Research Summary
Dr. Viscidi conducts research related to human papillomavirus (HPV) and polyomaviruses (PV). Both viruses encode oncoproteins and thus are the subject of continuing investigations as causative agents in diverse human cancers.
For the last several years, Dr. Viscidi’s laboratory has studied humoral immune responses to HPV and PV using virus-like particles (VLP) based enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. He has conducted many cancer case control and population-based seroepidemiological studies of HPV and PV infection. His laboratory has expertise in production of virus-like particles using the baculovirus expression system, and they are working to develop VLP-based vaccines and studies of immunological properties of VLPs.
The laboratory also explores applications of a novel chimeric VLP construct, invented by Dr. Viscidi, as a platform for vaccines against cancer and infectious agents, including malaria and human immunodeficiency virus. He also studies how VLP-based vaccines activate innate immune responses and is conducting studies of global gene expression in subpopulations of peripheral blood immune cells in response to VLP vaccination. Another very different area of study in the laboratory is population genetics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the molecular evolution of antibiotic resistance.
Selected Publications
Silver MI, Rositch AF, Burke AE, Chang K, Viscidi R, Gravitt PE. “Patient concerns about human papillomavirus testing and 5-year intervals in routine cervical cancer screening.” Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Feb;125(2):317-29. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000638.
Beachler DC, Viscidi R, Sugar EA, Minkoff H, Strickler HD, Cranston RD, Wiley DJ, Jacobson LP, Weber KM, Margolick JB, Reddy S, Gillison ML, D'Souza G. “A longitudinal study of human papillomavirus 16 L1, e6, and e7 seropositivity and oral human papillomavirus 16 infection.” Sex Transm Dis. 2015 Feb;42(2):93-7. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000236.
Rossi F, Newsome SD, Viscidi R. “Molecular diagnostic tests to predict the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis patients.” Mol Cell Probes. 2015 Feb;29(1):54-62. doi: 10.1016/j.mcp.2014.11.007. Epub 2014 Dec 5.
Soares CC, Georg I, Lampe E, Lewis L, Morgado MG, Nicol AF, Pinho AA, Salles RC, Teixeira SL, Vicente AC, Viscidi RP, Gomes SA. “HIV-1, HBV, HCV, HTLV, HPV-16/18, and Treponema pallidum infections in a sample of Brazilian men who have sex with men.” PLoS One. 2014 Aug 1;9(8):e102676. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102676. eCollection 2014.
Hampras SS, Viscidi RP, Helzlsouer KJ, Lee JH, Fulp WJ, Giuliano AR, Platz EA, Rollison DE. “Prospective study of seroreactivity to JC virus T-antigen and risk of colorectal cancers and adenomas.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014 Nov;23(11):2591-6. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0370. Epub 2014 Aug 15.
Viscidi, R.P.; Shah, K.V. Adult male circumcision: will it reduce disease caused by human papillomavirus? J Infect Dis. 2010 May 15;201(10):1447-1449.
Tan, C.S.; Chen, Y.; Viscidi, R.P.; Kinkel, R.P.; Stein, M.C.; Koralnik, I.J. Discrepant findings in immune responses to JC virus in patients receiving natalizumab. Lancet Neurol. 2010 Jun;9(6):565-566; author reply 566-567.
Sutcliffe, S.; Viscidi, R.P.; Till, C.; Goodman, P.J.; Hoque, A.M.; Hsing, A.W.; Thompson, I.M.; Zenilman, J.M.; De Marzo, A.M.; Platz, E.A. Human papillomavirus types 16, 18, and 31 serostatus and prostate cancer risk in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Feb;19(2):614-618.
Pejawar-Gaddy, S.; Rajawat, Y.; Hilioti, Z.; Xue, J.; Gaddy, D.F.; Finn, O.J.; Viscidi, R.P.; Bossis, I. Generation of a tumor vaccine candidate based on conjugation of a MUC1 peptide to polyionic papillomavirus virus-like particles. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2010 Nov;59(11):1685-1696.
Koshiol, J.; Wei, W.Q.; Kreimer, A.R.; Chen, W.; Gravitt, P.; Ren, J.S.; Abnet, C.C.; Wang, J.B.; Kamangar, F.; Lin, D.M.; von Knebel-Doeberitz, M.; Zhang, Y.; Viscidi, R.; Wang, G.Q.; Gillison, M.L.; Roth, M.J.; Dong, Z.W.; Kim, E.; Taylor, P.R.; Qiao, Y.L.; Dawsey, S.M. No role for human papillomavirus in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in China. Int J Cancer. 2010 Jul 1;127(1):93-100.
Wuthrich, C.; Dang, X.; Westmoreland, S.; McKay, J.; Maheshwari, A.; Anderson, M.P.; Ropper, A.H.; Viscidi, R.P.; Koralnik, I.J. Fulminant JC virus encephalopathy with productive infection of cortical pyramidal neurons. Ann Neurol. 2009 Jun;65(6):742-748.
Trimble, C.L.; Peng, S.; Kos, F.; Gravitt, P.; Viscidi, R.; Sugar, E.; Pardoll, D.; Wu, T.C. A phase I trial of a human papillomavirus DNA vaccine for HPV16+ cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3. Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Jan 1;15(1):361-367.
Sutcliffe, S.; Kawachi, I.; Alderete, J.F.; Gaydos, C.A.; Jacobson, L.P.; Jenkins, F.J.; Viscidi, R.P.; Zenilman, J.M.; Platz, E.A. Correlates of sexually transmitted infection histories in a cohort of American male health professionals. Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Nov;20(9):1623-1634.
Rollison, D.E.; Helzlsouer, K.J.; Lee, J.H.; Fulp, W.; Clipp, S.; Hoffman-Bolton, J.A.; Giuliano, A.R.; Platz, E.A.; Viscidi, R.P. Prospective study of JC virus seroreactivity and the development of colorectal cancers and adenomas. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 May;18(5):1515-1523.
Randhawa, P.; Viscidi, R.; Carter, J.J.; Galloway, D.A.; Culp, T.D.; Huang, C.; Ramaswami, B.; Christensen, N.D. Identification of species-specific and cross-reactive epitopes in human polyomavirus capsids using monoclonal antibodies. J Gen Virol. 2009 Mar;90(Pt 3):634-639.
