Nek-aan-nekrace tegen arbovirussen Onderzoek en ontwikkeling van antivirale geneesmiddelen tegen terugkerende arbovirussen

Arboviruses are viruses that are transmitted among vertebrate hosts by arthropods, typically ticks and mosquitoes. Among this group of viruses are important human pathogens that can cause severe and long-term complications. These pathogens include chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV), whose re-emergence has been recognized as a global health challenge. Acute CHIKV infections are characterized by fever, myalgia and polyarthritis, symptoms that typically resolve within 1-2 weeks. However, severe joint pains that persist for months up to years after the initial infection have been reported in a large proportion of patients. In contrast to CHIKV, most ZIKV infections are asymptomatic. However, since the outbreaks in the Americas in 2015, ZIKV infections have been associated with fetal abnormalities (e.g. microcephaly) and neurological complications (e.g. Guillain-Barré syndrome). The concern towards the disease burden of these viruses is fueled by the lack of effective vaccines and antiviral therapies. The aim of this project is to further develop the tools to evaluate potential drug candidates against these re-emerging arboviruses. High-throughput screens of broad-chemical space libraries have led to the identification of small molecules with antiviral activity against CHIKV. The mechanism of action and broad-spectrum potential of these newly identified molecules will be investigated in in vitro assays using both human and mosquito-derived cell lines. Promising antiviral candidates with good pharmacokinetic profiles will be evaluated in relevant mouse models for both CHIKV and ZIKV infections.

Jaar van publicatie:2021

Toegankelijkheid:Open