Sean Tracy, B.S., Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, MA
M.D./Ph.D. Student in Immunology
E-mail: sean.tracy@tufts.edu

My work explores the contribution of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) to the development of autoimmune disease. EBV is a ubiquitous gamma herpes virus that initially infects mature B cells, driving them to proliferate and differentiate into memory B cells, where the virus persists. It has frequently been linked to autoimmune diseases because of its potential ability to rescue aberrant self-reactive B cells but definitive proof of a causal link or mechanism is lacking. We will analyze the specificity of the immunoglobulin produced by latently infected memory B cells in vivo. This work should help establish whether EBV allows strongly autoreactive B cells to survive in vivo, as well as help determine the reactive nature of the mature B cell that EBV initially infects.