Andrew D. Yurochko, PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Carroll Feist Chair of Viral Oncology
Director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats
PI of the NIH COBRE Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes
Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry and Biology - Virginia Tech
PhD, Immunology, Macrophage Biology - Virginia Tech
Post-Doctoral Fellow - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
News
Lab News
Two members of the Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes COBRE at LSU Health Shreveport won meritorious awards for their presentations at the conference.
American Society for Microbiology - The ASM has selected Dr. Andrew Yurochko, LSUHS Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, for their 2023-24 roster of Distinguished Lecturers. Lecturers are chosen through a competitive nomination process and only the most distinguished lecturers and researchers are chosen to participate.
LSUHS has received a 5 year grant for $10,529,128 from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, or COBRE. The COBRE funds will establish the Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes (CAIPP), which will operate on the LSU Health Shreveport campus.
Dr. Yurochko is helping celebrate the one year anniversary of the Emerging Viral Threats Lab / Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats.
Dr. Yurochko was named Vice Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and is also serving as a Co-PI on a recently awarded Program Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health focusing on how HCMV affects signaling pathways in infected hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Research
Major Research Interests:
Mechanisms of Human Cytomegalovirus Dissemination, Persistence, Latency, and Pathogenesis
We are examining the pathobiology of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of blood monocytes and CD34+ bone marrow progenitor cells because of the critical role these cells play in viral dissemination, latency, and the ensuing pathogenesis in AIDS patients, solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients, as well as in congenitally infected infants, where HCMV is the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the U.S. We are addressing from a molecular standpoint, how viral infection of blood monocytes alters their immunological functions and forces these infected cells to serve as Trojan Horses for viral spread from the blood into peripheral tissues and then as a source of long-term viral persistence in these tissues. In CD34+ cells, we are examining the cellular and viral determinants that control the establishment, maintenance, and reactivation of virus from latency using novel in vitro and in vivo models.
Publications
Selected Publications
- Lee B.-J., C.-K. Min, M. Hancock, D.N. Streblow, P. Caposio, F.D. Goodrum, and A.D. Yurochko. 2021. Human cytomegalovirus and host interactions: EGFR as a point of convergence between infected cell signaling and changes in function. Frontiers in Microbiology, Section Microbial Immunology. Accepted.
- Crawford, L.B., M. Hancock, H. Struthers, D.N. Streblow, A.D. Yurochko, P. Caposio, F.D. Goodrum J.A Nelson. 2020. CD34+ Hematopoietic progenitor cell subsets exhibit differential ability to maintain HCMV latency and persistence. J. Virol. 95:e02105-20. PMID: 33177198
- Fulkerson, H.L., L. Chesnokova, J.H. Kim, J. Mahmud, L.E. Frazier, G.C. Chan, and A.D. Yurochko. 2020. Human cytomegalovirus-induced signaling through gB-EGFR engagement is required for viral trafficking and nuclear translocation in primary human monocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117:19507-19516. PMID: 32723814
- Hancock MH, Crawford LB, Pham AH, Mitchell J, Struthers HM, Yurochko AD, Caposio P, and Nelson JA. 2019. Human cytomegalovirus miRNAs regulate TGF-β to mediate myelosuppression while maintaining viral latency in CD34+hematopoietic progenitor cells. Cell Host & Microbe 104-114.e4. PMID: 31866424
- E X, Meraner P, Lu P, Perreira JM, Aker AM, McDougall WM, Zhuge R, Chan GC, Gerstein R, Caposio P, Yurochko AD, Brass AL, Kowalik TF. 2019. OR14I1 is a receptor for the human cytomegalovirus pentameric complex and defines viral epithelial cell tropism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 116(14):7043-7052. PMID: 30894498
- Crawford LB, Kim JH, Collins-McMillen D, Lee BJ Landais I, Held C, Nelson JA, Yurochko AD, Caposio P. 2018. HCMV encodes a novel FLT3 receptor ligand necessary for hematopoietic cell differentiation and viral reactivation. mBio 9:e00682-18. PMID: 29691342
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Hancock MH, Crawford LB, Pham AH, Mitchell J, Struthers HM, Yurochko AD, Caposio P, and Nelson JA. 2019. Human cytomegalovirus miRNAs regulate TGF-β to mediate myelosuppression while maintaining viral latency in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells.. Cell Host & Microbe doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2019.11.013.
- Collins-McMillen D, Stevenson EV, Kim JH, Lee BJ, Cieply SJ, Nogalski MT, Chan GC, Frost RW 3rd, C.R. Spohn CR, Yurochko AD. 2017. Human cytomegalovirus utilizes a nontraditional signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 activation cascade via signaling through epidermal growth factor receptor and integrins to efficiently promote the motility, differentiation, and polarization of infected monocytes. J Virol 91:e00622-17. PMID: 29021395
- Kim JH, Collins-McMillen D, Goodrum FD, Yurochko AD. 2017. Human Cytomegalovirus Requires Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling To Enter and Initiate the Early Steps in the Establishment of Latency in CD34+ Human Progenitor Cells. J Virol 91: e01206-16. PMID: 27974567
- Collins-McMillen D, Kim JH, Nogalski MT, Stevenson EV, Chan GC, Caskey JR, Cieply SJ, Yurochko AD. 2016. Human Cytomegalovirus Promotes Survival of Infected Monocytes via a Distinct Temporal Regulation of Cellular Bcl-2 Family Proteins. J Virol 90:2356-2371. PMID: 26676786 (J. Virol. Spotlight).
- Kim JH, Collins-McMillen D, Caposio P, Yurochko AD. 2016. Viral binding-induced signaling drives a unique and extended intracellular trafficking pattern during infection of primary monocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 113(31):8819-8824. PMID: 27432979
Team
Dr. Liudmila S. Chesnokova
Email: lchesn@lsuhsc.edu
Yurochko Laboratory
Dr. Chesnokova investigates how human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein complexes contribute to productive cell infection, persistence, and disease.
Dr. Byeong-Jae Lee
Email: blee19@lsuhsc.edu
Yurochko Laboratory
Dr. Lee focuses on how HCMV regulation of host signaling influences cellular differentiation to promote dissemination and monocytes and macrophages to promote life-long viral persistence.
Dr. Chan-ki Min
Email: cmin@lsuhsc.edu
Yurochko Laboratory
Dr. Min investigates HCMV infection in monocytes and the influence on macrophage phenotype.
Dr. Akhalesh K. Shakya
Email: ashaky@lsuhsc.edu
Yurochko Laboratory
Dr. Shakya investigates HCMV regulation of host cell signaling and cytokines in myelosuppression.
Bailey S. Mosher
B.S., Microbial, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, Auburn University, 2016
Research: HCMV utilizes a unique intracellular trafficking pattern in peripheral blood monocytes. This trafficking pattern is critical for successful nuclear translocation and ultimately a productive viral infection. My project is to determine the mechanics behind this viral trafficking pattern in monocytes. Currently, I am focusing on trafficking through the TGN as a critical trafficking event prior to nuclear translocation.
Joseph I. Eniafe
B.S., Microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, 2016
Research: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a recalcitrant form of breast cancer with poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence supports extra-metabolic roles for metabolites of the tri-carboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Screening membrane-permeable versions of the TCA cycle intermediates identified citrate and fumarate as inhibitors of human TNBC proliferation and migration. My project seeks to identify how treatments with these metabolites affect TNBC cells by modulating the expression of miRNAs and oncogenes that are associated with TNBC tumor progression.
Positions
Postdocs: We are not actively recruiting postdoctoral fellows, but qualified candidates will be considered. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Yurochko via email.
Graduate students: Students interested in working in our Department should visit our Graduate Program website.
Undergraduate students: Our Undergraduate Biomedical Research Fellowship program provides bright undergraduates a chance to gain hands-on research experience through a paid internship. Learn more about our Undergraduate Fellowship.
contact
Contact Us
LSU Health Shreveport
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
1501 Kings Hwy
Shreveport, LA 71103
Email:
andrew.yurochko@lsuhs.edu
Office:
(318) 675-8332
