Drug Discovery against Human Viral Infectious Diseases

• Grant number: 23/07746-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Duration: November 01, 2024 - October 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Carsten Wrenger
• Grantee: Carsten Wrenger
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Edison Luiz Durigon
• Associated researchers: Alessandro Silva Nascimento ; Danielle Bruna Leal de Oliveira ; Gerhard Wunderlich ; Helena Corrêa de Araújo Gomes ; Jansen de Araujo ; Kathia Maria Honorio ; Roberto Parise Filho ; Silvia Beatriz Boscardin

Abstract

Infectious diseases are a significant burden on public health and economic stability of societiesall over the world. The threat posed by infectious diseases is further deepened by the continuedemergence of new, unrecognized, and old, re-emerging infectious diseases. This becameeven more prominent by the continuously increasing air traffic and the resulting possible globaldissemination of infectious diseases as has recently been shown very impressively in thespread of SARS-CoV-2. Over the past last decades various new infectious agents affectinghumans have emerged, most of which are zoonotic and their origins have been shown tocorrelate significantly with socioeconomic, environmental, and ecological factors. Within thisproject we will focus on highly pathogenic viruses of the category 3 such as Avian InfluenzaH5N1 and the arbovirus West Nile Fever. Both viruses have the potential to spread acrosscontinents since their host are birds and both viruses are endemic in the USA. Sor far neithera potent vaccine nor chemotherapeutics are present which will warrant treatment of infectedpeople. Drug discovery will be applied to key-proteins of all those (re-)emerging viruses byapplying the lasted compound-protein structure imaging technologies as well as drugverification at cellular level, insect vector and in animal studies. (AU)