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Understanding the Role of Glycans in Human Norovirus Infection: a Key to Unlock New Therapies

Project description

Development of synthetic glycans for the treatment of norovirus infection

Glycans are carbohydrates ubiquitously present on cell surfaces, playing key roles in many biological processes, including mediation of virus attachment and entry. Human noroviruses (NoVs) cause gastroenteritis and foodborne illnesses with severe complications in immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and young children. Currently, there is no therapy available to prevent or treat NoV infections. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GlycoNoVi project goal is to train 9 researchers and study the NoV interactions with glycans and mechanisms underlying the virus’ attachment to specific glycans to infect host cells. The objective is to investigate the exciting possibility of developing synthetic glycans for the prevention and treatment of NoV infection.

Objective

Glycans are carbohydrate structures ubiquitously found on the surface of cells and take part in many biological processes, including cell signaling and neoplasia. Research on glycans is challenging in part due to the limited availability of biologically relevant synthetic glycans and to technical challenges in the analysis of glycan-protein interactions. Glycans also exhibit key roles in viral infections, mediating virus attachment and entry. Human noroviruses (NoVs) are the major cause of viral gastroenteritis and foodborne illnesses causing morbidity, mortality and economic losses. NoV infections are self-limiting in healthy individuals but are associated with severe complications in immunocompromised individuals, the elderly and young children. In addition, frequently occurring new NoV genotypes and variants can cause large outbreaks and epidemics worldwide. Very little is known about NoV infections in most non-human hosts and the close genetic similarities between some animal and human NoVs leads to the realistic hypothesis that the virus might jump the species barrier triggering pandemic variants. Importantly, no therapy is currently available to treat or prevent NoV infections. The requirement for NoVs to attach to specific glycans to infect hosts’ tissues, and cells, has been well established but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Going beyond the state-of-the-art, the overall aims of GlycoNoVi is training 9 researchers to address knowledge gaps on NoV glycan interactions and investigate the exciting possibility of developing synthetic glycans as antiviral strategies to treat NoV infection. These aims will be achieved bringing together 5 academic and 3 industrial leaders in glycoscience, glycovirology and NoV field and relying on a multidisciplinary and interconnected approach which is declinate in research-oriented WP1-5 and WP6-8 focused respectively on training, outreach and coordination.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZE
Net EU contribution

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€ 518 875,20
Address
Piazza San Marco 4
50121 Florence
Italy

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Region
Centro (IT) Toscana Firenze
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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Participants (7)

Partners (7)

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