Development of an Animal Model for Radiofrequency Ablation of Primary, Virally Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Woodchuck

To develop a consistent and reproducible method in an animal model for studies of radiofrequency ablation of primary HCC

Virus discovery reveals frequent infection by diverse novel members of the Flaviviridae in wild lemurs

Lemurs are highly endangered mammals inhabiting the forests of Madagascar. In this study, we performed virus discovery on serum samples collected from 84 wild lemurs and identified viral sequence fragments from 4 novel viruses within the family Flaviviridae, including members of the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus. The sifaka hepacivirus (SifHV, two genotypes) and pegivirus (SifPgV, two genotypes) were discovered in the diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema), while other pegiviral fragments were detected in samples from the indri (Indri indri, IndPgV) and the weasel sportive lemur (Lepilemur mustelinus, LepPgV). Although data are preliminary, each viral species appeared host species-specific and frequent infection was detected (18 of 84 individuals were positive for at least one virus). The complete coding sequence and partial 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs) were obtained for SifHV and its genomic organization was consistent with that of other hepaciviruses, with one unique polyprotein and highly structured UTRs. Phylogenetic analyses showed the SifHV belonged to a clade that includes several viral species identified in rodents from Asia and North America, while SifPgV and IndPgV were more closely related to pegiviral species A and C, that include viruses found in humans as well as New- and Old-World monkeys. Our results support the current proposed model of virus-host co-divergence with frequent occurrence of cross-species transmission for these genera and highlight how the discovery of more members of the Flaviviridae can help clarify the ecology and evolutionary history of these viruses. Furthermore, this knowledge is important for conservation and captive management of lemurs

Persistent viremia by a novel parvovirus in a slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) with diffuse histiocytic sarcoma

Cancer is one of the leading health concerns for human and animal health. Since the tumorigenesis process is not completely understood and it is known that some viruses can induce carcinogenesis, it is highly important to identify novel oncoviruses and extensively study underlying oncogenic mechanisms. Here, we investigated a case of diffuse histiocytic sarcoma in a 22 year old slow loris (Nycticebus coucang), using a broad spectrum virus discovery technique. A novel parvovirus was discovered and the phylogenetic analysis performed on its fully sequenced genome demonstrated that it represents the first member of a novel genus. The possible causative correlation between this virus and the malignancy was further investigated and 20 serum and 61 organ samples from 25 animals (N. coucang and N. pygmaeus) were screened for the novel virus but only samples collected from the originally infected animal were positive. The virus was present in all tested organs (intestine, liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs) and in all banked serum samples collected up to 8 years before death. All attempts to identify a latent viral form (integrated or episomal) were unsuccessful and the increase of variation in the viral sequences during the years was consistent with absence of latency. Since it is well known that parvo viruses are dependent on cell division to successfully replicate, we hypothesized that the virus could have benefitted from the constantly dividing cancer cells and may not have been the cause of the histiocytic sarcoma. It is also possible to conjecture that the virus had a role in delaying the tumor progression and this report might bring new exciting opportunities in recognizing viruses to be used in cancer virotherap