Author: Konstantin G Kousoulas

1.

The Novel Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) Vaccine Strain VC2 Constitutively Expressing GM-CSF Causes Increased Intratumoral T Cell Infiltration and Inhibition of Tumor Metastasis in the 4T1/Balb/c Mouse Model of Stage Four Breast Cancer

Nabi R, Chouljenko V, Musarrat F, Davis M, Mohan H, Ghavimi R, et al.

J Med Virol . 2025 Feb; 97(2):e70220. PMID: 39930884

Oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) aims to disrupt the tumor microenvironment and provide a unique therapeutic approach against solid tumors. Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) has shown strong promise for treating various...

2.

A Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1-Derived Influenza Vaccine Induces Balanced Adaptive Immune Responses and Protects Mice From Lethal Influenza Virus Challenge

Rider P, Dulin H, Uche I, McGee M, Huang W, Kousoulas K, et al.

J Med Virol . 2024 Nov; 96(11):e70067. PMID: 39568407

Influenza virus is a major respiratory viral pathogen responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands worldwide each year. Current vaccines provide protection primarily by inducing strain-specific antibody responses with...

3.

Targeting Cancers with oHSV-Based Oncolytic Viral Immunotherapy

Nasar R, Uche I, Kousoulas K

Curr Issues Mol Biol . 2024 Jun; 46(6):5582-5594. PMID: 38921005

The recent success of cancer immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIs), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), cancer vaccines, and adoptive cellular therapies (ACTs), has revolutionized traditional cancer treatment. However, these immunotherapeutic...

4.

Guinea pig herpes like virus is a gamma herpesvirus

Stanfield B, Ruiz E, Chouljenko V, Kousoulas K

Virus Genes . 2024 Feb; 60(2):148-158. PMID: 38340271

Guinea Pig Herpes-Like Virus (GPHLV) is a virus isolated from leukemic guinea pigs with herpes virus-like morphology described by Hsiung and Kaplow in 1969. GPHLV transformed embryonic cells from Syrian...

5.

Th2 and Th17-associated immunopathology following SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in Spike-vaccinated ACE2-humanized mice

Zhang T, Magazine N, McGee M, Carossino M, Veggiani G, Kousoulas K, et al.

J Med Virol . 2024 Jan; 96(1):e29408. PMID: 38258331

Vaccines have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in protecting against COVID-19; however, concerns regarding vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory diseases (VAERD) following breakthrough infections have emerged. Spike protein subunit vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 induce VAERD...

6.

Th2 and Th17-Associated Immunopathology Following SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infection in Spike-Vaccinated ACE2-humanized Mice

Zhang T, Magazine N, McGee M, Carossino M, Veggiani G, Kousoulas K, et al.

bioRxiv . 2023 Oct; PMID: 37904941

Vaccines have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in protecting against COVID-19; however, concerns regarding vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory diseases (VAERD) following breakthrough infections have emerged. Spike protein subunit vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 induce VAERD...

7.

Unlocking the Potential of Kinase Targets in Cancer: Insights from CancerOmicsNet, an AI-Driven Approach to Drug Response Prediction in Cancer

Singha M, Pu L, Srivastava G, Ni X, Stanfield B, Uche I, et al.

Cancers (Basel) . 2023 Aug; 15(16). PMID: 37627077

Deregulated protein kinases are crucial in promoting cancer cell proliferation and driving malignant cell signaling. Although these kinases are essential targets for cancer therapy due to their involvement in cell...

8.

The Oncolytic herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) vaccine strain VC2 causes intratumor infiltration of functionally active T cells and inhibition of tumor metastasis and pro-tumor genes VEGF and PDL1 expression in the 4T1/Balb/c mouse model of stage...

Nabi R, Musarrat F, Menk P Lima J, Langohr I, Chouljenko V, Kousoulas K

Front Mol Biosci . 2023 Jun; 10:1199068. PMID: 37388243

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) provide new modalities for cancer therapy either alone or in combination with synergistic immunotherapies and/or chemotherapeutics. Engineered Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) has shown strong promise for...

9.

Effect of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling on radiation-induced chemokine expression in human osteosarcoma cells

Withers S, Moeller C, Quick C, Liu C, Baham S, Looper J, et al.

PLoS One . 2023 Apr; 18(4):e0284645. PMID: 37079538

Cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms affecting radiation immunomodulation could be exploited to optimize systemic effects of localized radiation. Radiation-induced DNA damage is sensed by cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which ultimately activates stimulator...

10.

Inactivation of the UL37 Deamidase Enhances Virus Replication and Spread of the HSV-1(VC2) Oncolytic Vaccine Strain and Secretion of GM-CSF

Clark C, Jambunathan N, Collantes T, Kousoulas K

Viruses . 2023 Feb; 15(2). PMID: 36851581

The HSV-1 (VC2) live-attenuated vaccine strain was engineered with specific deletions in the amino termini of glycoprotein K (gK) and membrane protein UL20, rendering the virus unable to enter neurons...