Director Virology Unit Pisa University Hospital & Director Retrovirus Center, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, ITALY
Exploring Host-Directed Antiviral Therapies: Insights from the GENESIS Study on Emerging and Orphan Viruses
Host: A. Marcello
Brief Bio:
Arboviruses, including Chikungunya virus, Dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Zika virus (ZIKV), present a major and growing global health threat. Their persistence in human and non-human hosts affects transmission dynamics, viral evolution, and public health, yet the underlying mechanisms that enable their persistence and evolution in humans remain poorly understood. To bridge this gap, the GENESIS study brings together ten public and private organizations, including the University of Pisa (coordinator), the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Trieste), the National Cancer Institute “Fondazione Pascale” (Naples), the National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” (Rome), the Fondazione TIGEM Telethon (Naples), San Raffaele Hospital (Milan), the University of Piemonte Orientale, the University of Trento, and private companies DIESSE Diagnostica Senese SpA (Siena) and Scylla Biotech Srl (Messina).
The GENESIS consortium aims to unravel the replication cycles, pathogenesis, and host persistence mechanisms of DENV, WNV, ZIKV, and other arboviruses, identifying and characterizing host factors that support viral persistence. By focusing on these host factors as potential antiviral targets, GENESIS seeks to establish a foundation for developing host-directed therapies that can block arbovirus replication across a range of species. This approach leverages in vitro and preclinical models to explore innovative therapeutic strategies less vulnerable to viral resistance. In addition, GENESIS will study the antibody response to Toscana virus, an endemic arbovirus in Italy, by analyzing sequential patient samples to identify biomarkers of pathogenicity and persistence and to improve diagnostic accuracy. Aligned with the objectives of INF-ACT, GENESIS aims to advance understanding of virus-host interactions in these emerging viruses, ultimately facilitating the development of host-targeted prevention, treatment, and control strategies against these and other orphan viruses.
International Seminar Programme
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