# Characterizing single cell states of activated and transformed B cells in rhesus macaque models

> **NIH NIH R21** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $197,676

## Abstract

Project Summary
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes significant disease in patients with congenital or acquired immune deficiencies.
Elucidating markers of early cancer and understanding tumor composition are essential in improving diagnostics
and therapies for EBV diseases. In vitro, EBV infection of B cells induces formation of lymphoblastoid cell lines
(LCLs) which mimic properties of lymphoproliferative disease and serve as a model to investigate B cell
transformation processes. Multiple viral gene products dramatically reprogram the B cell environment, and
several host factors critical for maintaining LCL proliferation have been identified; however, host factors leading
to LCL outgrowth as well as the distinct cellular substages required for establishment of persistent infection and
B cell transformation are less understood. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in these processes
is an ongoing challenge due to the refractory nature of primary B cells for genetic manipulation and the observed
heterogeneity in viral and cellular gene expression detected through standard bulk transcriptome analysis. To
address gaps in our current knowledge, we will use multi-omic single-cell approaches to define B cell molecular
signatures and cell markers that delineate early virus-mediated transformation. For these studies, we will
investigate a pre-clinical EBV model, rhesus macaque (RM) cells and tumor tissues infected with rhesus
lymphocryptovirus (rLCV). By simultaneously measuring immunophenotypes and gene expression, we aim to
identify B cell states that successfully navigate infection towards the LCL trajectory. Leveraging these
approaches to further analyze rLCV+ lymphoid tissues, we aim to define biological properties of pre-cancerous
and cancerous states at the single cell level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10799690
- **Project number:** 5R21AI171354-02
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Rebecca L Skalsky
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $197,676
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-03-02 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10799690

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10799690, Characterizing single cell states of activated and transformed B cells in rhesus macaque models (5R21AI171354-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10799690. Licensed CC0.

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