Pathophysiology of severe manifestations of Lassa fever (A05)

• Subject Area: Virology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 512741711

Lassa fever (LF) is recognised by the WHO as a priority disease for urgent R&D. About 20% of LF patients die in hospitals in West Africa. We hypothesise that severe Lassa fever presents either as septic shock syndrome with acute kidney injury, hyperinflammation, impaired coagulation and endothelial dysfunction or as an acute neurological condition with seizures and encephalopathy. We will conduct comprehensive clinical, biomarker, human tissue and organoid studies to elucidate these pathophysiological features with the aim of developing host-specific therapies.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1648: Emerging Viruses: Pathogenesis, Structure, Immunity
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Stephan Günther; Dr. Till Omansen, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Michael Ramharter