Paul A. Luciw
Professor
Center for Comparative Medicine and Department of Pathology

email: paluciw@ucdavis.edu

Undergraduate Education:

• Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences
  Ithaca, NY
  B.A. (Microbiology), 1970

Other School:

• Post-doctoral fellow - 1978 to 1982, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Medical Education:

• University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
  Philadelphia, PA
  Ph.D. (Microbiology), 1977

Professional Memberships:

• California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA - Research Affiliate (1986 to 1999)
• Core-Staff-Scientist (2000 - present)
• California Universitywide AIDS Research Program (1992-1995)
• Center for Comparative Medicine - 1993 to present (1994 - present)
• Co-Director of the UC Davis Optical Biology Program (1997 - 2000)
• Executive Committee - UC Davis Cancer Center (1997 - present)
• Cancer Biology in Animals Program (2000 - present)
• Basic Sciences Council, School of Medicine, UC Davis (1997 - present)
• Targeted Action Group for Vaccines, AIDS Research Institute, UC San Francisco (1999 - present)
• Editorial Board Member, Virology (1994 - present)
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Virology (2001 - present)
• Editorial Board Member, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses (1994 - present)
• UC Davis Microbiology Graduate Group (1987 - present)
• UC Davis Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Group (1987 - present)
• UC Davis Genetics Graduate Group (1987 - present)
• UC Davis Comparative Pathology Graduate Group (1987 - present)

Dr. Paul Luciw is a virologist who has experience on the replication of retroviruses and herpesviruses. His research is primarily directed at studying mechanisms of viral pathogenesis in animal models. In addition, he also explores novel approaches to anti-viral vaccines. This research in animal models will impact efforts against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS.

Viral Determinants of SIV Pathogenesis. Dr. Luciw's research is focused on elucidation of molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis, using simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of non-human primates as a model for HIV infection and AIDS. A major aim of this research is the identification of viral determinants of latency, persistence, and pathogenesis. Goals of the research are to identify the functional domains on viral proteins and to identify cellular proteins that interact with these functional viral domains. The focus is on the viral envelope (env) gene and the nef gene, which influences cellular activation pathways and regulates the level of viral replication.

DNA Immunization Against Lentivirus Infection. Novel methods of DNA immunization are being analyzed in rhesus macaques inoculated with plasmid vectors expressing SIV antigens. These studies also include immunization of cats with plasmids expressing genes of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The goals of this research in Dr. Luciw's lab for both species are to elucidate molecular and cellular mechanisms that account for induction of anti-viral immune responses after DNA vaccination. Additionally, analysis of the role(s) of cytokines as adjuvants has been integrated into the studies of DNA vaccines against SIV and FIV.

p>Viral Oncology. The Cancer Biology in Animals Program is a new program that is closely coordinated with the Program in Basic Cancer Research at the UC Davis Medical Center. A major goal of this Cancer Biology in Animals Program is to facilitate and coordinate multidisciplinary approaches to elucidating mechanisms of virus-induced (herpesviruses, retroviruses, etc.) cancer in animal models for human disease, and to investigate novel approaches to anti-tumor vaccines. Dr. Luciw's research emphasizes human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), and the rhesus rhadinovirus, which is a non-human primate virus genetically related to KSHV. The goals of this research are to elucidate mechanisms of viral transcription and to identify cellular signaling pathways that are influenced by viral infection.

Selected Publications: Khan, I., E.T. Sawai, E. Antonio, C.J. Weber, P. Montbriand, and P.A. Luciw (1998) Role of the SH3-ligand domain of simian immunodeficiency virus Nef in interaction with Nef-associated kinase (NAK) and simian AIDS in rhesus macaques. J. Virol. 72: 5820-5830.

Luciw, P.A., C.P. Mandell, T.A. Lowe, K.A. Schmidt, K.E.S. Shaw, and C. Cheng-Mayer (1999) Fatal Immunopathogenesis by SIV/HIV-1 (SHIV) in juvenile and newborn rhesus macaques. Virology 263:112-127.

Sawai, E.T., M.S. Hamza, M. Ye, K.E.S. Shaw, and P.A. Luciw (2000) Pathogenic conversion of live-attenuated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccines is associated with expression of truncated Nef. J. Virol. 74: 2038-2045.

Shacklett, B.L., C.J. Weber, K.E.S. Shaw, P. Sonigo, and P.A. Luciw (2000) The intracytoplasmic domain of Env-TM is a locus for simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) attenuation. J. Virol. 74: 5836-5844.

Lockridge, K., M. Chien, P.A. Luciw, and E.E. Sparger (2000) Protective immunity against feline immunodeficiency virus induced by inoculation with vif-deleted proviral DNA. Virology. 261: 25-30.

Himathongkham, S., N.S. Halpin, J. Li, M.W. Stout, C.J. Miller, and P.A. Luciw (2000) Simian-Human Imunodeficiency Virus (SHIV) Containing an HIV-1 Subtype-E Envelope Gene: Persistent Infection, CD4+ T-cell depletion and mucosal membrane transmission in macaques. J. Virol. 74:7851-7860.

Gardner, M.B. and P.A. Luciw (2002) Simian Retroviruses. In AIDS and Other Manifestations of HIV Infection, 3rd edition. Ed: G.P. Wormser (Raven Press, New York). In press.

Lin, S-F., D.R. Robinson, J. Oh, R.C. Desrosiers, J.U. Jung, P.A. Luciw, and H-J. Kung (2002) Identification of the gene products encoded by the ORF50 - ORF8.1 Loci of Rhesus Rhadinovirus (RRV): the structural homologues of KSHV Rta, K-bZip, and K8.1. Virology 298:181-188.

Shacklett, B.L., K.E.S. Shaw, L.A. Adamson, D.T. Wilkens, C.A. Cox, M.B. Gardner, P. Sonigo, and P.A. Luciw (2002) Live, attenuated SIVmacM4, with point mutations in the Env-TM intracytoplasmic domain provides partial protection from mucosal challenge with pathogenic SIVmac251. J. Virol. 76: 11365-11368.

Lena P., F. Villinger, L. Giavedoni, C.J. Miller, G. Rhodes, P. Luciw. Co-immunization of rhesus macaques with plasmid vectors expressing IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, and SIV antigens enhances anti-viral humoral immunity but does not affect viremia after challenge with highly pathogenic virus. Vaccine. 2002:20 Suppl 4:A69-79.