The scientists have found that some people in these urban areas are concurrently infected with multiple strains of simian foamy virus, including recombinant strains — those from more than one source — originally detected in the monkeys.

“These Asian rhesus macaques are Darwinian superstars,” said Lisa Jones-Engel, a primatologist with the National Primate Research Center at the 91±¬ÁĎ and the project leader. “They are very responsive to change and, unlike many other species of primates, they are going to continue to thrive in human-altered habitats.”

Simian foamy viruses, which are ubiquitous in nonhuman primates, are retroviruses that exhibit high levels of mutation and recombination – a potentially explosive combination.

In a paper published Sept. 4 in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections, the scientists characterize the simian retroviral strains that are being transmitted between species and provide a glimpse into the behaviors of humans and monkeys contributing to the infections.

By analyzing what is happening at the human-primate interface, the researchers hope to protect humans from another deadly outbreak similar to HIV.  They focus on Asia because that continent has witnessed the emergence of several infectious diseases in the past decade. Asia also has a volatile combination of a population that is increasingly mobile and with a compromised immune response living in proximity with animals.

In the study, researchers collected biological samples from hundreds of people and macaques in five urban sites, as well as from a group of nomadic people who travel throughout Bangladesh with their performing monkeys.

The research team found that transmission of simian foamy virus between species occurred most commonly through bites. Simian foamy virus replicates in oral tissues and is secreted in the saliva of infected primates.  In their study, more than half of the  subjects reported having been bitten at least once by a rhesus macaque, but the percentage of subjects reporting having being bitten at each site varied significantly by subjects’ sex and religion. Researchers also found that primates, both human and nonhuman, can be infected with more than one strain of simian foamy virus, which is significant because co-infection can lead to viral recombination.

Among those infected with more than one strain of simian foamy virus – humans or macaques – recombination between the strains could occur.

Maxine Linial, a retrovirologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said successful viruses are readily transmitted and viruses evolve to be successful. She said viruses sometimes have effects on hosts to aid in transmission and these effects can have potential disease-causing consequences.

Simian foamy virus is not currently known to cause disease, but that was also the case for simian immunodeficiency virus before recombination and mutation allowed infection of and transmission between new hosts, Linial said.

“The possibility that a pathogenic SFV strain could arise makes it essential to monitor natural infections.  If a viral strain with pathogenic potential arises, we will know about it early rather than too late, which was the situation with the emergence of HIV,” she said.

By using mutations in the viruses that differentiated them from one another, the researchers were able to group the viruses into strains. They found that these strains showed a strong geographic signal, where monkeys from each given area primarily had strains characteristic of that site. However, deforestation and human transport of monkeys concentrated the strains and then moved them.

The data show a population in transition, said Frederick Matsen, a computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson.

“If we were to sample 25 years earlier or 25 years later we would have seen a completely different story,” he said.

Since more humans have been shown to have been infected with simian foamy viruses through primate contact more than with any other simian-borne virus, the researchers reason that pinpointing the factors that influence transmission and infection are important to a general understanding of how viruses can jump the species barrier.

“If we want to understand how, where and why these primate viruses are being transmitted, we need to be looking at (simian foamy virus) in Asia where millions of people and tens of thousands of macaques are interacting every day and where we estimate that thousands of people could be infected with strains of SFV,” said 91±¬ÁĎ researcher Jones-Engel.

Jones-Engel said if researchers had been on the ground 50 years ago, they may have seen how simian immunodeficiency viruses crossed the species barrier resulting in HIV.

“We have been playing catch up with the SIV-HIV question for years,” she said. “We still don’t know why only some viral strains are capable of establishing persistent infections in humans.”

Jones-Engel said long-term surveillance is needed in the areas where humans and primates come into contact, since it’s unlikely that SIV-HIV will be the last primate virus to emerge into the human population.

Regardless of whether simian foamy virus becomes a significant pathogen, researchers called for continued monitoring of the virus at the human and nonhuman primate interface.

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91±¬ÁĎ Medicine and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have recruited world renowned and brain cancer Eric Holland to establish world-class research programs on brain and other solid-tumor cancers. He will leave Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and arrive in Seattle this summer.

At 91±¬ÁĎ Medicine, Holland will be a professor of neurological surgery, hold the Chap and Eve Alvord and Elias Alvord Chair in Neuro-oncology, and direct the , established in 2009 to promote, develop and coordinate interdisciplinary brain tumor care and research among physicians and scientists in a variety of fields.

One of Holland’s priorities will be to recruit a team of internationally recognized brain cancer investigators to implement the vision of the late Ellsworth “Buster” Alvord, former head of neuropathology in the 91±¬ÁĎ Department of Pathology and a Seattle philanthropist. Alvord and his family funded five endowed chairs in five different 91±¬ÁĎ Medicine departments to create a multidisciplinary brain cancer research center.

“Eric Holland is exceptionally well qualified to lead the Alvord Brain Tumor Center, and I am confident that he will recruit outstanding researchers and clinicians to establish the Alvord Center as the best in the world,” said CEO of 91±¬ÁĎ Medicine and dean of the 91±¬ÁĎ School of Medicine. “Under Dr. Holland’s leadership, we will be able to fulfill the vision for brain cancer research and clinical care established by Buster Alvord when he and his family made their extraordinarily generous commitment to establish the Alvord Center. I am delighted to welcome Eric Holland to 91±¬ÁĎ Medicine.”

At Fred Hutch, where Holland’s research laboratory will be based, he will be senior vice president and director of the , an interdisciplinary program that encourages collaboration among faculty with a broad range of expertise – from molecular and cellular biology to genetics and clinical research. The division’s structure fosters laboratory, computational and clinical research that yields discoveries which can be rapidly translated into cancer treatments. Holland will oversee the recruitment of new scientists who are at the forefront of solid-tumor translational research in such areas as breast, prostate, gastrointestinal and other cancers.

With advances in genomics increasingly playing an important role in solid-tumor oncology, Holland’s expertise in this area will provide strong leadership to strengthen Seattle’s reputation in translational, solid-tumor research.

“I am thrilled at the prospect of working with the world’s leading experts in genome sciences, computational biology and those involved in the development of novel platforms for delivering innovative therapies to cancer patients,” Holland said. “The highly collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of cancer research at Fred Hutch and 91±¬ÁĎ Medicine provides a solid foundation to build on.”

Scientists have discovered an amazingly simple way that cells stabilize their machinery for forcing apart chromosomes. Their findings are reported Nov. 25 in Nature.

When a cell gets ready to split into new cells, this stable set-up permits its genetic material to be separated and distributed accurately. Otherwise, problem cells — like cancer cells— arise.

The human body contains more than a trillion cells, and every single cell needs to have the exact same set of chromosomes. Mistakes in moving chromosomes during cell division can lead to babies being born with genetic conditions like Down syndrome, where cells have an extra copy of chromosome 21.

“A striking hallmark of cancer cells,” said one of the senior authors of the study, Sue Biggins, an investigator in the Basic Science Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, “is that they contain the wrong number of chromosomes, so it is essential that that we understand how chromosome separation is controlled. This knowledge would potentially lead to ways to correct defects before they occur, or allow us to try to target cells with the wrong number of chromosomes to prevent them from dividing again.”

The machine inside cells that moves the chromosomes is the kinetochore. These appear on the chromosomes and attach to dynamic filaments during cell division. Kinetochores drive chromosome movement by keeping a grip on the filaments, which are constantly remodeling. The growth and shortening of the filaments tugs on the kinetochores and chromosomes until they separate.

“The kinetochore is one of the largest cellular machines but had never been isolated before,” Biggins said, “Our labs isolated these machines for the first time. This allowed us to analyze their behavior outside of the cell and find out how they control movement.”

“We demonstrated that attachments between kinetochores and microtubule filaments become more stable when they are placed under tension,” noted Dr. Charles “Chip” Asbury, a 91±¬ÁĎ (91±¬ÁĎ) associate professor of physiology and biophysics. Originally trained in mechanical engineering, Asbury studies molecular motors in cells. He is also a senior author on the Nov. 25 Nature paper.

Asbury likened the stabilizing tension on the filament to a Chinese finger trap toy — the harder you try to pull away, the stronger your knuckles are gripped.

Asbury explained how this tension-dependent stabilization helps chromosomes separate according to plan. As cell division approaches, a mitotic spindle forms, so named by 19th century scientists because the gathering microfilaments resemble a wheel spinning thread.

When chromosome pairs are properly connected to the spindle, with one attached to microtubules on the right and the other to microtubules on the left, the kinetochore comes under mechanical tension and the attachment becomes stabilized, sort of like steadying a load by tightening ropes on either side. This is a simple, primitive mechanism.

“On the other hand,” Asbury said,” if the chromosome pair is not properly attached, the kinetochores do not come under full tension. The attachments are unstable and release quickly, giving another chance for proper connections to form.” Kinetochores are not just connectors, but also are regulatory hubs. They sense and fix errors in attachment. They emit “wait” signals until the microtubule filaments are in the right place.

The research team conducted this study using techniques to manipulate single molecules to see how they worked. These methods allow scientists to take measurements not possible in living cells. The native kinetochore particles were purified from budding yeast cells.

To the best of his knowledge, Asbury said, “Intact, functional kinetochores had not previously been isolated from any organism.” The purification of the kinetochores allowed the research team to make the first direct measurements of coupling strength between individual kinetechore particles and dynamic microtubules.

The results of this study contribute to wider efforts to understand a puzzling phenomenon on which all life depends: How are motion and force produced to move duplicated chromosomes apart before cells divide?

The research was funded by grants from the National Institute of General Science at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Packard Foundation, the Kinship Foundation and the Beckman Foundation.

In addition to senior authors Biggins and Asbury, the lead authors on this study are Bungo Akiyoshi, from the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program at the 91±¬ÁĎ and the Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and Krishna K, Sarangapani and Andrew F. Powers, both of the 91±¬ÁĎ Department of Physiology & Biophysics. The research team included Christian R. Nelson, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Steve L. Reichow, 91±¬ÁĎ Department of Biochemistry; Hugo Arellano-Santoyo, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 91±¬ÁĎ Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, and 91±¬ÁĎ Department of Physiology & Biophysics; Tamir Gonen of the 91±¬ÁĎ Department of Biochemistry and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and Jeffrey N. Ranish of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center board of trustees July 30 announced the selection of Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Corey, an internationally renowned expert in virology, immunology and vaccine development, as its new president and director, effective Jan. 1, 2011.

Corey, a member of the 91±¬ÁĎ School of Medicine faculty since 1977, is a 91±¬ÁĎ professor of medicine and of laboratory medicine, and head of the Diagnostic Virology Division.

A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Medicine, he came to the 91±¬ÁĎ in 1975 as a senior fellow in the Division of Infectious Diseases after two years as an epidemic intelligence service officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

The board selected Corey for his leadership and expertise on a number of fronts, including scientific accomplishments and vision, management record, ability to foster partnerships and his leadership style. As a scientist he is known internationally for his research in infectious disease-related cancers, HIV infection, and medical complications of patients with compromised immune systems.

“The Hutchinson Center is a premier research institution and we needed someone with outstanding scientific and leadership credentials to take on this role,” said Doug Walker, chairman of the Hutchinson Center’s board. I am extremely pleased that Larry has decided to lend his vision and talent to advance the Center to the next level; he’s an outstanding leader and can really represent the Center on a world stage.”

“As the Center’s new president and director, it will be a great privilege to work with our faculty, staff and board members to extend and expand the Center’s excellence,” said Corey, whose academic medical career spans more than three decades. He is perhaps best known for his expertise in leading complex scientific coalitions and partnerships in the United States and abroad. These include an international clinical trials network dedicated to HIV-vaccine development.

“I’m committed to honoring the trust the public holds in the Hutchinson Center as a medical research institution,” Corey said. “I’m committed to being an advocate for the Center’s faculty and scientific programs and extending the scientific breadth of our research in the basic, clinical and public health sciences.”

In particular he cites breakthroughs in bone-marrow transplantation and cancer prevention as examples of major achievements for which the Center is noted.

“Cures of numerous cancers, thanks to bone marrow transplantation which was invented by Nobel Laureate E. Donnall Thomas, and the marked reduction in breast cancer rates that has emanated from the Center’s leading role in the Women’s Health Initiative are just two examples of the pioneering work we will expand upon in the next decade,” Corey said.

“There is an urgent need to understand the complexities of cancer as a diverse biological problem,” he continued. “The Center’s strengths in discovering the genes that alter cell fate and control cell division, coupled with research in immunotherapy to harness the body’s immune system to treat cancer, are critical to developing novel approaches to preventing and treating a host of malignancies.”

Corey’s own research is on novel therapies and vaccines for human viral infections, in particular herpes viruses, HIV and infections related to cancer. He is also particularly interested in expanding the Center’s work in understanding the global health implications of cancer.

Under his leadership, and with partial funding from the United States Agency for International Development, the Center last year established the first American cancer clinic and medical training facility in Africa, a joint effort between the Hutchinson Center and the Uganda Cancer Institute. The facility studies and treats cancer, including Burkitts lymphoma, a childhood malignancy related to viral disease.

In addition to providing first-rate cancer care, the collaboration’s medical training program is devoted to improving the quality of medical education in oncology and increasing the number of practicing oncologists in Uganda. Currently there are just two full-time cancer specialists in the country. Two Ugandan physician-scientists have spent year-long fellowships at the Hutchinson Center. Five more will be trained in the next three years. Ultimately it is hoped that the collaboration will lead to a better understanding of the links between infectious disease and cancer, as well as improved prevention and treatment methods in the United States and abroad.

Corey is principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, an international collaboration of scientists and institutions. The network, coordinated at the Hutchinson Center, combines clinical trials and laboratory research to accelerate the development of HIV vaccines. Under Corey’s leadership the network has evolved from research sites in nine American cities to 26 outposts in nine countries on four continents.

In addition to his research, Corey is an infectious disease physician at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and an attending physician in medicine and infectious diseases at 91±¬ÁĎ Medicine. He was also a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Seattle Children’s.

He was named one of the Best Doctors in America 2005-2006 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Patient Education and Advocacy from the American Social Health Association. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Corey’s selection caps an international, year-long search to fill the position. After 13 years as president and director, Nobel Laureate Lee Hartwell will retire this fall.

Corey will become the fourth to hold this position in the Center’s 35-year history. In addition to Hartwell, who will continue to be involved with the Center as director emeritus, Corey is preceded by Robert W. Day who led the Center from 1981 to 1997; and Center founder Bill Hutchinson, who served in that capacity from 1972 to 1981.