Christine Clouser is an American

virologist Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, the ...

. During her graduate studies she discovered an interest in retro viruses and has since published scientific articles on the

feline leukemia virus Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus that infects cats. FeLV can be transmitted from infected cats when the transfer of saliva or nasal secretions is involved. If not defeated by the animal's immune system, the virus weakens the cat's im ...

and

HIV virus The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the imm ...

Education and experience

Clouser started her undergraduate studies in 1993, and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from

St. Cloud State University St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it ...

in Minnesota in 1998. She entered graduate school in 1998. During her graduate studies she completed a dissertation on the regulation of luteinizing hormone receptor, an

mRNA In molecular biology, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule of RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene, and is read by a ribosome in the process of Protein biosynthesis, synthesizing a protein. mRNA is ...

binding protein. Clouser completed her graduate studies in 2006. She obtained a Master of Science and PhD in biological chemistry from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. After completing her graduate studies, she moved to Minnesota, where she became a postdoctoral fellow for the University of Minnesota. In 2014 she began teaching as a research assistant professor for the University of Minnesota, working with Louis Mansky and Steven Patterson.

Contributions to virology research

Clouser works with Dr. Louis Mansky and Dr. Steven Patterson to investigate antiviral properties of

ribonucleoside A ribonucleoside is a type of nucleoside including ribose as a component. One example of a ribonucleoside is cytidine Cytidine (symbol C or Cyd) is a nucleoside molecule that is formed when cytosine is attached to a ribose ring (also known as a ...

and

nucleoside analogues Nucleoside analogues are structural analogues of a nucleoside, which normally contain a nucleobase and a sugar. Nucleotide analogues are analogues of a nucleotide, which normally has one to three phosphates linked to a nucleoside. Both types ...

against the

human immunodeficiency virus The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of th ...

. In their laboratory model system, two nucleoside analogues,

decitabine Decitabine (i.e., 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine), sold under the brand name Dacogen among others, acts as a nucleic acid synthesis inhibitor. It is a medication for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes, a class of conditions where certain blood ...

and

gemcitabine Gemcitabine, sold under the brand name Gemzar, among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat cancers. It is used to treat testicular cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and bladder ca ...

, have been found to cause lethal

mutagenesis Mutagenesis () is a process by which the genetic information of an organism is changed by the production of a mutation. It may occur spontaneously in nature, or as a result of exposure to mutagens. It can also be achieved experimentally using lab ...

of the HIV-1 virus when used combination therapy. These two drugs are

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

approved and used interventionally as

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...

drugs. When used together, they have been found to have strong

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Antiviral drugs are a class of antimicrobials ...

properties against HIV-1 by causing the virus to rapidly mutate, lose

virulence factors Virulence factors (preferably known as pathogenicity factors or effectors in botany) are cellular structures, molecules and regulatory systems that enable microbial pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa) to achieve the following: * co ...

, and become non-infectious. There are advantages to using existing pharmaceuticals already approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating conditions with new implications. The development of new pharmaceuticals takes time and very is costly when compared to

drug repositioning Drug repositioning (also called drug repurposing) involves the investigation of existing drugs for new therapeutic purposes. Repurposing achievements Repurposing generics can have groundbreaking effects for patients: 35% of 'transformative' ...

: the application of using known drugs for new purposes. When HIV-1 cells were cultured and investigated in the laboratory, the research team of Christine Clouser, Louis Mansky, and Steven Patterson found a novel combination therapy for rendering the HIV-1 virus harmless by using a combination therapy of decitabine and gemcitabine. Clouse anticipate finding a way to deliver both of these in pill form, as both are currently delivered intravenously and used as treatments for other conditions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clouser, Christine L. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American virologists University of Minnesota faculty University of Michigan alumni St. Cloud State University alumni