Mary K. Estes, Ph.D.
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Positions
- Distinguished Service Professor
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Virol & Micro: Estes
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US
- Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair
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Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
- Co-Director
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Gastrointestinal Experimental Model Systems (GEMS) core
Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (DDC)
- Member
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Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
- Emeritus Founding Director
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Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (DDC)
- Emeritus Founding Co-Director
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Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program (Legacy)
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
Honors & Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- American Society for Microbiology (01/2020)
- Member
- National Academy of Inventors (01/2019)
- Distinguished Mentor Award and AGA William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology
- American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) (01/2018)
- Michael E. DeBakey Award for Excellence in Research
- BCM (01/2017)
- AGA Distinguished Achievement Award
- 01/2010
- Member, National Academy of Sciences
- 01/2007
- Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair of Human and Molecular Virology, BCM
- 01/2006
- Member, Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas
- 01/2005
- Member, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Science
- 01/2005
- Researcher/Investigator of the Year, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Gold Key Award
- 01/2000
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 01/2000
- President, American Society for Virology
- 01/1996
- Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology
- 01/1996
- Michael E. DeBakey Award for Excellence in Research, BCM
- 01/1995
- ASM Foundation for Microbiology, Lecturer in Virology
- 01/1992
- Wallace P. Rowe Award for Excellence in Virologic Research
- 01/1992
Professional Interests
- Gastroenteritis Viruses with Mary Estes
- Human mini-gut cultures to understand gastrointestinal virus-host interactions and mechanisms of pathogenesis and immunity
Professional Statement
Molecular Biology of Gastrointestinal VirusesThe gastrointestinal (GI) tract represents the largest and most heterogeneous organ in the body. However, information on the molecular biology of most cell types in the GI tract remains limited. We are using viruses that infect distinct types of cells (enterocytes, crypt cells, M cells) in the GI tract as probes to learn about the biology, host response and gene expression of these cells. We are using multidisciplinary approaches to probe the structure and molecular biology of GI viruses to understand the basic mechanisms that control virus replication, morphogenesis, virus-host interactions, and pathogenesis.
Our work uses two viruses, rotaviruses, the major cause of diarrhea in children and animals worldwide, and human caliciviruses, the major cause of epidemic gastroenteritis. Studies on the molecular biology of the rotaviruses seek to dissect the biologic, biochemical and structural role(s) inducing disease. Current studies are focusing on the rotavirus spike protein and the viral enterotoxin and how these proteins induce signaling pathways in cells that are important in immunity and pathogenesis. We are studying proteins expressed from inducible cDNAs in mammalian cells and virus-like particles (VLPs) produced using the baculovirus expression system. We aim to determine how specific domains of the viral proteins interact with intestinal cell receptors, affect cell signaling mechanisms, and induce diarrhea. We also are evaluating how to effectively orally deliver virus-like particle subunit vaccines to induce a mucosal immune response and protection from virus infection.
Studies on the human caliciviruses are using molecular approaches to characterize Norwalk virus and related viruses. Sequence analysis and expression of genes from a cloned DNA library of Norwalk virus nucleic acid have classified this virus, determined its genome organization and relatedness to other Norwalk-like viruses and other gastroenteritis viruses such as astroviruses and enteroviruses, and produced new diagnostic assays. Use of these new assays is changing our understanding of the natural history and epidemiology of infections with these viruses. Notably, these viruses are being increasingly recognized as important causes of disease in children and in immunocompromised individuals. Expression of the capsid protein using mammalian and plant VLPs allowed the first crystallographic structure of a calicivirus to be solved and they are being tested directly as mucosal vaccines or as delivery systems for vaccines containing epitopes from other pathogens. Finally, the molecular basis of the restricted replication of Norwalk viruses to the gastrointestinal tract of humans is being probed by expression of Norwalk virus genes with different vectors and testing the interactions of virus with different cell lines and tissues derived from the gastrointestinal tract.
Websites
Episode Summary
Viral gastroenteritis around the world causes 200,000 deaths globally each year. Mary Estes talks about her work on 2 gastroenteritis-causing viruses, rotavirus and norovirus, and tells the story of her discovery of the first viral enterotoxin. She also describes how noroviruses have changed from human volunteer studies to studies using “miniguts,” a system now used with many enteropathogenic microorganisms.
Videos
Episode Summary
Viral gastroenteritis around the world causes 200,000 deaths globally each year. Mary Estes talks about her work on 2 gastroenteritis-causing viruses, rotavirus and norovirus, and tells the story of her discovery of the first viral enterotoxin. She also describes how noroviruses have changed from human volunteer studies to studies using “miniguts,” a system now used with many enteropathogenic microorganisms.
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