Kevin Cassady
Contact Information
Professor, Pediatrics
Areas of Expertise
- Cancer Biology
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Medicine
- Molecular Neurobiology
Education
- PhD: University of Alabama
My research focuses on the pathogenic mechanisms by which Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) evade immune recognition in infected cells. I have studied HSV virology for over 20 years. Specifically, I have focused on how HSV negotiates antiviral interferon signaling proteins during the initial hours of infection and its role in governing viral replication and neurovirulence. These studies led to the development of an avirulent HSV/HCMV chimeric virus (C134) as an anti-tumor therapeutic. In addition to advancing C134 to Phase I clinical trial, our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which the infected cell elicits the cellular immune response and ways to engineer the virus to enhance this response. By engineering viral vectors for CNS tumor treatment we are also actively engaged in virotherapy and its impact on the immune mediated anti-tumor response.