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Immunological evasion of immediate-early varicella zoster virus proteins Hasselt University
The varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the childhood disease commonly known as chickenpox and can later in life reactivate as herpes zoster. The adaptive immune system is known to play an important role in suppressing VZV reactivation. A central aspect of this system is the presentation of VZV-derived peptides by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Here, we investigate if key VZV proteins have evolved their amino acid sequence ...
Fluorescence-based antiviral assay for the evaluation of compounds against vaccinia virus, varicella zoster virus and human cytomegalovirus KU Leuven
Recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and two human cytomegaloviruses (HCMV) expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) were used to develop a fluorescence-based assay for testing antiviral compounds. Infection of human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HEL) with the different recombinant viruses produced stable and detectable amount of GFP and EYFP signal as quantitated ...
Human ocular-derived virus-specific CD4+ T cells control varicella zoster virus replication in human retinal pigment epithelial cells Vrije Universiteit Brussel
PURPOSE: Varicella zoster virus (VZV)-induced retinitis is characterized by the presence of virus-infected cells in the retinal layer and the ocular infiltration of VZV-specific T cells. Herein, the susceptibility of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to VZV infection and the ability of virus-specific CD4(+) T cells to control VZV infection in RPE cells in vitro is addressed.
METHODS: Human primary RPE cell cultures (n=2) were ...
Inborn errors in RNA polymerase III underlie severe varicella zoster virus infections University of Antwerp Ghent University KU Leuven Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) typically causes chickenpox upon primary infection. In rare cases, VZV can give rise to life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy people, but the immunological basis for this remains unexplained. We report 4 cases of acute severe VZV infection affecting the central nervous system or the lungs in unrelated, otherwise healthy children who are heterozygous for rare missense mutations in POLR3A (one patient), POLR3C ...
Immunological evasion of immediate-early varicella zoster virus proteins University of Antwerp
The varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the childhood disease commonly known as chickenpox and can later in life reactivate as herpes zoster. The adaptive immune system is known to play an important role in suppressing VZV reactivation. A central aspect of this system is the presentation of VZV-derived peptides by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Here, we investigate if key VZV proteins have evolved their amino acid sequence ...
No Varicella Zoster Virus Infection among Mpox Cases in Antwerp, Belgium KU Leuven Institute of Tropical Medicine
Several studies in tropical settings have reported that ∼20% of patients infected with Monkeypox virus (MPXV) also tested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for Varicella zoster virus (VZV). Researchers have hypothesized that VZV infection predisposes to monkeypox (mpox), or vice versa, or that MPXV triggers the reactivation of VZV. We tested samples for VZV from a cohort of patients infected with clade IIb MPXV diagnosed between May 23 ...
Identification of an indol-based derivative as potent and selective varicella zoster virus (VZV) inhibitor KU Leuven
We report the synthesis and antiviral activity of a new family of non-nucleoside antivirals, derived from the indole nucleus. Modifications of this template through Mannich and Friedel-Crafts reactions, coupled with nucleophilic displacement and reductive aminations led to 23 final derivatives, which were pharmacologically tested. Tryptamine derivative 17a was found to have a selective inhibitory activity against human varicella zoster virus ...
Preliminary validation of varicella zoster virus thymidine kinase as a novel reporter gene for PET KU Leuven
INTRODUCTION: Imaging of gene expression with positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as a powerful tool for biomedical research during the last decade. The prototypical herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) PET reporter gene (PRG) is widely used and many other PRGs have also been validated. We investigated varicella zoster virus thymidine kinase (VZV-tk) as new PRG with radiolabeled bicyclic nucleoside analogues (BCNAs) ...
4-Benzyloxy-gamma-sultone derivatives: discovery of a novel family of non-nucleoside inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus and varicella zoster virus KU Leuven
We report the synthesis and antiviral activity of a new family of non-nucleoside antivirals, derived from the 4-keto-1,2-oxathiole-2,2-dioxide (beta-keto-gamma-sultone) heterocyclic system. Several 4- and 5-substituted-5H-1,2-oxathiole-2,2-dioxide derivatives were found to have a selective inhibitory activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) replication in vitro, being inactive against a variety of other DNA ...