Cynthia M McMillen

Contributions to Public Health

• I use human, sheep, rat and non-human primate placenta explants to understand bunyavirus tropism: Many bunyaviruses infect ruminant livestock and/or humans, with some viruses undergoing vertical transmission and causing fetal death. I utilize placenta explants to identify host-specific cells targeted by bunyaviruses (Cache Valley, Schmallenberg, La Crosse, and Rift Valley fever viruses). My current research involves developing 2D or 3D trophoblast organoid models to further understand the host and bunyavirus determinants of vertical transmission.
  • McMillen CM, Megli C, Radisic R, Skvarca LB, Hoehl RM, Boyles DA, McGaughey JJ, Bird BH, McElroy AK, Hartman AL. Vaccine strains of Rift Valley fever virus exhibit attenuation at the maternal-fetal placental interface. bioRxiv 2024.05.31.596800. Journal of Virology. 2024; accepted.
• I developed a rodent model of congenital Rift Valley fever to understand the mechanism of vertical transmission and pathologies in ruminants and humans: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging mosquito-transmitted virus that causes large numbers of abortions in ruminant livestock in Africa; late-term fetal loss has also been documented in women. The information gained from this rodent model has significantly enhanced our knowledge of congenital RVFV tropism, pathogenesis, and appropriate therapeutic interventions.
  • McMillen CM, Arora N, Boyles DA, Albe JR, Kujawa MR, Bonadio JF, Coyne CB, Hartman AL. Vertical transmission of Rift Valley fever virus in late-gestation pregnant rats results in fetal infection and demise. Science Advances 2018;4(12):eaau9812. PMID: 30525107
  • McMillen CM, Chapman NS, Hoehl RM, Skvarca LB, Schwarz MM, Handal LS, Crowe Jr JE, Hartman AL. Prophylactic and therapeutic delivery of a highly potent human neutralizing antibody protects mothers and fetuses from vertical transmission of Rift Valley fever virus in a rat model. Nature Communications. 2023;14(1):4507. PMID: 37495594
• I study molecular determinants of viral replication and pathogenesis to develop novel therapeutics: As a graduate student I developed an inducible anti-influenza therapy that expresses siRNA under the control of the influenza promoter. This plasmid-based therapy was designed to restrict siRNA expression to influenza-infected cells to limit off-target effects of RNA interference within neighboring uninfected cells. Currently I am studying bunyavirus-host interactions that contribute to viral replication and pathogenesis.
  • McMillen CM. Development of Inducible Anti-influenza Therapies. Dissertation. West Virginia University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2016. 10246722.
  • Schwarz MM, Connors KA, Davoli KA, McMillen CM, Albe JR, Hoehl RM, Demers MJ, Ganaie SS, Price DA, Leung DW, Amarasinghe GK, McElroy AK, Reed DS, Hartman AH. Rift Valley fever virus infects the posterior segment of the eye and induces inflammation in a rat model of ocular disease. J Virology, 2022; e0111222.doi:10.1128/jvi.01112-22.

​​​​​​​*Selected as Editor’s Pick