Kenneth Marc Kaye

Kenneth Marc Kaye

Professor of Medicine
Kenneth Marc Kaye
Our laboratory investigates Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) or human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8). KSHV has a causative role in Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphomas and multicentric Castleman's disease, an aggressive lymphoproliferative disorder. KSHV latently infects tumor cells and has evolved an intricate mechanism to efficiently persist in proliferating cells in the absence of chromosomal integration. KSHV persists in latently infected cells as an extrachromosomal, multiple copy plasmid (episome), from which it expresses several viral genes including the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA). LANA is essential for KSHV episome persistence in cells. LANA mediates viral DNA replication, which occurs in concert with cell DNA replication, and then tethers KSHV episomes to mitotic chromosomes to ensure their efficient segregation to progeny nuclei, thereby avoiding loss of the genome in the cytoplasm. LANA also exerts effects on cell growth and transcription. We are currently investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying LANA's functions. An understanding of these mechanisms should allow the development of strategies which interrupt LANA function for treatment and prevention of KSHV associated tumors. Our laboratory has also begun to investigate the murine gamma herpesvirus 68 (MHV-68). Similar to KSHV, this virus is a gamma-2 herpesvirus, and encodes a homolog of KSHV LANA. MHV-68 allows investigation of gamma herpesvirus latent infection and persistence in a small animal model.

Contact Information

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Infectious Disease
181 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
p: 617-525-4256

Faculty