HHV-6 Foundation

For Scientists

Frequently Asked Questions from Scientists

Scientists have many questions for the Foundation regarding a variety of topics. We have assembled a list of these questions and our answers to them here.

A protocol from Dr. Radhakrishna Sura for Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is available for download here.  You may also see more about this protocol in this paper on HHV-6 and Crohn's Disease. 

HHV-6 Genes
Download a list of genes and CMV homologs with reported properties and proteins, where known. 

HHV-6 Pictorial Atlas
The HHV-6 Foundation is very fortunate to have acquired the rights to the book “Human Herpesvirus-6, A Pictorial Atlas” by Gerhard Krueger, MD, PhD. The atlas includes photos of rashes and HHV-6 infected tissues as well as valuable immunohistochemistry and electron microscope photographs collected from years of research. We are grateful to Dr. Krueger for allowing us to make this work available to scientists for download, free of charge. The atlas is 73 pages and divided into the following categories:

1. Introduction
2. Features in tissue culture
3. Clinical signs and symptoms
4. Systemic reactions 
5. Cardiovascular system
6. Respiratory system 
7. Gastrointersinal system, including liver, biliary tract and exocrine pancreas
8. Urogenital system
9. Lympho-hemaotopoietic system
10. Central and peripheral nervous system
11. Skin and musculoskeletal system
 
Repository of Reagents
The HHV-6 Foundation repository was initiated in 2005 by HHV-6 Foundation Scientific Director (and co-discoverer of HHV-6)  Dharam Ablashi to aid investigators with their research.  The repository, KamTek Inc, is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland and currently houses over 250 reagents including cell lines, hybridomas, viruses, cosmids, cord blood, positive and control serum, plasma and spinal fluid, tissue, DNA libraries, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and other various donated specimens.  The Foundation has acquired reagents primarily from scientists engaged in HHV-6 & HHV-7 research. The Foundation replenishes supplies of monoclonal antibodies and HHV-6 and HHV-7 cell lines like HSB2, SUPT1, and MOLT-3 that were donated.
 

REQUESTING REAGENTS FROM THE FOUNDATION
If you are interested in acquiring any of the reagents, please send a description of your research goals and how you would use the reagents to the HHV-6 Foundation Scientific Director, Dr. Dharam Ablashi If your request is approved, we will send you a payment request via email from PayPal for the shipping and handling charges. We will be pleased to provide all available reagents within four weeks of the received payment.  Certain reagents are only for distribution under a limited agreement by the contributor.  Inventory includes:

HHV-6: HHV-6 A or B Infected Cell Lines (HSB2, MOLT-3, SupT1) • Supernatant from Virus infected cells • Monoclonal Antibodies • DNA Library • Virus Variants (A&B Prototypes GS, U1102 and Z-29 & fresh isolates of HHV-6B & HHV- HV-6 IgM + sera and high IgG titer patient sera

HHV-7: JI strain of HHV-7 and monoclonal antibodies.

Cosmids: Cloned fragments of HHV-6 for use to grow DNA or as purified DNA

Click here to view our repository inventory

Click here to view our cosmids and plasmids inventory

Controls slides for Immunohistochemistry (IHC) are available from Bioworld Consulting Laboratories.

Download information

Download sample picture

SHIPPING AND HANDLING FEES
All biological shipments require careful handling and special paperwork to ensure safe delivery.  Biohazardous materials must comply with strict government shipping standards and require special (and expensive) packaging and handling.  The following are fees we must charge scientists who are requesting reagents from our repository.  We do not charge for our costs for the biological reagents, but do ask that you cover the packaging materials and handling costs that are charged us by our repository contractor.  We accept payments by Paypal and we can use your shipping account for the shipment, if requested.  

Fees:
Biohazardous Materials (Infected Cells) WITH dry ice: $180+shipping 
Biohazardous Materials (Infected Cells) without dry ice: $140+shipping 
Non-infectious materials WITH dry ice: $180+shipping  
Non-infectious materials without dry ice: $130+shipping

If you live near the repository in Maryland, you may also arrange for a courier to pick up your reagents. Any questions regarding our shipment policies and procedures may be sent to Courtney Devin, the HHV-6 Foundation repository manager.

DONATING REAGENTS TO THE REPOSITORY
We encourage scientists engaged in HHV-6 research to offer reagents from their laboratory in the spirit of ongoing research in this field.  Please contact Courtney Devin, the HHV-6 Foundation repository manager if you would like to make a donation. 

THANK YOU
The HHV-6 Foundation would like to thank the many investigators who so generously provided HHV-6 monoclonal antibodies, hybridomas, HHV-6 isolates and cells lines, including Drs. Bala Chandran, Janos Luka, Kenny De Meirleir, Stephen Dewhurst, Louis Flamand, Jackie Friedman, Steven Jacobson, Gerhard Krueger, Susan Levine, Mario Luppi, Yasuki Mori, Derek Enlander, Gary Pearson, Jordan Orange, Pinaki Banerjee, Hanns Ludwig, Toshiomi Okuno, Koichi Yamanishi, and Tetsushi Yoshikawa.

REAGENTS FROM COMMERCIAL COMPANIES

Some of the more popular reagents are available at companies such as Advanced Biotechnologies Inc., Panbio/Inverness,Chemicon/Millipore, Biotrin, and Bioworld Consulting Antibodies .