References (Available on request)

• Booth S., Baleriola C., Rawlinson W.D.,(2006) Comparison of Two Rapid Influenza A/B Test Kits With Reference Methods Showing High Specificity and Sensitivity for Influenza A Inflection. Journal of Medical Virology 78:619-622.

Program 3:   Congenital viral infections

Project leader:  Dr Jonathan Howard

Tel: 9382 9096, e-mail: Jonathan.Howard@ sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

Cytomegalovirus is the leading cause of congenital viral infection. However, its role in stillbirth has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The projects will investigate (1) novel methods to detect congenital CMV infections in asymptomatic and symptomatic babies (2) the role of CMV in the regulation of cellular proteins expressed during placenta development (3) screen other possible aetiological agents related to congenital infections.

Selected References (Available on request)

• Trincado, D.E., Munro. S.C., Camaris, C., and Rawlinson, W.D. Highly Sensitive Detection and Localization of Maternally Acquired Human Cytomegalovirus in Placental Tissue by In Situ Polymerase Chain Reaction. Journal of Infectious Diseases 192 (4): 650-657.

• Chow S.W., Craig M.E., Jacques C.F.H., Hall B., Catteau J., Munro S.C., Scott G.M., Camaris C., McIver C.J., Rawlinson W.D. (2006) Correlates of placental infection with cytomegalovirus, parvovirus B19 or human herpes virus 7. Journal of Medical Virology 78:747-756.

Program 4:   The molecular biology of hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Project Leader:   Dr Sacha Stelzer 

Tel: 9385 9096, email: sacha.stelzer@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

HCV is a significant global problem with the rate of new cases increasing rapidly. Specific projects are available on analysis of viral quasispecies and analysis of viral genetic change over time.

Selected References (Available on request)

• White P.A., Pan Y., Freeman A.J., Marinos G., Ffrench R.A., Lloyd A.R., Rawlinson W.D. (2002) Quantification of hepatitis C virus in human liver and serum samples by using LightCycler reverse transcriptase PCR. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 40(11):4346-4348

Program 5:   Viruses of infections in pregnancy and diabetes

Selected References (Available on request)

• Craig M.E, Howard N.J.H., Silink M., Rawlinson W.D. (2003) Reduced frequency of HLA DRB1*03-DQB1*02 in children with type 1 diabetes associated with enterovirus RNA . Journal of Infectious Diseases 187(10):1562-1570.

• Clancy LE, Craig ME, White PA, Rawlinson WD Human enterovirus 71 isolates from an outbreak typed using heteroduplex mobility analysis. Journal of Medical Virology, 76(2):215-222, 2005

Program 6:   Viruses and cancer

Project leader:  Professor Bill Rawlinson

Tel: 9382 9050, email: w.rawlinson@unsw.edu.au

This work aims to examine the association between specific types of human cancer and particular infective agents. Our recent focus has been the association of the Mouse Mammary Tumour Virus (MMTV), known to cause breast cancer in mice, with human cancers. 

Selected References (Available on request)

• Faedo M., Ford C.E., Mehta R., Blazek K and Rawlinson W.D.  (2004)  Mouse mammary tumor like virus is associated with p53 nuclear accumulation and progesterone receptor positivity but not estrogen positivity in human female breast cancer.  Clinical Cancer Research 10:4417-4419

Program 7:   Molecular mechanisms for viral destruction of insulin producing cells.

Project leader: Kin-chuen Leung 

Selected References (Available on request)