Annual Report - Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

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EXPLORING RADIATION RESISTANCERadiation resistance is an important area of studyin many respects, from devising mechanisms ofradioprotection to cleaning up nuclear waste.USU researchers, lead by Department ofPathology Associate Professor Michael Daly,Ph.D., have made significant strides in researchrelated to the radiation-resilient bacteriumDeinococcus radiodurans.D. radiodurans has long been known to becapable of withstanding extremely high doses ofionizing radiation. In a groundbreaking studyreleased in 2007, Daly and collaborators frominstitutions including the National Institutes ofHealth uncovered evidence pointing to a potentform of protein protection as the mechanismthrough which the bacterium protects itself.These results likely will cause a shift in D. radioduransresearch, changing the focus frompreviously held theories regarding DNA damageand repair.In prior work on the organism, Daly and colleaguescollaborated with the Pacific NorthwestNational Laboratory to develop improved methodsof studying the bacterium. The organism had beenengineered previously by another scientific teamto attack pollutants often found at radioactive sites.The technologies created by Daly’s team allowedscientists to obtain extensive protein identificationinformation that could lead to methods of using theD. radiodurans as a tool for bioremediation. Theresults of the study were published in the leadingjournal PLoS Biology.DedicationUsing Genomics to Understand Disease ProcessesCystic fibrosis (CF) is the most commonlife-limiting genetic disease in the U.S.The disease manifests when a childreceives one mutant CF gene from eachparent. Roughly five percent of the U.S.population carries a copy of the mutantCF gene, making the disease relativelycommon in the military dependentcommunity, and therefore relevant tomilitary medical research. Harvey Pollard,M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of theUSU Department of Anatomy, Physiologyand Genetics, and his team receiveda $14 million award from NIH to useproteomics to advance CF research.Pollard’s lab is making significant progresson several fronts, including developingnew technologies to study proteins.Current methods focus primarily on massspectrometry, which identifies proteins that26occur in abundance. Many investigatorsbelieve that the crucial disease-specificproteins are those that occur in low levels.Pollard and his team have thereforedeveloped a new antibody microarraytechnology that is highly sensitive and candetect these less abundant proteins. ThePollard lab now uses both technologiesin parallel to get a complete view of asmany of the proteins as possible.The group is applying its new proteinanalysis technology to the study ofseveral other important diseases,including prostate cancer, breastcancer and heart disease. They areconducting this research in collaborationwith partners including Johns HopkinsUniversity, NIH and the LombardiComprehensive Cancer Center atGeorgetown University.
USU RESEARCHERS FIND BROAD-SPECTRUM DEFENSE AGAINST HIV-1Research conducted at USU suggests that it maybe possible to develop a vaccine that protectsagainst the myriad strains of the HIV virus. Thisgroundbreaking study titled: “Extensively Cross-Reactive Anti-HIV-1 Neutralizing AntibodiesInduced by gp140 Immunization” appeared aspring 2007 online edition of Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences.To be effective, an HIV vaccine must induce thebody to produce cross-reactive antibodies that canneutralize multiple strains. USU Professors CaptainGerald Quinnan, Jr., M.D., and Christopher Broder,Ph.D., and their colleagues at USU attempted toelicit these broad-range antibodies by immunizingwith a particular HIV-1 surface protein, designatedR2 gp140, and an immune response-boostingcomponent. The researchers tested antibodiesgenerated by the immunizations to determinetheir effectiveness in neutralizing the infectivity ofa variety of HIV-1 strains. Antibodies produced asa result of immunization neutralized all 48 strainsof HIV-1 tested. The results are encouraging forvaccine development, because they showed thatit is possible to elicit a broad-spectrum antibodyresponse. This research was supported by a grantfrom a number of collaborators including theNational Institutes of Health/NIAID and the HenryM. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement ofMilitary Medicine.Drs. Gerald Quinnan (left) and ChristopherBroder (center) talk with Dr. Anthony Fauci,Director of the National Institute of Allergyand Infectious Diseases.LINKING DIET TO GASTRIC DISEASEMany people have never heard of Helicobacterpylori, yet more than half of the world’s populationis infected with the bacteria. H. pylori is the maincause of peptic ulcer disease and a major causeof gastric cancer, although most people with H.pylori don’t have obvious symptoms. Roughly 20percent of people younger than 40 and 60 percentof people older than 60 are infected with thebacteria. A team of researchers including D. ScottMerrell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiologyand Immunology, showed that high concentrationsof salt in the stomach seem to stimulate increasedactivity in the bacteria, raising the risk of seriousgastric disease.bacteria’s response to specific components of aperson’s diet. As part of an NIH-supported project,Merrell’s team examined the effect of a high-saltdiet on H. pylori’s growth and gene expression.The researchers deduced that high levels of saltin vitro cause a defect in cell division. Further, theyfound increased transcription by two genes thatinduce virulence in H. pylori. This could help toexplain the increased risk of disease previouslyshown to be associated with a high-salt diet amongH. pylori-infected individuals.The team presentedthe study results at the May 2007 general meetingof the American Society for Microbiology.Epidemiological evidence haslong implied that there is aconnection between H. pyloriactivity and diet, but until now,the majority of research hasfocused on the effects of diet onthe stomach rather than on the27
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Page 4 and 5: A HISTORY OF SUCCESSThe American mi
Page 6 and 7: SCHOOL OF MEDICINEUSU’s F. Edward
Page 8 and 9: GRADUATE PROGRAMSGraduate education
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Page 12 and 13: Field ExercisesAs part of their edu
Page 14 and 15: leadershipUSU creates scientists an
Page 16 and 17: FACULTYUSU’s distinguished facult
Page 18 and 19: university LifeCAMPUS LIFEIn many w
Page 20 and 21: Year In ReviewRESEARCH WEEKThrougho
Page 22 and 23: Year In ReviewFIGHTING FOR LIFEUSU
Page 24 and 25: ReadinessMilitary readiness require
Page 26 and 27: ResearchIn addition to providing wo
Page 30 and 31: AFRRIArmed Forces Radiobiology Rese
Page 32 and 33: CourageCenter for Disaster and Huma
Page 34 and 35: Looking AheadU.S. academic medicine
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