COMBINE logo-whiteTowards Improved Pandemic Preparedness
Advancing Our Understanding of Virus Cell Entry Using Marburg virus as a Model
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Approach

Virus infection begins with the attachment of the virus to host cells and subsequent activation of cellular receptors, triggering signalling pathways that lead to viral entry and genome delivery. Identifying the cellular attachment factors and mechanisms involved is crucial for understanding and stopping infections. However, the transient nature of virus-cell binding and the rapid progression of infection make this a challenging endeavour. Still, therapeutic molecules that prevent virus attachment and entry are crucial for stopping infections early and are essential for pandemic preparedness.

The COMBINE project follows a three-step approach to investigate the virus-host cell interaction and cellular uptake of Marburg virus (MARV). To specifically target virus-plasma membrane interactions, a unified inverted attachment platform that enables us to halt and synchronize infection at the cell binding stage will be employed. Our approach is compatible with BSL4 conditions and integrates multi-Omics technologies.

COMBINE will not only reveal new insights on MARV cell entry and tissue tropism but develop the approach into a blueprint experimental pipeline for the streamlined identification and antiviral targeting of proteins involved in the virus attachment process. This will include standardised protocols and training workshops to accelerate and diversify the development of therapeutic options against MARV and other viruses.

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Development ofnovel inhibitorsand vaccinecandidatesMechanisticcharacterizationof virus bindingand entryIdentify thesignature ofvirus-cellactivation