William R. Tyor, MD
Professor

Contact Information
tyorwr@musc.edu
843.792.3221

Education
MD, 1981, Duke University School of Medicine
Residency, Emory University
Residency, Baylor University
Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University

Clinical Expertise
Multiple sclerosis
Other neuroimmunological and infectious diseases

Research Interests
Research efforts focus on the role of the immune system in pathological processes of the central nervous system using murine models.
Our primary focus is to examine the immune response during viral encephalitis. A model of HIV encephalitis in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice was developed whereby HIV-infected or uninfected human mononuclear cells are injected intracerebrally. Pathologically these brains closely resemble the changes seen in humans with this condition. In addition these mice exhibit behavioral abnormalities similar to those seen in humans with HIV dementia.

We are NIH funded to study:

• The effects of cocaine administration on HIV encephalitis in SCID mice
• The effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on HIV encephalitis in SCID mice.

Ultimately, we will identify mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HIV encephalitis so that better treatment strategies can be developed.

Techniques currently being used include tissue sectioning, immunohistochemical staining methods, in situ TUNEL assay, and other procedures for the pathological evaluation of tissue sections.
We use ELISA and Western blots for protein quantitation. RNA is extracted from brain for quantitative ribonuclease protection assays (RPA) and as well as quantitative PCR for detection of various mRNA’s of interest. These include various cytokines, chemokines, HIV genes and others. We also monitor these mice with different behavioral tests in collaboration with Dr. Larry Middaugh in Psychiatry.

Other research interests include the immunopathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and spinal cord injury in rodent models.

Publications