The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) recently awarded a five-year, $2.9 R01 grant to Zhen Lin, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology at Tulane University School of Medicine. 

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a known oncogenic virus linked to Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and stomach cancer, as well as autoimmune diseases, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Researchers have found that EBV triggers a unique cellular response involving alpha-satellite RNAs (α-SatRNAs), which appear to help the virus replicate by activating parts of the cell’s DNA damage response. This study aims to better understand how EBV uses these RNAs to support its replication, which could reveal new insights into how EBV causes disease and identify potential targets for treatment. Learn more about the project here.