Event date:
Nov 29 2021 10:30 am

Development of dengue virus cellular entry inhibition assay

Supervisor
Dr. Syed Shahzad-ul-Hussan
Committee Member: Dr. Shaper Mirza
Student
Hafiz Gohar Ejaz
Venue
SSE Smart Lab 4th Floor
Event
PhD Synopsis defense
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) infection has become a severe public health concern globally, especially in tropical and subtropical countries. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infectious disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations, from a mild cold-like illness to the serious hemorrhagic dengue fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). The causative agents are dengue virus serotype 1,2,3 and 4 (DENV1,2,3,4). The envelope protein (E) is a major component of the DENV virion surface, and it plays a key role during the viral entry process, constituting an attractive target for the development of antiviral drugs. However, currently, there is neither an approved antiviral drug nor an effective vaccine available to fight the disease. In this study, we aim to develop pseudovirus based cellular infection assay to identify viral cellular entry inhibitors as potential antiviral agents. To achieve this, we will use a combination of molecular biology and cell culture techniques.