Paul R. (Kip) Kinchington, PhD

Dr. Kinchington’s research addresses two human herpesviruses that infect the majority of the population and cause significant vision loss and blindness: Varicella zoster virus  (VZV), the cause of Herpes zoster, debilitating pain and many ocular problems; and Herpes simplex virus type 1, (HSV1) which induces some quarter of a million yearly episodes of blinding stromal keratitis.   Both viruses remain in a latent state in sensory neuronal ganglia, and cause disease upon reactivation.   The interaction of these viruses with the neuron, the host innate/adaptive immune responses and the infected cell is what drives our research. 

Work on VZV is aimed at preventing and treating the common and debilitating pain associated with 90% of zoster (Shingles), a disease most commonly seen in the elderly or immune compromised.  VZV causes more neurological problems than all other human viruses combined.   Our work uses an animal model in which VZV causes signs of pain, anxiety and hypersensitivity to touch and heat, all often seen in zoster patients. We aim to address virological, immunological and physiological changes that occur at the ganglia when VZV induces pain, and new treatment strategies.  Two recent developments are the identification of a virus mutant that prevents VZV from causing pain, and the development of a gene delivery approach to the ganglia that treats VZV induced pain. We are also developing systems to study virus transport and latency in vitro.   The work on HSV-1 is aimed at preventing reactivation of HSV-1 from latency, using a mouse model of HSV ocular infection and latency. We aim to delineate the virology of factors affecting the specificity, activity of a cellular immune infitrate of the latently infected ganglia, which can block reactivation from the latent state.  This may be the only means to reduce HSV-1 reactivation.

Lab Personnel

Michael Yee, BS Research Specialist/lab Manager
Sarah Bidula MS, MA  Research Specialist
Jean Marc Guedon, Graduate student MVM program
Benjamin Treat, Graduate student MVM program
Steve Harvey, PhD Molecular Biology/Bioinformatics Research Specialist
Kimberley Payne, PhD Post doctoral Researcher 

Areas of Interest

HSV and VZV neurotropism, Latency and Pathogenesis; Viral protein kinases and their targets