Thor A Wagner, MD

Infectious Disease and Virology

On staff since July 2008

Academic Title: Assistant Professor

"My research is inspired by patients that I meet and directed at the problems that they face. There are exciting opportunities to adapt current biotechnology to help our patients' needs, and it's great motivation to know that the research we do has the potential to directly benefit our patients."

• Biography

  Thor Wagner, MD: Assistant Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Dr. Wagner's research is focused on pediatric HIV infection, which accounts for 15% of all HIV deaths.

  My primary interest is understanding chronic HIV infection during antiretroviral therapy. Specifically, why doesn't antiretroviral therapy eradicate HIV infection? Is there ongoing viral replication? Is there proliferation of cells with viable proviral HIV? Can we identify the remaining infected cells? Is immune tolerance to HIV a barrier to curing HIV? Answers to these questions should help design new treatment strategies more likely to cure HIV.
  My other research interest is improving infectious disease diagnostics in low resource settings. Specifically, I am working to develop a point-of-care diagnostic test for infant HIV. Currently there is no simple test to diagnose infants with HIV, and 50% of HIV-infected children die before they can be diagnosed. To accomplish this we are utilizing state-of-the-art monoclonal antibody screening technology to optimize the sensitivity of immunoassays to detect HIV antigens.

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• Awards and Honors

  Award Name	Award Description	Awarded By	Award Date
  NIH Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research			2009 - 2011
  Young Scientist Scholarship		XVIII HIV International Drug Resistance Workshop	2009
  Postdoctoral Fellowship in Tropical Infectious Disease		Burroughs Wellcome Fund, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene	2008 - 2010
  Young Investigator Award		15th Conf. on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections	2008
  Department of Pediatrics Fellows' Research Day Award		Seattle Children's Research Institute	2007

• Publications

  Manuscripts in Refereed Journals

  • Reeves DB, Duke ER, Wagner TA, Palmer SE, Spivak AM, Schiffer JT
    A majority of HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy is due to infected cell proliferation.
    30446650 Nature communications, 2018 Nov 16 : 9(1)4811 PMCID:PMC6240116
  • Chahroudi A, Wagner TA, Persaud D
    CNS Persistence of HIV-1 in Children: the Untapped Reservoir.
    30159813 Current HIV/AIDS reports, 2018 Oct. : 15(5)382-387
  • Hale M, Mesojednik T, Romano Ibarra GS, Sahni J, Bernard A, Sommer K, Scharenberg AM, Rawlings DJ, Wagner TA
    Engineering HIV-Resistant, Anti-HIV Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells.
    28143740 Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy, 2017 Mar 1 : 25(3)570-579 PMCID:PMC5363191
  • Wagner TA, Huang HC, Salyer CE, Richardson KM, Weinberg A, Nachman S, Frenkel LM
    H1N1 influenza vaccination in HIV-infected women on effective antiretroviral treatment did not induce measurable antigen-driven proliferation of the HIV-1 proviral reservoir.
    28193244 AIDS research and therapy, 2017 Feb 13 : 14(1)7 PMCID:PMC5307755
  • Sather BD, Romano Ibarra GS, Sommer K, Curinga G, Hale M, Khan IF, Singh S, Song Y, Gwiazda K, Sahni J, Jarjour J, Astrakhan A, Wagner TA, Scharenberg AM, Rawlings DJ
    Efficient modification of CCR5 in primary human hematopoietic cells using a megaTAL nuclease and AAV donor template.
    26424571 Science translational medicine, 2015 Sep 30 : 7(307)307ra156 PMCID:PMC4790757
  • Waghmare A, Wagner T, Andrews R, Smith S, Kuypers J, Boeckh M, Moss R, Englund JA
    Successful Treatment of Parainfluenza Virus Respiratory Tract Infection With DAS181 in 4 Immunocompromised Children.
    26185620 Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, 2015 June : 4(2)114-8 PMCID:PMC4501511
  • Wagner TA, McLaughlin S, Garg K, Cheung CY, Larsen BB, Styrchak S, Huang HC, Edlefsen PT, Mullins JI, Frenkel LM
    HIV latency. Proliferation of cells with HIV integrated into cancer genes contributes to persistent infection.
    25011556 Science (New York, N.Y.), 2014 Aug 1 : 345(6196)570-3 PMCID:PMC4230336
  • Wagner TA | McLaughlin S | Garg K | Cheung CY | Larsen BB | Styrchak S | Huang HC | Edlefsen PT | Mullins JI | Frenkel LM
    HIV latency. Proliferation of cells with HIV integrated into cancer genes contributes to persistent infection.
    Science (New York, N.Y.), 2014 Aug 1 : 345(6196)570-3 PMCID:PMC4230336
  • Wagner TA, McKernan JL, Tobin NH, Tapia KA, Mullins JI, Frenkel LM
    An increasing proportion of monotypic HIV-1 DNA sequences during antiretroviral treatment suggests proliferation of HIV-infected cells.
    23175380 Journal of virology, 2013 Feb. : 87(3)1770-8 PMCID:PMC3554159
  • Wagner TA, Lin CH, Tobin NH, Côté HC, Sloan DD, Jerome KR, Frenkel LM
    Quantification of mitochondrial toxicity in HIV-infected individuals by quantitative PCR compared to flow cytometry.
    23044657 Cytometry. Part B, Clinical Cytometry, 2013 Jan. : 84(1)55-8 PMCID:PMC3966180
  • Beck IA, Jang M, McKernan-Mullin J, Bull M, Wagner T, Huang S, Song LY, Nachman S, Krogstad P, Eshleman SH, Wiznia A, Frenkel LM
    Monitoring of HIV type 1 DNA load and drug resistance in peripheral blood mononuclear cells during suppressive antiretroviral therapy does not predict virologic failure.
    22081867 AIDS research and human retroviruses, 2012 Aug. : 28(8)780-8 PMCID:PMC3399556
  • Velu PP | Gravett CA | Roberts TK | Wagner TA | Zhang JS | Rubens CE | Gravett MG | Campbell H | Rudan I
    Epidemiology and aetiology of maternal bacterial and viral infections in low- and middle-income countries.
    Journal of global health, 2011 Dec. : 1(2)171-88 PMCID:PMC3484781
  • Roberts T | Gravett CA | Velu PP | Theodoratou E | Wagner TA | Zhang JS | Campbell H | Rubens CE | Gravett MG | Rudan I
    Epidemiology and aetiology of maternal parasitic infections in low- and middle-income countries.
    Journal of global health, 2011 Dec. : 1(2)189-200 PMCID:PMC3484768
  • Wagner T, Gravett C, Healy S, Soma V, Patterson J, Gravett M, Rubens C
    Emerging Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Severe Neonatal Infections Applicable to Low Resource Settings
    23198120 J Glob Health, 2011 : 1(2)210-223 PMCID:PMC3484779
  • Quan PL | Wagner TA | Briese T | Torgerson TR | Hornig M | Tashmukhamedova A | Firth C | Palacios G | Baisre-De-Leon A | Paddock CD | Hutchison SK | Egholm M | Zaki SR | Goldman JE | Ochs HD | Lipkin WI
    Astrovirus encephalitis in boy with X-linked agammaglobulinemia.
    Emerging infectious diseases, 2010 June : 16(6)918-25 PMCID:PMC4102142
  • Jourdain G, Wagner TA, Ngo-Giang-Huong N, Sirirungsi W, Klinbuayaem V, Fregonese F, Nantasen I, Techapornroong M, Halue G, Nilmanat A, Wittayapraparat P, Chalermpolprapa V, Pathipvanich P, Yuthavisuthi P, Frenkel LM, Lallemant M, Program for HIV Prevention and Treatment (PHPT) Study Group
    Association between detection of HIV-1 DNA resistance mutations by a sensitive assay at initiation of antiretroviral therapy and virologic failure.
    20377404 Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2010 May : 50(10)1397-404 PMCID:PMC2856716
  • Wagner TA, Kress CM, Beck I, Techapornroong M, Wittayapraparat P, Tansuphasawasdikul S, Jourdain G, Ngo-Giang-Huong N, Lallemant M, Frenkel LM
    Detection of HIV-1 drug resistance in women following administration of a single dose of nevirapine: comparison of plasma RNA to cellular DNA by consensus sequencing and by oligonucleotide ligation assay.
    20181911 Journal of clinical microbiology, 2010 May : 48(5)1555-61 PMCID:PMC2863880
  • Wagner TA, Tobin NH, McKernan JL, Xu M, Melvin AJ, Mohan KM, Learn GH, Mullins JI, Frenkel LM
    Increased mutations in Env and Pol suggest greater HIV-1 replication in sputum-derived viruses compared with blood-derived viruses.
    19349849 AIDS (London, England), 2009 May : 23(8)923-8 PMCID:PMC2677633
  • Lin CH, Sloan DD, Dang CH, Wagner T, Cabrera AJ, Tobin NH, Frenkel LM, Jerome KR
    Assessment of mitochondrial toxicity by analysis of mitochondrial protein expression in mononuclear cells.
    18823003 Cytometry. Part B, Clinical cytometry, 2009 May : 76(3)181-90
  • Wagner TA, Frenkel LM
    Potential limitation of CCR5 antagonists: drug resistance more often linked to CXCR4-utilizing than to CCR5-utilizing HIV-1.
    18981780 AIDS (London, England), 2008 Nov. : 22(17)2393-5 PMCID:PMC2585823
  • Wagner T, Soong G, Sokol S, Saiman L, Prince A
    Effects of azithromycin on clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from cystic fibrosis patients.
    16100186 Chest, 2005 Aug. : 128(2)912-9

  Book Chapters

  • Smith J and Wagner T
    Chapter 90: Immunization in Children Undergoing Dialysis. Nissenson and Fine’s Handbook of Dialysis Therapy, 5th edition, Elsevier
    2016 Nov 9

  Published Books, Videos, Software, etc.

  • Application No.: PCT/US2015/024876
    PATENT: CCR5 DISRUPTION OF CELLS EXPRESSING ANTI-HIV CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR (CAR) DERIVED FROM BROADLY NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES
    2015 Apr 8

  Other Publications

  • Wagner TA
    Quarter Century of Anti-HIV CAR T Cells.
    29500712 Current HIV/AIDS reports, 2018 April : 15(2)147-154 PMCID:PMC5884727
  • Wagner TA
    Combining Cell and Gene Therapy in an Effort to Eradicate HIV.
    27905840 AIDS patient care and STDs, 2016 Dec. : 30(12)534-538 PMCID:PMC5144862
  • Wagner TA, Frenkel LM
    Yet Another Reason to Treat HIV Infection. Editorial commentary
    22308271 Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2012 April : 54(7)1010-2
  • Wagner T, Gravett C, Gravett M, Rubens, C
    A global health opportunity: the potential of multiplexed diagnostics in low resource settings. Viewpoint
    J Glob Health, 2011 : 1(2)136-139
  • Wagner TA, Frenkel LM
    Antiretroviral treatment for HIV-infected infants exposed to nevirapine. Author reply
    21156944 JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association, 2010 Dec. : 304(23)2589; author reply 2589-90
  • Wagner T, Burns JL
    Anti-inflammatory properties of macrolides. Review
    17195710 The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 2007 Jan. : 26(1)75-6
  • Wagner TA, Frenkel LM
    Clinical Significance of HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutations. Review
    Lab Med, 2006 : 37554-561

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• Presentations

  Presentations Title	Event	Location	Date
  "Potential of CAR T Cells for Treating Infectious Diseases" (Lecture)	CAR-TCR Summit, 9/2016	Boston, MA
  "HIV-Resistant CAR T cells in SHIV-Infected non-human primates" (Lecture)	Strategies for an HIV Cure, 10/2018	Bethesda, MD
  "Dual HIVCAR+ non-human primate T cells with CRISPR-mediated CCR5 disruption" (Poster)	Strategies for an HIV Cure, 10/2018	Bethesda, MD
  "∆CCR5 anti-HIV CAR T cells engraft and persist in SHIV-infected pig-tailed macaques" (Poster)	CROI, 3/2018	Boston, MA
  "Chronic HIV Infection: what can we learn from cancer" (Lecture)	Third Coast Center for AIDS Research, Northwestern University, 5/2017	Chicago, IL
  "An Update on Epstein-Barr Virus Infection and the Management of Lymphoproliferactive Disease” (Lecture)	Pediatric Heart Transplant Summit, 9/2017	Seattle, WA
  "Reservoir ecology shows HIV persists on long-term ART due to cellular proliferation" (Lecture)	The Conference on Cell & Gene Therapy for HIV Cure, 8/2017	Seattle, WA
  "Targeted killing of HIV infected cells using CCR5-disrupted anti-HIV-CAR T cells" (Lecture)	American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting, 5/2016	Washington, DC
  "Combining gene and cell therapy in an effort to eradicate HIV: Building a Bulletproof CAR" (Lecture)	American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) Think Tank, 6/2016	Portland, OR
  "MegaTAL-based methods of CCR5 disruption to protect anti-HIV CAR+ lymphocytes from HIV Infection" (Lecture)	Conference on Cell and Gene Therapy for HIV Cure, 8/2015	Seattle, WA
  "MegaTAL Disruption of CCR5 to Protect Anti-HIV CAR+ Lymphocytes from HIV Infection" (Poster)	American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting, 5/2015	New Orleans, LA
  "Engineering HIV-resistant anti-HIV CAR T cells" (Lecture)	Conference on Cell and Gene Therapy for HIV Cure, 8/2016	Seattle, WA
  "Proliferation of cells with HIV integration into cancer-associated genes contributes to the persistence of HIV in antiretroviral treated individuals" (Lecture)	Lab Directors Meeting, 2014 IMPAACT Network Annual Meeting, 6/2014	Washington, DC
  "Anti-HIV CAR+ Lymphocytes Protected from HIV-Infection by CCR5 Disruption as a Strategy to Cure HIV" (Poster)	International AIDS Society Towards an HIV Cure Symposium, 7/2015	Vancouver, Canada
  "Efficient Targeted Gene Modification in Primary Human Hematopoietic Cells Using Co-Delivery of Nuclease mRNA and AAV Donors" (Lecture)	American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting, 5/2015	New Orleans, LA
  "Engineering HIV-resistant anti-HIV CAR T cells" (Poster)	Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, 2/2017	Seattle, WA
  "H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Does Not Appear to Alter HIV-1 DNA Reservoirs" (Poster)	Pediatric Academic Societies, 4/2015	San Diego, CA
  "Treating HIV Like Cancer: Engineering CAR T-cells to Eradicate the Cellular Reservoir of HIV" (Lecture)	UW CFAR New Faces Seminar, 5/2015	Seattle, WA
  "HIV/SHIV-Specific, CCR5-Edited CAR T-Cells Engraft and Persist in Acutely Infected Nonhuman Primates" (Poster)	35th Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for AIDS, 8/2017	Madison, WI
  "Chronic HIV Infection: what can we learn from cancer" (Lecture)	CHIMPs Rounds, British Columbia Children's Hospital, 3/2017	Vancouver, BC
  "Multiple identical proviral sequences with identical integration sites demonstrate proliferation of HIV infected cells during suppressive antiretroviral treatment" (Lecture)	CURE TSG of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, 7/2013	Teleconference

• Research Funding

  Grant Title	Grantor	Amount	Award Date
  "Adoptive transfer of genetically protected and genetically modified defined populations of CAR T cells as a modality to achieve HIV-1 Cure"	Gilead (PI: Corey)		Jan 1, 2017 - Dec 31, 2019
  LOC-IMPAACT Leadership Group	NIH/NIAID, UM1 AI068632 (PI: Nachman)		Sep 1, 2016 - Nov 30, 2017
  "Cell and Gene Therapy for HIV Cure"	NIH/NIAID/NIDA/NIMH/NINDS, UM1 AI126623 (MPI: Jermone, Kiem)		Jul 1, 2016 - Jun 30, 2021
  Engineering T-cells with optimized anti-HIV chimeric antigen receptors and CCR5 disruption as a strategy to target HIV-infected cells	NIH, R01 AI118500	$250,000 annual direct costs	Jul 1, 2015 - Jun 30, 2020
  Optimizing potency of anti-HIV chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), CFAR Supplement	NIH		Oct 1, 2014 - May 31, 2016
  Mechanisms of Formation and Persistence of Active HIV Reservoirs - R01 AI111806 (PI: Mullins)	NIH	$10,720 subcontract annual direct costs	Mar 15, 2014 - Feb 28, 2019
  Persistent HIV-1 Replication in the Respiratory Tract Despite Antiretroviral Treatment	NIH/NIAID, K23 AI077357		Sep 1, 2008 - Nov 30, 2013