Séminaire CIRI : Dr. Allison GROSETH & Dr. Thomas HOENEN

Abstracts: The host cell response to virus infection plays a critical role in determining the outcome of infection, in particular through its dual roles in antiviral control and immunopathology. We have been seeking to understand the regulation of various aspects of the host response to arenavirus infection at a molecular level, including apoptosis, the innate immune response, and inflammatory responses. These studies suggest not only complex, and in some cases overlapping, mechanisms of regulation, but also interplay between these processes that shed light on the virus-host interface.

Host cell factors are essential for the life cycle of viruses, yet for many viruses little is known about details of their virus-host cell interactions. For ebolaviruses and other highly pathogenic viruses the study of virus-host cell interactions is further complicated by the fact that work with infectious viruses has to take place under biosafety level 4 conditions. Reverse genetics-based life cycle modelling systems address this issue by facilitating studies of virus-host cell interactions at lower biosafety levels. Using these systems we have identified and characterised on a mechanistic level host factors such as CAD and NXF1 and their role in the life cycle of ebolaviruses and other highly pathogenic viruses. These studies define new molecular targets for antiviral approaches with a potential for broad spectrum efficacy against multiple viruses.