{"id":29037,"date":"2023-05-22T12:36:52","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T10:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/?page_id=29037"},"modified":"2025-02-27T17:04:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T16:04:22","slug":"project-d6","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/research\/project-area-d\/project-d6\/","title":{"rendered":"Project D6"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Why do infections with hanta- and arenaviruses progress so differently?<\/h1><\/div>

Dr. Benjamin Nilsson-Payant<\/a><\/p><\/h2><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/path><\/svg><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

What is this research project about?<\/h1><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>

Hantaviruses are transmitted by rodents, such as the bank vole, and can sometimes lead to a life-threatening infection.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>

What is this research project about?<\/h1><\/div>

Infection with emerging zoonotic viruses such as members of the Arenavirus and Hantavirus families can result in significantly varying disease manifestations in humans, ranging from asymptomatic infections to highly pathogenic haemorrhagic fever. The determinants of disease are not well understood.<\/p>\n

The aim of this project is to understand the host and viral factors underlying immune activation and variable disease manifestation and how these can be used for the development of novel and individualized antiviral treatment options.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/path><\/svg><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

What\u2019s the current status?<\/h1><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

While there are only up to approximately 100,000 recorded annual cases of hantavirus infections and up to 300,000 cases of Lassa fever, the most common disease associated with arenaviruses, the actual case numbers are most likely significantly higher due to a large number of asymptomatic or mild infections resembling other flu-like illnesses. For instance, it is estimated that 2\u20135% of the world population has at one point been infected with LCMV, a mostly apathogenic arenavirus.<\/p>\n

Despite their potential prevalence and pathogenicity, there are currently no FDA- or EMA-approved antiviral treatments or vaccines available against highly pathogenic hantavirus or arenavirus infections, with only Ribavirin and Favipiravir having shown limited efficacy in some patients. Understanding the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis is essential for the development of novel and individualized antiviral treatment options.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>

Puumala virus (Hantaviruses). Transmission-electron microscopy, ultrathin section. Hans R. Gelderblom, Freya Kaulbars (2004).<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

What are the project goals?<\/h1><\/div>

The aims of this project are to characterize the viral and host factors that underlie immune activation and pathogenesis of emerging negative-sense RNA viruses, such as hantaviruses and arenaviruses, and how these can explain differing disease manifestations in different individuals.<\/p>\n

Thereby this project will aid us in gaining a better understanding of viral pathogenesis and widely varying disease outcomes of emerging viral diseases and in developing novel diagnostic tools and personalized treatment options.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

How do we get there?<\/h1><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Our preliminary work shows that aberrant viral replication and the generation of defective viral genomes (DVGs) are a universal feature of negative-sense RNA viruses and that these DVGs are potent stimulants of the host interferon response. Thus, we would like analyze the mechanisms regulating DVG synthesis and the consequences thereof for viral pathogenesis of emerging RNA viruses.<\/p>\n

Here, we are taking a multi-omics approach complemented with viral engineering and molecular biology tools to characterize the entire viral transcriptome\/replicome and to identify the association between specific viral PAMPs and immune activation in vitro and in vivo.<\/p>\n

About the illustration<\/strong>: On the left, it can be seen that the RNA of the hantavirus (viral genome RNA) is sensed by cellular RNA sensors that trigger an interferon (IFN) response culminates in activation of antiviral genes. Viral IFN antagonists are able to inhibit IFN signalling. On the right, aberrant replication products \/ defective viral genomes accumulate to high numbers during viral replication. They are able to overwhelm the host’s innate immune system, leading to a prolonged and excessive IFN response. Thus, highly inflammatory and pathological infections can occur.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>

Defective viral genomes strongly stimulate the host’s interferon (IFN) response.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/path><\/svg><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Projectleader<\/h1><\/div>

Project title: Virus and host determinants of respiratory viral disease<\/h4><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Dr. Benjamin Nilsson-Payant<\/h3><\/div>

Project: D6<\/a><\/h3><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
CV & CONTACT<\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
<\/path><\/svg><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Project D6 Publications<\/h1><\/div>

Publications 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Structural characterization of the full-length Hantaan virus polymerase<\/strong><\/a> J. R. Keown, L. Carrique, B. E. Nilsson-Payant, E. Fodor and J. M. Grimes PLoS Pathog<\/strong> 2024 Vol. 20 Issue 12 Pages e1012781 Accession Number: 39652621 PMCID: PMC11658695 DOI: 10.1371\/journal.ppat.1012781<\/p>\n

Publications 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reduced Nucleoprotein Availability Impairs Negative-Sense RNA Virus Replication and Promotes Host Recognition.<\/strong><\/a> Nilsson-Payant BE, Blanco-Melo D, Uhl S, Escudero-P\u00e9rez B, Olschewski S, Thibault P, Panis M, Rosenthal M, Mu\u00f1oz-Fontela C, Lee B, tenOever BR. J Virol. 2021 Apr 12;95(9):e02274-20.<\/p>\n

The NF-\u03baB transcriptional footprint is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication.<\/strong><\/a> Nilsson-Payant BE, Uhl S, Grimont A, Doane AS, Cohen P, Patel RS, Higgins CA, Acklin JA, Bram Y, Chandar V, Blanco-Melo D, Panis M, Lim JK, Elemento O, Schwartz RE, Rosenberg BR, Chandwani R, tenOever BR. 2021. J Virol 95: e01257-21.<\/p>\n

Publications 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

Imbalanced Host Response to SARS-CoV-2 Drives Development of COVID-19.<\/strong><\/a> Daniel Blanco-Melo, Benjamin E. Nilsson-Payant, Wen-Chun Liu, Skyler Uhl, Daisy Hoagland, Rasmus M\u00f8ller, Tristan X. Jordan, Kohei Oishi, Maryline Panis, David Sachs, Taia T. Wang, Robert E. Schwartz, Jean K. Lim, Randy A. Albrecht, Benjamin R. tenOever, Cell, Volume 181, Issue 5, 2020<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Publications of the Project D6<\/h1><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":5528,"menu_order":513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"100-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29037","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29037"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38554,"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29037\/revisions\/38554"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resist-cluster.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}