Matthew J Evans, PhD
- ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | Microbiology
Research Topics:
Cell Adhesion, Cell Biology, Gap Junctions, Glycobiology, Hepatitis C Virus, Imaging, Infectious Disease, Intracellular Transport, Liver, Lysosomes/endosome, Membrane Proteins/Channels, Membranes, Protein Complexes, Protein Trafficking & Sorting, Retrovirus, Virulence Genes, Viruses and Virology
The Evans Lab studies how hosts and viruses interact, with a focus on the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is responsible for more than half of liver cancers in the Western Hemisphere. While therapies to treat HCV are improving, these drugs will not be available to all patients. Thus further study of this virus is warranted for both therapeutic and vaccine design. One aim of the Evans Lab is to understand how this virus enters host cells. Using a novel HCV permissive polarized cell system, we found that tight junction proteins that we identified as critical to HCV cell entry are used late in this process. We are currently exploring how virion translocation to tight junctions occurs and endocytic signals within tight junction proteins are responsible for virion internalization.
We also study how a liver specific microRNA, miR-122, influences HCV replication and tropism. By modulating miR-122 expression, we created a new cell system that exhibits authentic innate immune responses to HCV infection. We also showed the HCV genetics influences response to miR-122 inhibitors that are currently in clinical development.
Another aim of the Evans Lab is to determine how host differences impact the tight HCV species tropism. By recently showing that pigtail macaques support persistent HCV infection in vivo, we have established the only available immunocompent HCV animal model that will be essential for HCV pathogenesis and vaccine studies. We are further characterizing macaque HCV infections, including how the virus changes during infection and how the host immune system responds.
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Watch a video featuring the Microbiology and Virology PhD Graduate School Program.
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Microbiology [MIC]Education
PhD, Columbia University
Postdoctoral Fellow, The Rockefeller University
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2014
Ann Palmenberg Junior Investigator Award -
2013
Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award -
2012
Kavli Fellow -
2010
Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences -
2008
Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists Postdoctoral Researcher Finalist
Israelow B, Mullokandov G, Agudo J, Sourisseau M, Bashir A, Maldonado AY, Dar AC, Brown BD, Evans MJ. Hepatitis C virus genetics affects miR-122 requirements and response to miR-122 inhibitors. Nature communications 2014; 5.
Israelow B, Narbus CM, Sourisseau M, Evans MJ. HepG2 cells mount an effective antiviral interferon-lambda based innate immune response to hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2014 Oct; 60(4).
Sourisseau M, Goldman O, He W, Gori JL, Kiem HP, Gouon-Evans V, Evans MJ. Hepatic Cells Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells of Pigtail Macaques Support Hepatitis C Virus infection. Gastroenterology 2013 Jul;.
Goldman O, Han S, Sourrisseau M, Dziedzic N, Hamou W, Corneo B, D'Souza S, Sato T, Kotton DN, Bissig KD, Kalir T, Jacobs A, Evans T, Evans MJ, Gouon-Evans V. KDR identifies a conserved human and murine hepatic progenitor and instructs early liver development. Cell stem cell 2013 Jun; 12(6).
Sourisseau M, Michta ML, Zony C, Israelow B, Hopcraft SE, Narbus CM, Parra Martín A, Evans MJ. Temporal analysis of hepatitis C virus cell entry with occludin directed blocking antibodies. PLoS pathogens 2013 Mar; 9(3).
García-Sastre A, Evans MJ. miR-122 is more than a shield for the hepatitis C virus genome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2013 Jan;.
Mullokandov G, Baccarini A, Ruzo A, Jayaprakash AD, Tung N, Israelow B, Evans MJ, Sachidanandam R, Brown BD. High-throughput assessment of microRNA activity and function using microRNA sensor and decoy libraries. Nature methods 2012 Aug; 9(8).
Giang E, Dorner M, Prentoe JC, Dreux M, Evans MJ, Bukh J, Rice CM, Ploss A, Burton DR, Law M. Human broadly neutralizing antibodies to the envelope glycoprotein complex of hepatitis C virus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2012 Apr;.
Ploss A, Evans MJ. Hepatitis C virus host cell entry [review]. Current opinion in virology 2012 Feb; 2(1).
Narbus CM, Israelow B, Sourisseau M, Michta ML, Hopcraft SE, Zeiner GM, Evans MJ. HepG2 cells expressing microRNA miR-122 support the entire hepatitis C virus life cycle. Journal of virology 2011 Nov; 85(22).
Sabo MC, Luca VC, Prentoe J, Hopcraft SE, Blight KJ, Yi M, Lemon SM, Ball JK, Bukh J, Evans MJ, Fremont DH, Diamond MS. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against hepatitis C virus E2 protein bind discontinuous epitopes and inhibit infection at a postattachment step. Journal of virology 2011 Jul; 85(14).
Michta ML, Hopcraft SE, Narbus CM, Kratovac Z, Israelow B, Sourisseau M, Evans MJ. Species-Specific Regions of Occludin Required by Hepatitis C Virus for Cell Entry. J Virol 2010 Nov; 84(22): 11696-11708.
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Dr. Evans did not report having any of the following types of financial relationships with industry during 2022 and/or 2023: consulting, scientific advisory board, industry-sponsored lectures, service on Board of Directors, participation on industry-sponsored committees, equity ownership valued at greater than 5% of a publicly traded company or any value in a privately held company. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
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