Full title: A Transcriptomic Approach to Viral Disease Research

Grantor: Unity through Knowledge Fund (UKF)

Grantor's website: www.ukf.hr

Programme: Research Cooperability

Programme website: http://www.ukf.hr/default.aspx?id=18

Duration: 2007-2010 (36 months)

Coordinator: Joanne Trgovcich, Ohio State University, Columbus OH, USA

Partner from the Center for Proteomics: Stipan Jonjic

Total project financing (Center for Proteomics + Ohio State University): EUR 190.000

No. of participants: 2

Brief description:

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a member of beta-herpesvirus family and is widely distributed throughout world populations. After infection, which usually passes with no symptoms, it establishes a life-long persistence with minimal or no damage to its host. However, in persons with weaker immunity such are newborns, children, transplant patients or AIDS patients it can cause grave disease and even death. Unfortunately, there are no available vaccines to prevent infection.

The project is aimed at better understanding of specific mechanisms that cytomegalovirus uses to avoid the immune system control, as well as to study the caused diseases and possible treatment strategies, by characterizing murine cytomegalovirus' (MCMV's) entire transcriptome (by analyzing all of its gene products). Similar project already performed on human CMV (HCMV) revealed many novel genes and gene products. In the next phase, gene arrays on glass chips will be generated to investigate involvement and regulation of these gene products in various diseases, various tissues and organs and during different conditions.

Finally, in collaboration with IT researchers the obtained data will be integrated with bioinformatics tools in order to develop a publicly accessible database of the cytomegalovirus transcriptome. This database should serve as a definitive resource for the worldwide research community working to understand the evolution and pathogenesis of herpes viruses.

Project website: http://www.capri.com.hr/transcriptomic-approach-to-viral-disease-research.html

Project website: http://www.ukf.hr/default.aspx?id=18&projectid=27&prikaz=1