Barb Sherry

Bio

We study reovirus-induced myocarditis (cardiac inflammation and tissue damage) in mice as a model for this important human disease. Recently, we have focused on the cardiac response to viral infection, with particular emphasis on viral induction of the antiviral cytokine interferon-beta in cardiac cells. We are interested in both the viral genes that stimulate this response, and the cardiac transcription factors and antiviral proteins that are central to protection against disease. We have also focused on virus-induced changes in cell splicing of RNA and other cell processes. Our approaches, using primarily molecular and genomic techniques, include the use of transgenic mice and primary cardiac myocyte cell cultures.

Area(s) of Expertise

Viral pathogenesis
Molecular virology
Innate immunity
Cardiac response to viruses

Publications

• Efficacy of an isoxazole-3-carboxamide analog of pleconaril in mouse models of Enterovirus-D68 and Coxsackie B5 , ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH (2023)
• Autocrine and paracrine interferon signalling as 'ring vaccination' and 'contact tracing' strategies to suppress virus infection in a host , PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (2021)
• Interferon-λ3 Promotes Epithelial Defense and Barrier Function Against Cryptosporidium parvum Infection , Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2019)
• A Cytoplasmic RNA Virus Alters the Function of the Cell Splicing Protein SRSF2 , JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY (2017)
• NF-kappa B activation is cell type-specific in the heart , VIROLOGY (2017)
• Spontaneous activation of a MAVS-dependent antiviral signaling pathway determines high basal interferon-beta expression in cardiac myocytes , Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2017)
• Use of RNA-seq to identify cardiac genes and gene pathways differentially expressed between dogs with and without dilated cardiomyopathy , AMERICAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH (2016)
• Generating primary cultures of murine cardiac myocytes and cardiac fibroblasts to study viral myocarditis , Cardiomyocytes: methods and protocols (2015)
• Replication of Many Human Viruses Is Refractory to Inhibition by Endogenous Cellular MicroRNAs , JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY (2014)
• An ITAM in a Nonenveloped Virus Regulates Activation of NF- B, Induction of Beta Interferon, and Viral Spread , Journal of Virology (2013)