Mechanistic insights into morbillivirus-induced immunosuppression and antiviral responses (B12*)

Subject Area Virology
Term from 2021 to 2024
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 197785619
 

Project Description

This goal of this project is to characterize the interactions of morbilliviruses with immune cells, which are direct targets of infection, and to investigate the mechanisms causing immunosuppression, as well as defining antiviral programs that eventually clear the infection in vivo. We use canine distemper virus infections of ferrets as a model system, in which we observe a similar immunosuppression as with measles virus in humans. We will characterize the virus-induced changes in immune organs on a cellular and molecular level.
DFG Programme Collaborative Research Centres
Subproject of SFB 1021:  RNA Viruses: RNA Metabolism, Host Response and Pathogenesis
Applicant Institution Philipps-Universität Marburg
Co-Applicant Institution Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
Bundesinstitut für Impfstoffe und biomedizinische Arzneimittel
Project Heads Dr. Christian Pfaller, until 12/2022; Bevan Sawatsky, Ph.D.