Grant: Doctoral Research Award - Priority Announcement - Infection and Immunity
University of Manitoba
$105,000.00
Host response modulation results in altered Ebola virus replication and transcription kinetics in immune-privileged testis, which facilitates asymptomatic and persistent infections that may affect reproductive health and sexual transmission
EF 2019-20
Résumé
The current Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in more than 2,900 infections and 1,900 fatalities, with no end in sight. This outbreak is already the second largest in history; the largest only ended three years ago after causing 11,000 fatalities in West Africa. It appears that Ebola virus disease outbreaks are occurring more frequently and with increasing complexity, taking longer to resolve and affecting more people than ever before. Improved epidemiological surveillance, community outreach, and Ebola virus vaccines and therapeutics are being implemented to combat the current outbreak, yet new infections continue to occur.
Efforts to respond to Ebola virus disease outbreaks are complicated because Ebola virus persists in the reproductive tracts of male disease survivors after recovery. Persistent Ebola virus disease infections can last for years, are not detectable in blood samples, and occur in the absence of disease symptoms. Critically, the virus can be transmitted sexually from these survivors, which leads to new chains of transmission and increases the duration and magnitude of outbreaks. In an era where globalization has enabled rapid mass movement of people over long distances, persistent and undetected Ebola virus infections could lead to global outbreaks.
Despite the danger that persistent Ebola virus infections pose to public health, these infections are not well characterized; why are there no associated disease symptoms or abnormalities in the afflicted reproductive tract, how does the virus persist so long, and what danger does the virus pose during persistence? My goal is to determine how Ebola virus persists in the male reproductive tract, what effect this has on reproductive health, and how frequently sexual transmission occurs. This study will aid in development of therapeutics for persistent EVD infections and limit the risk that male survivors pose to their families and community.
Programme
Doctoral Research Award - Priority Announcement - Infection and Immunity
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Manitoba, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
CIHR Funding Decisions Database
Tel que publié
Id
418113
Name
Webb Andrew L
Region
Manitoba
Country
Canada
Orgtype
Institution Paid; Research Institution
Instname2
Infection and Immunity
Theme2
Biomedical
Prcname2
Doctoral Research Awards - A
Projecttitle
Host response modulation results in altered Ebola virus replication and transcription kinetics in immune-privileged testis, which facilitates asymptomatic and persistent infections that may affect reproductive health and sexual transmission
Programtype2
Studentship Programs
Orgnameinp2
University of Manitoba
Cihramount2
$105,000
Cihrequipment2
$0
Programname2
Doctoral Research Award - Priority Announcement - Infection and Immunity
Keyworddelim
Ebola Virus; Host Response; Immune Privilege; Kinomics; Persistent Infection; Rna Sequencing; Testicular Infection; Transcriptomics; Viral Replication
Abstract
The current Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in more than 2,900 infections and 1,900 fatalities, with no end in sight. This outbreak is already the second largest in history; the largest only ended three years ago after causing 11,000 fatalities in West Africa. It appears that Ebola virus disease outbreaks are occurring more frequently and with increasing complexity, taking longer to resolve and affecting more people than ever before. Improved epidemiological surveillance, community outreach, and Ebola virus vaccines and therapeutics are being implemented to combat the current outbreak, yet new infections continue to occur.
Efforts to respond to Ebola virus disease outbreaks are complicated because Ebola virus persists in the reproductive tracts of male disease survivors after recovery. Persistent Ebola virus disease infections can last for years, are not detectable in blood samples, and occur in the absence of disease symptoms. Critically, the virus can be transmitted sexually from these survivors, which leads to new chains of transmission and increases the duration and magnitude of outbreaks. In an era where globalization has enabled rapid mass movement of people over long distances, persistent and undetected Ebola virus infections could lead to global outbreaks.
Despite the danger that persistent Ebola virus infections pose to public health, these infections are not well characterized; why are there no associated disease symptoms or abnormalities in the afflicted reproductive tract, how does the virus persist so long, and what danger does the virus pose during persistence? My goal is to determine how Ebola virus persists in the male reproductive tract, what effect this has on reproductive health, and how frequently sexual transmission occurs. This study will aid in development of therapeutics for persistent EVD infections and limit the risk that male survivors pose to their families and community.
Competitiondate
201910
Approvedterm2
3 yrs 0 mth
Pinamesdelim
Webb, Andrew L
Approvedterm
3 ans 0 mois
Cihrcontribution2
~ $105,000~ $0~
