Thomas L. Lentz

Yale University School of Medicine research physician, Professor Thomas Lentz, MD, was an early proponent of the possibility of treating viral infections by blocking the virus-receptor interactions. The NanoViricides approach improves upon such earlier approaches by enabling multiple site targeting and multi-point binding, thus mimicking the natural virus particle and cell-surface interaction closely.

Professor Lentz's research has laid the early foundations for developing anti-viral therapies by blocking virus-cell receptor interactions. His work on the binding of the rabies virus to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor has helped in the creation of a rabies-specific nanoviricide. In addition, his extensive studies on the classification of viruses and of their cellular receptors into broad groups provided the basis for the broad-spectrum nanoviricides that NanoViricides, Inc. is developing at present as potential therapeutics against a large number of viruses.

In addition to his research activities, Thomas L. Lentz chaired the Committee on Admissions for the School of Medicine at Yale from 1972 to 2006. He last served as Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid at Yale University. He was Vice-Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology at Yale from 1992 to 2006. He retired in 2006 and is now Senior Research Scientist and Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology at Yale University.