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Institute of Immunology (IfI)

Laboratory for Antiviral Immunity

The laboratory for antiviral immunity investigates the interference of viruses with the innate immune system. Interferon antagonists of Picorna- and Arteriviruses are identified and the underlying mechanisms of type-I interferon signaling pathway inhibition are analyzed. The results of this work provide a basis for the establishment of virus mutants with impaired ability to interfere with the innate immune system. The mutants are characterized in detail to understand the mechanisms of immunmodulation and to generate attenuated virus variants that could be used as vaccines. 

In parallel, the vector vaccine platform based on ORFV-Strain D1701-V (established by Achim Rziha, laboratory for molecular immunpathogenesis) is continued. ORFV-recombinants are generated, characterized and the induced immune response is analyzed.

FMDV (foot-and-mouth disease virus, Picornavirus)
  • Identification and characterization of Interferon antagonists
  • Analysis of mutations in a replicon system
PRRSV (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, Arterivirus)
  • Identification and characterization of Interferon antagonists
  • Generation and characterization of virus mutants
ORFV (Orf Virus, Parapoxvirus)
  • Generation, characterization, and evaluation of the induced immune response of ORFV recombinants, which express foreign immunogenic proteins derived from FMD-Virus
  • Molecular mechanisms of ORFV attenuation and immune modulation