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Dr. Kanmogne's Laboratory

Georgette Kanmogne, PhD, in lab working with microscope.

Research Interests

  • Investigate the role of chemokine receptors and viral proteins on HIV-induced vascular injury, blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neurocognitive impairment. Studies focused on the role of the vascular endothelium in HIV brain and lung pathology and co-morbidities.
  • Investigate the mechanisms through which CCR5 modulates HIV cellular interactions and viral entry into the brain. Characterize the effects of HIV and infected blood leukocytes on the human brain endothelium in vitro and in vivo, and the mechanisms through HIV and infected leukocytes induces blood-brain barrier dysfunction and contribute to HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND).
  • Investigate the pathogenesis and mechanisms responsible for increase amyloidogenesis, Tau pathology and neurodegeneration in HIV/AIDS; crosstalk between HAND and Alzheimer’s Disease pathologies.
  • Investigate the prevalence and risk factors for HAND in people living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. These include investigating the role viral genetics, epigenetics, genetic polymorphism, and mutations plays in the risk of developing HAND, modulation of HIV replication, drug resistance, efficacy of antiretroviral drugs, and non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy.
  • Investigate the pathogenesis and mechanisms responsible for increase lung pathology and pulmonary complications in COVID-19: role of the vascular endothelium and cell-cell communications.

Long-Term Goals

To identify the mechanisms through which viral-transduced signals at the vascular endothelium and cellular communications influence disease pathology and comorbidities; use the knowledge gained to design novel therapeutic strategies against viral-induced injury of the vascular endothelium and associated brain and lung comorbidities.

Lab Personnel

Georgette Kanmogne, PhD

Professor, UNMC Department of Anesthesiology

Georgette Kanmogne, PhD, headshot
Biju Bhargavan, PhD

Instructor, UNMC Department of Anesthesiology

Biju Bhargavan, PhD, headshot
Narendran Annadurai

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Lab Techniques
  • Cell and tissue culture
  • Cell adhesion and migration assays, trans-endothelial electric resistance (TEER)
  • Mice reconstitution with human immune cells, HIV infection, collection and analysis of animal’s blood/plasma, and organs (ELISA, histology, Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, qPCR, Western blot)
  • FACS analysis and laser confocal microscopy
  • Protein expression, purification, quantification, and analysis (ELISA, Western blot, ChIP and luciferases assays)
  • Nucleic acid purification and analyses (PCR, reverse transcription-PCR, real-time PCR, gene arrays, Southern and Northern blot analysis)
  • HIV quantitation: p24 antigen and reserve transcriptase assays, RNAscope
  • Autoradiography
Current Funding
  • R01 MH132517-01A1: Preventing Alzheimer's Disease-Like Brain Pathology in HIV Infection by Targeting CCR5.
Previous Funding
  • 1R21 MH123303-0A1: Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Brain Pathology in HIV Infection by Targeting CCR5.
  • 1R01 MH094160-01A1: HIV Genetic Diversity and Viral Neuropathogenesis
  • 1R01MH081780-01A1: Blood brain barrier immune compromise in NeuroAIDS
  • 1R21 MH080611: NeuroAIDS in Cameroon: Molecular Mechanisms
  • American Lung Association Career Investigator Award # CI-9817-N: Mechanisms of HIV-1 gp120-induced vascular injury and AIDS pulmonary complications.
  • 1K01 MH068214-01: HIV-1 gp120-Induced Endothelial Cell Dysfunction
  • American Foundation for AIDS Research Grant # 70541-30-RF: Cellular Mechanisms in AIDS Dementia.

Select Publications

HIV Infection, Antiretroviral Drugs, and the Vascular Endothelium

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins and Cell-Cell Communication Induce P-Selectin and Markers of Endothelial Injury, NETosis, and Inflammation in Human Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells and Neutrophils: Implications for the Pathogenesis of COVID-19 Coagulopathy

CCR5 antagonist reduces HIV-induced amyloidogenesis, tau pathology, neurodegeneration, and blood-brain barrier alterations in HIV-infected hu-PBL-NSG mice

Read more

Collaborators

James Eudy, PhD

Associate Professor, UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy
Director, UNMC Genomics Core Facility

Howard Fox, MD, PhD

Professor, UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences
Senior Associate Dean of Research and Development, UNMC College of Medicine
Director, Center for Integrative and Translational Neuroscience
Co-Investigator, Co-Director, Great Plains IDeA-CTR

JoEllyn McMillan, PhD

Associate Professor, UNMC Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

Fang Yu, PhD

Professor, UNMC Department of Biostatistics
CCORDA, Director

Fang Qiu, MS

Statistician III, UNMC Department of Biostatistics

Anya Umlauf, MS

Research Data Analyst, UCSD

Alfred K. Njamnshi, MD, MA, DMS

Chief, Neurology Department, Yaoundé Central Hospital, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon
Chair, Neurology & Neuroscience Training Programmes
Director, Residency Training Programmes
Faculty, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon
CEO and Founder, Brain Research Africa Initiative

Dora Mbanya, MD, PhD

Chair, Department of Hematology, Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology & Infectious Diseases
Professor, Hematology
Faculty, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon
General Manager, National Blood Transfusion Centre, Cameroon

Claude Tayou Tagny, MD, MSC

Chair, Hematology and Blood Transfusion Service, University Teaching Hospital, Yaoundé
Professor, Hematology
Faculty, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon