Thomas W. Geisbert

Thomas W. Geisbert, Ph.D.

Associate Director, NEIDL Institute
Director, Specimen Processing Core, NEIDL Institute
Professor of Microbiology
Professor of Medicine
geisbert@bu.edu

B.A.  Western Maryland College
M.S.  Hood College
Ph.D.  Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Geisbert_Pic
ebola
Tom Geisbert

Ebola virus

Our laboratory focuses on the pathogenesis of emerging and re-emerging viruses that require Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) containment and on the development of countermeasures against these viruses.  Our work particularly emphasizes studies on viruses causing hemorrhagic fever (HF) including Ebola virus, Marburg virus, and Lassa virus.  Efforts focus on: 1) developing, refining and characterizing animal models that accurately reproduce human viral HF infection; 2) identifying critical pathogenic processes of viral HF infections that could be exploited as targets for therapeutic interventions.  Particular emphasis is placed on determining the basis of coagulopathy and shock that characterize HF viral infections; and 3) measuring the therapeutic benefits of interrupting pathogenic processes that are important in the development of HF viral infection.  Currently, there are no vaccines against Ebola, Marburg, or Lassa viruses approved for use in humans.  Our laboratory focuses primarily on using recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) as a vaccine vector for viral HF.  We have shown that rVSV-based HF viral vaccines can completely protect nonhuman primates against Ebola HF, Marburg HF, and Lassa fever.  Specific interest areas include modifying rVSV vectors for optimal safety and immunogenicity, identifying antigens needed to develop a multiagent vaccine that can protect against major groups of HF viruses, and determining the role of cellular and host immune responses in protection.

 

Representative publications

  1. Hensley LE, Stevens EL, Yan SB, Geisbert JB, Macias WL, Larsen T, Daddario-DiCaprio KM, Cassell GH, Jahrling PB, Geisbert TW. 2007. Recombinant human activated protein C for the postexposure treatment of Ebola hemorrhagic fever. J Infect Dis. 196 Suppl 2:S390-S399.
  2. Bradfute SB, Braun DR, Shamblin JD, Geisbert JB, Paragas J, Garrison A, Hensley LE, Geisbert TW. 2007. Lymphocyte death in a mouse model of Ebola virus infection. J Infect Dis. 196 Suppl 2:S296-S304.
  3. Rubins KH, Hensley LE, Wahl-Jensen V, Daddario Dicaprio KM, Young H, Reed DS, Jahrling PB, Brown PO, Relman DA, Geisbert TW.  2007. The temporal program of peripheral blood gene expression in the response of non-human primates to Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Genome Biol. Aug 28;8(8):R174 [Epub ahead of print].
  4. Feldmann H, Jones SM, Daddario-Dicaprio KM, Geisbert JB, Stroher U, Grolla A, Bray M, Fritz EA, Fernando L, Feldmann F, Hensley LE, Geisbert TW. 2007. Effective post-exposure treatment of Ebola infection. PLoS Pathog. Jan 19;3(1):e2 [Epub ahead of print].
  5. Geisbert TW, Hensley LE, Kagan E, Zhaoying Yu E, Geisbert JB, Daddario-DiCaprio K, Fritz EA, Jahrling PB, McClintock K, Phelps JR, Lee ACH, Judge A, Jeffs LB, MacLachlan I.  2006. Postexposure protection of guinea pigs against a lethal Ebola virus challenge is conferred by RNA interference.  J. Infect. Dis. 193:1650-1657.
  6. Daddario-DiCaprio KM, Geisbert TW, Stroher U, Geisbert JB, Grolla A, Fritz EA, Fernando L, Kagan E, Jahrling PB, Hensley LE, Jones SM, Feldmann H.  2006. Postexposure protection against Marburg haemorrhagic fever with recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vectors in non-human primates: an efficacy assessment.  Lancet 367:1399-1404.
  7. Geisbert TW, Jones S, Fritz EA, Shurtleff AC, Geisbert JB, Liebscher R, Grolla A, Ströher U, Daddario KM, Guttieri MC, Mothé BR, Hensley LE, Jahrling PB, Feldmann H.  2005. Development of a new rapid vaccine for the prevention of Lassa fever.  PLoS Med. Jun;2(6):e183. Epub 2005 Jun 28.
  8. Jones SM, Feldmann H, Ströher U, Geisbert JB, Fernando L, Grolla A, Klenk H-D, Sullivan NJ, Volchkov VE, Fritz EA, Daddario KM, Hensley LE, Jahrling PB, Geisbert TW. 2005. Live attenuated recombinant vaccine platform protects non-human primates against lethal challenge with either Ebola virus or Marburg virus.  Nat. Med. 11, Published online. doi:10.1038/nm1258.
  9. Geisbert TW, Jahrling PB. 2004. Exotic emerging viral diseases: progress and challenges. Nat. Med. 10(12 Suppl):S110-121.
  10. Geisbert TW, Hensley LE, Jahrling PB, Larsen T, Geisbert JB, Paragas J, Young HA, Fredeking TM, Rote WE, Vlasuk GP. 2003. Treatment of Ebola virus infection with a recombinant inhibitor of factor VIIa/tissue factor: a study in rhesus monkeys.  Lancet 362:1953-1958.
  11. Geisbert TW, Hensley LE, Larsen T, Young HA, Reed DS, Geisbert JB, Scott DP, Kagan E, Jahrling PB, Davis KJ. 2003. Pathogenesis of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in cynomolgus macaques:  evidence that dendritic cells are early and sustained targets of infection.  Am. J. Pathol. 163:2347-2370.
  12. Hensley LE, Young HA, Jahrling PB, Geisbert TW. 2002. Proinflammatory response during Ebola virus infection of primate models:  possible involvement of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily.  Immunol. Lett. 80:169-179.

Selected Book Chapters

  1. Jahrling PB, Marty AM, Geisbert TW.  Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers.  Textbook of Military Medicine, Borden Institute, Washington, DC, 2007, p. 271-310.
  2. Sanchez A, Geisbert TW, Feldmann H.  Filoviridae: Marburg and Ebola Viruses.  In: Knipe DM, Howley PM, Griffin DE, et al., eds.  Fields Virology, 5th ed.  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2006, p. 1409-1448.
  3. Geisbert TW, Jahrling PB, Larsen T, Davis KJ, Hensley LE.  Filovirus Pathogenesis in Nonhuman Primates.  In:  Klenk H-D, Feldmann H, eds.  Ebola and Marburg Viruses:  Molecular and Cellular Biology.  Horizon Bioscience, Norfolk, UK, 2004, p. 203-238.

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Primary teaching affiliate
of BU School of Medicine