NIH Herpesvirus Funding Comparison
The NIH grant funding databases CRISP, Explorer, and REPORTer were each thoroughly reviewed for research grants with individual viruses (or specific viral proteins such as the KSHV oncoprotein K13) mentioned in their TITLE or ABSTRACT (if available). Funding information was gathered on NIH extramural grants given to study HHV-4 (EBV), HHV-5 (CMV), HHV-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8 (KSHV) from 2000—2012 (graph above, chart below).
| Funding for Herpesvirus Research: 2000-2012 | ||||
| EBV (HHV-4) | CMV (HHV-5) | HHV-6 & HHV-7 | KSHV (HHV-8) | |
| NIH Extramural Funding ($ millions) | $306 | $308 | $16 | $294 |
| # NIH grants, 2000-2012 | 307 | 389 | 15 | 254 |
This significant investment of funding allocated toward research on EBV, CMV, and KSHV has produced a wealth of knowledge regarding the pathogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, and gene product functions for each of these herpesviruses, leading to the development of steadily improved diagnostic tools and new virus-specific therapeutic approaches in a rather short timeframe. Unfortunately, no comparable investment has been made in Roseolovirus research, and as a result, researchers have needed to rely on private funding and limited resources to continue their important work on HHV-6 & HHV-7 over the past several years, and vital information regarding the biological and pathogenic nature of these viruses has not progressed to the point many hoped it would by this time. The HHV-6 Foundation gives modest Pilot Grants to investigators interested in pursuing research on HHV-6 to this end.
All NIH extramural grants given to study HHV-6 & 7 between 2000-2012 have been provided below. For additional information on grants given for each virus in the review, download a copy of the entire detailed analysis HERE.
| NIH extramural grants given to study HHV-6 & 7, 2000-2012 | ||||
| Project Leader | Project Title | FY | Organization Name | FY Total Cost |
| Zerr, Danielle | Defining primary HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections in children | 2000 | Seattle Children’s Hospital | $152,820.00 |
| Hall, C | Congenital HHV-6 Infection: Characteristics and Outcome | 2003-2007 | Univ. of Rochester | $1,638,540.00 |
| Zerr, Danielle | Defining primary HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections in children | 2001-2003 | Seattle Children’s Hospital | $627,480.00 |
| Hudson, Amy | Discovery of novel immunoevasins from HHV-6 and -7 | 2008-2009 | Medical College of Wisconsin | $413,535.00 |
| Mock, D | Herpes Virus Infectious in Human Glial Precursors | 2004-2005 | Rockerfeller Univ. | $360,894.00 |
| Zerr, Danielle | HHV-6 and CNS disease following stem cell transplant | 2004-2009 | Seattle Children’s Hospital | $1,814,217.00 |
| Spencer, Shawn | HHV-6 Inhibition: Implications in Chronic Fatigue | 2009-2011 | Florida Agricultural And Mechanical Univ. | $402,084.00 |
| Hall, C | HHV-6 Infection: Characteristics and Outcome | 2004-2005 | Univ. of Rochester | $23,037.00 |
| Calvo-Calle, Jaime | Immunodominance in the Human T-cell Responses to Poxvirus and Herpesvirus | 2009-2012 | Univ. of Massachusetts Medical School | $1,358,623.00 |
| Hudson, Amy | Mechanisms of Immune Evasion by HHV-6 and HHV-7 U21 | 2007-2011 | Medical College of Wisconsin | $1,663,320.00 |
| Ascherio, A | Molecular Epidemiology of EBV and MS | 2007-2008 | Harvard Univ. School of Public Health | $1,194,312.00 |
| Theodore, W | Physiologic and Pharmacologic Studies in Epilepsy | 2007-2008 | NINDS | $1,112,709.00 |
| Hall, C | Primary HHV-6 infection- Clinical and viral characteristics | 2000-2004 | Univ. of Rochester | $1,671,284.00 |
| Ploegh, H | Viral evasion strategies: Analysis of herpes viruses HSV, VZV and HHV-6-7 | 2003-2007 | Harvard Univ. Medical School | $1,442,410.00 |
| Dewhurst, S | Adaptations of Human Herpesvirus-7 to Salivary Glands | 2001-2005 | Univ. of Rochester | $1,716,704.00 |
| TOTAL | $15,591,969.00 | |||