Grant: Project Grant

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth as they transmit a wide-variety of diseases to humans, many of which are caused by viruses. Together, mosquito-transmitted viruses infect more than >400 million people annually causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. Moreover, the incidence of mosquito-transmitted diseases is increasing dramatically in part due to climate change and urban sprawl. There are few vaccines or therapeutics for mosquito-borne viruses and as such, there is an urgent need for novel antiviral strategies. In the present application, we focus on a newly emerging and rapidly spreading group of mosquito-transmitted alphaviruses (Mayaro (MAYV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses), that cause severe and chronic arthritis. Understanding how viral infection modulates the cellular environment will shed light onto the sequence of events leading to chronic joint inflammation and pain. The proposed studies will form the basis for new therapies that block replication and transmission of MAYV and CHIKV.