Prevalent but Under-studied Skin Infection Focus of New Research

Dr. Joanna Shisler, associate professor of microbiology and researcher at the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Institute, and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, is the recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for research using innovative approaches to understand the barriers preventing scientists from knowing more about molluscum contagiosum, one of the top 5 skin infections worldwide.

Shisler, together with Dr. Brian Ward from the University of Rochester, will study the molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) in detail to identify ways to regulate its underlying proteins to formulate cures for infections and diseases such as cancer.

According to the CDC, molluscum contagiosum is an infection caused by a poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum virus; MCV). It is one of the most common skin infections in children and sexually active young adults. Despite this common infection, one major hurdle is that the virus cannot be propagated in cell culture. Most other viruses, such as herpes viruses, can be grown in cultured cells, making them easier to study. The goal of this research is to use new approaches to understand what barriers cells create to prevent virus replication.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is usually a benign though unsightly, mild skin disease characterized by lesions (growths) that may appear anywhere on the body. Within 6-12 months, molluscum contagiosum typically resolves without scarring but may take as long as 4 years and can be associated with stigma and the anxiety it produces.

In people with weakened immune systems (i.e., HIV-infected persons or persons being treated for cancer), these lesions can become much larger and persist indefinitely. Long-term effects include scarring and secondary infections caused by bacteria. Secondary infections may be a significant problem in immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV/AIDS or those taking immunosuppressing drug therapies.

“Viruses are one of the most abundant microorganisms on the planet, infecting every form of life from humans to bacteria. However, these are the microbes that we understand the least. By understanding how viruses hijack the host cell, researchers can begin to answer fundamental questions about virology including how we can engineer new methods to detect and cure infectious viruses,” said Shisler.