Eugene O. Major Explained

Eugene O. "Gene" Major is a senior investigator at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH). Major conducts research into the neurological diseases including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), caused by JC virus and often found in immunosuppressed patients such as those with HIV/AIDS. Major has published over 140 scientific articles and reviews in the peer-reviewed literature[1] and has contributed to Fields Virology, a standard virology textbook.

Training and career

As an undergraduate, Major attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts [2] He earned MS and PhD degrees at the University of Illinois College of Medicine,[2] where he researched papovaviruses such as BK virus with Giampiero Di Mayorca.[3] [4] [5] (The papovaviruses have since been split into two categories: papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses.)

In his first faculty position, Major was an associate professor at the University of Illinois Medical School. He later moved to the Loyola University Medical School in Chicago, where he also served as Associate Dean of Graduate Programs.[2]

In 1981, Major became an investigator with the Neurology Institute of the National Institutes of Health. He currently leads a molecular medicine and neuroscience laboratory as a senior investigator in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the NIH.[2]

Research

Throughout his career, Major has conducted research on viruses including BK virus,[6] adenoviruses,[7] JC virus,[8] simian virus 40 (SV40),[9] HIV-1,[10] HIV-2,[11] HHV-6,[12] and HPV-16.[13]

Coverage

Major has been quoted extensively in news coverage of the finding that natalizumab (Tysabri) and related monoclonal antibody-based therapies increase the risk of a rare brain disease caused by JC virus.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] A 2001 Medscape column named Major as a leading expert in white matter brain disease.[22]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez PubMed
  2. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/research/labs/530.htm Laboratory homepage
  3. 68085. 1977. Molinaro . G. A.. Major . E. O.. Bernhardt . G.. Dray . S.. Di Mayorca . G.. Similar cell surface antigens on hamster cells transformed by different papovaviruses. 118. 6. 2295–2298. Journal of Immunology. 10.4049/jimmunol.118.6.2295.
  4. 56460. 1976. Wright . P. J.. Bernhardt . G.. Major . E. O.. Di Mayorca . G.. Comparison of the serology, transforming ability, and polypeptide composition of human papovaviruses isolated from urine. 17. 3. 762–775. 515475. Journal of Virology. 10.1128/JVI.17.3.762-775.1976.
  5. 4361683. 1973. Major . E. O.. Di Mayorca . G.. Malignant Transformation of BHK21 Clone 13 Cells by BK Virus—A Human Papovavirus. 70. 11. 3210–3212. 427202. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 10.1073/pnas.70.11.3210. 1973PNAS...70.3210M . free.
  6. 10.1016/0042-6822(80)90121-X. 6245520. 1980. Olive. DM. Lampert. M. Major. EO. Comparison of wild-type BK virus DNA and BK virion DNA rescued from virus-transformed BHK cells. 103. 1. 1–10. Virology.
  7. 10.1099/0022-1317-40-3-685. 690616. 1978. Bourne. KA. Major. EO. Khoobyarian. N. A variant of adenovirus 12 producing cytoplasmic accumulation of capsid proteins. 40. 3. 685–9. The Journal of General Virology. free.
  8. 6304765. 1983. Major . E. O.. JC virus T protein expression in owl monkey tumor cell lines. 105. 289–298. Progress in Clinical and Biological Research.
  9. 6321962. 1984. Major . E. O.. Matsumura . P.. Human embryonic kidney cells: stable transformation with an origin-defective simian virus 40 DNA and use as hosts for human papovavirus replication. 4. 2. 379–382. 368707. 10.1128/mcb.4.2.379. Molecular and Cellular Biology.
  10. 10.1002/ana.410310107. 1311910. 1992. Berger . J.. Tornatore . C.. Major . E.. Bruce . J.. Shapshak . P.. Yoshioka . M.. Houff . S.. Sheremata . W.. Horton . G.. Landy . H.. Relapsing and remitting human immunodeficiency virus-associated leukoencephalomyelopathy. 31. 1. 34–38. Annals of Neurology . 44437188.
  11. 10.1002/jmv.10467. 12938190. 2003. D'Costa . J.. Harvey-White . J.. Qasba . P.. Limaye . A.. Kaneski . C.. Davis-Warren . A.. Brady . R.. Bankiewicz . K.. Major . E.. Arya . S. K.. HIV-2 derived lentiviral vectors: gene transfer in Parkinson's and Fabry disease models in vitro. 71. 2. 173–182. Journal of Medical Virology . 31437426.
  12. S.. Jacobson . E.. Major. Variant-specific tropism of human herpesvirus 6 in human astrocytes. 79. Journal of Virology. 1181567. 9439–9448. 15 . J.. Hou . D.. Donati. 2005. 16014907. Martinelli . E. . J.. Ahlqvist . R.. Cassiani-Ingoni. 10.1128/JVI.79.15.9439-9448.2005 .
  13. 10.1053/joca.2002.0836. 12435333. 2002. Grigolo . B.. Roseti . L.. Neri . S.. Gobbi . P.. Jensen . P.. Major . E. O.. Facchini . A.. Human articular chondrocytes immortalized by HPV-16 E6 and E7 genes: Maintenance of differentiated phenotype under defined culture conditions. 10. 11. 879–889. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. free.
  14. https://www.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091111-715463.html Biogen, Elan, Roche In Brain Infection Consortium
  15. https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aO1ju55kkQL8 Biogen’s Tysabri for MS Also Lowers Defense Against Brain Virus
  16. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060303111608.htm Anti-Inflammatory Drug's Potentially Deadly Side Effect Found To Be Rare
  17. http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852571250057781C Evaluation of Patients Treated With Natalizumab (Tysabri) Finds No New Cases of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
  18. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/5584.html Tysabri retards progression of multiple sclerosis: trials
  19. "NIH Study Finds No New Cases of PML in Tysabri Patients," Drug Industry Daily (Dow Jones), March 3, 2006.
  20. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/38881.php Tysabri(R) Two-Year Phase III Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trial Results And Safety Evaluation Published In NEJM
  21. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13732642_ITM Analysis: Tysabri review finds no more PML cases
  22. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/412455 Ask the Experts: Differential Diagnosis of White-Matter Brain Disease

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