Mark Manzano

Federal Grant PI

Asssistant Professor

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

faculty

Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine

15 h-index 32 pubs 1,280 cited

Research Areas

CRISPR and Genetic Engineering Microbial infections and disease research Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics

Links

ORCID Lab Website UAMS TRI Profile

Is this your profile? Verify and claim your profile

OverviewAI-generated summary

Mark Manzano's laboratory investigates host-pathogen interactions and biological processes, employing functional genomics, particularly CRISPR screens, to link genotype to phenotype on a genome-wide scale. His research focuses on primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), an aggressive B cell cancer associated with the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV8). PEL cells depend on virally encoded genes that alter host gene expression to promote tumor cell proliferation and survival. Previous genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens conducted by Manzano's lab identified 210 host genes essential for PEL cell proliferation and survival.

Further research aims to elucidate the functions of these identified host genes in B cell lymphoma. Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9, CRISPRi, and CRISPRa-based synthetic lethality and rescue screens, the lab seeks to uncover functional genetic interactions. This unbiased approach is expected to reveal novel therapeutic targets and mechanisms of KSHV latency and oncogenesis. Manzano's work has been supported by four federal grants totaling over $1.3 million, including funding from the NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/National Cancer Institute, and NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. He has published 32 works, accumulating 1,280 citations, and maintains an h-index of 15.

Metrics

h-index: 15
Publications: 32
Citations: 1,280

Selected Publications

Cytotoxicity of activator expression in CRISPR-based transcriptional activation systems (2025) DOI
Intrinsic p53 activation restricts gammaherpesvirus driven germinal center B cell expansion during latency establishment (2025) DOI
The Mitochondrial Ubiquitin Ligase MARCHF5 Cooperates with MCL1 to Inhibit Apoptosis in KSHV-Transformed Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cell Lines (2024) DOI
Cytotoxicity of Activator Expression in CRISPR-based Transcriptional Activation Systems (2024) DOI
Molecular Mechanisms of KSHV Latency Establishment and Maintenance (2024) DOI
Suppression of TRIP13 Induces Metabolic Changes and Potentiates Ferroptosis in Multiple Myeloma (2023) DOI
Intrinsic p53 Activation Restricts Gammaherpesvirus-Driven Germinal Center B Cell Expansion during Latency Establishment (2023) DOI
CRISPR screens identify novel regulators of cFLIP dependency and ligand-independent, TRAIL-R1-mediated cell death (2023) DOI
Expression Ratios of the Antiapoptotic BCL2 Family Members Dictate the Selective Addiction of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Transformed Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cell Lines to MCL1 (2022) DOI
Expression Ratios of the Anti-Apoptotic BCL2 Family Members Dictate the Selective Addiction of KSHV-Transformed Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cell Lines to MCL1 (2022) DOI
CRISPR Screens Identify Novel Regulators of cFLIP Dependency and Ligand-Independent, TRAIL-R1-Mediated Cell Death (2022) DOI

Federal Grants 4 $1,340,840 total

NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Contact PI Jul 2025 - Mar 2030

Epigenetic Regulation of KSHV Latency

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research $583,289 R01

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Co-PI Jun 2025 - May 2027

Lytic viral genes in the pathogenesis of oncogenic gammaherpesviruses

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases $420,335 R21

NIH/National Cancer Institute Contact PI Aug 2023 - Jul 2025

Role of a latent OriLyt RNA in KSHV latency in primary effusion lymphoma

National Cancer Institute $178,819 R21

NIH/National Cancer Institute Contact PI Sep 2020 - Aug 2023

Oncogenic Roles and Therapeutic Potential of MCL1 Addiction in Primary Effusion Lymphoma

National Cancer Institute $158,397 K22

Grants & Funding

Epigenetic Regulation of KSHV Latency NIH/Nat. Inst. of Dental & Craniofacial Research Principal Investigator
Epigenetic Regulation of KSHV Latency NIH/Nat. Inst. of Dental & Craniofacial Research Principal Investigator
Role of a latent OriLyt RNA in KSHV latency in primary effusion lymphoma NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute Principal Investigator
Role of a latent OriLyt RNA in KSHV latency in primary effusion lymphoma NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute Principal Investigator
Epigenetic Regulation of KSHV Latency NIH/Nat. Inst. of Dental & Craniofacial Research Principal Investigator
Epigenetic Regulation of KSHV Latency NIH/Nat. Inst. of Dental & Craniofacial Research Principal Investigator
Oncogenic Roles and Therapeutic Potential of MCL1 Addiction in Primary Effusion Lymphoma NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute Principal Investigator
Role of a latent OriLyt RNA in KSHV latency in primary effusion lymphoma NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute Principal Investigator