Three of the main researchers involved include RICHARD EBERLE, P h . D. , m o l e c u l a r b i o l o g y/v i ro l o g y p ro fe ss o r i n t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Veterinary Pathobiology; LARA MAXWELL, DVM, Ph.D., American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology diplomate and professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences; and GRANT REZABEK, MPH, DVM, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Veterinary Pat h o b i o l o g y a n d ve te r i n a r y p at h o l o g i st at t h e O k l a h o m a A n i m a l Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY LAWSON / UNIVERSITY MARKETING
“I have been very lucky to work with Dr. Eberle and his technician, Darla Black, since coming to Oklahoma State University in 2003,” Maxwell says. “Dr. Eberle is one of the world’s premier researchers in Monkey B virus and in Herpesvirus Papio 2 (HVP-2). HVP-2 affects baboons and Monkey B virus affects macaques.” While neither virus produces much disease in their host species, they can produce devastating neurological disease and death in the majority of people they infect.
“B virus is very closely related to herpes simplex virus (HSV) that people have,” Eberle says. “In monkeys, it’s just like HSV in humans; they get oral and genital lesions. But when (Monkey B virus) is transmitted to humans, it’s about 80 percent lethal. Because Monkey B virus is so dangerous, it is the primary zoonotic concern for people working with macaques, which are a really essential animal model for biomedical research like AIDS research.”
“So we are interested in preventing these devastating consequences of infection in people by figuring out which antiviral drugs will best protect people from developing disease if they are exposed to Monkey B virus or HVP-2,” Maxwell says. “Although HVP-2 has not been shown to be pathogenic to people, it is being used as a model for Monkey B virus because Monkey B virus is so dangerous to work with. Our research has shown that HVP-2 does parallel Monkey B virus in its drug sensitivity. CONTINUES
Drs. Richard Eberle (from left), Lara Maxwell and Grant Rezabek are collaborating on research on herpes viruses.
2016 Oklahoma State University
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