James R. Lokensgard, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases & International Medicine

It's clear that vigorous host neuroimmune responses play a critical role in controlling viral brain infections and limiting virus-mediated neuronal damage, but overly aggressive brain defense mechanisms may simultaneously have deleterious consequences. The neuroimmunovirology team is primarily dedicated to understanding these neuroimmune responses during and subsequent to viral encephalitis. Knowledge gained through the NIV program may be an important first step toward the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for management of the neuroinflammation associated with devastating viral infections of the central nervous system.

Selected publications:

Marques CP, Hu S, Sheng WS, Lokensgard JR. Microglial cells initiate vigorous yet non-protective immune responses during HSV-1 brain infection. Virus Research 2006; 121: 1-10.

Aravalli RN, Hu S, Lokensgard JR. Toll-like receptor 2 signaling induces apoptosis in HSV-infected microglia. J. Neuroinflam. 2007; 4: 11.

Cheeran, MC-J, Hu S Palmquist JM, Gekker G, Lokensgard JR. Dysregulated interferon-gamma responses during lethal cytomegalovirus brain infection of IL-10-deficient mice. Virus Research. 2007; Epub ahead of print.

Other links

http://www.virology.umn.edu/virology/Investigators/lokensgard.html