Klase Lab
Zacahary Klase, PhD
zk76@drexel.edu
Klase Lab
Pharmacology and Physiology Department
Drexel University College of Medicine
245 North 15th Street, Mail Stop 488
Philadelphia, PA 19102
The Klase Lab is interested in the overlapping problems of HIV-1 transcription, HIV-1 neuropathogenesis and substance use disorders.
Visit the Klase Lab website.
Ongoing Projects
We are working on:
- Understanding how prescription benzodiazepines (such as Valium and Xanax) alter chromatin and affect viral gene expression.
- Studying the role of the HIV-1 Tat protein in neuropathogenesis.
- Determining how alteration of miRNA expression by the virus may drive neuropathogenesis.
- Describing the mechanism whereby substances of abuse (such as opioids and benzodiazepines) exacerbate HIV-1 associated neurodegenerative disorders.
- Studying the immune mechanisms that allow a small fraction of HIV-1 infected individuals to control the virus in the absence of therapy.
- Developing technologies to improve our understanding of epigenetics and chromatin dynamics in the nucleus.
High-resolution imaging of chromatin in three dimensions: green – histone H3 methylated at lysine 27, red – the methyltransferase SUV39H1
Prescription benzodiazepines activate the latent HIV-1 LTR
The Tat protein and morphine show combined affect in suppressing β-catenin, a key neuroprotective factor
A model for alprazolam alters the chromatin at the integrated HIV-1 LTR through inhibition of RUNX1 and activation of STAT5.
Back to Top