Research Interest

The focus of Dr. Luo’s research program is to define the molecular and pathogenetic determinants of virus-host interactions in enterovirus-induced cardiac and neurodegenerative diseases. The ongoing research projects include: (1) Understanding molecular mechanisms of impaired cardiac function in enteroviral myocarditis. This research focuses on the protein quality control system, which includes molecular chaperones and protein degradation pathways (i.e., the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy) with the long-term goal to design effective molecular therapies for this disease; (2) Determining the possible role of enteroviral infection in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Luo’s laboratory recently made an exciting discovery that enteroviral infection results in the hallmark molecular and pathological features of ALS. The current project aims to establish and understand the contribution of enteroviral infection in the pathogenesis of ALS and to test whether application of anti-enterovirus drugs can lessen the progression of ALS; and (3) Developing coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) as an oncolytis virus for lung cancer treatment. Using cell and mouse models, Dr. Luo’s group recently found that CVB3 is an extremely potent anti-tumor virus, destroying various types of lung cancer cells, with limited effects on normal cells. The present research is to genetically engineer CVB3 to further enhance its safety and anti-tumor potency for the treatment of lung cancer.