Modulation of antiviral immunity by viral proteases and noncoding RNAs

The group is focused on i) the biotechnological applications of small RNA molecules mimicking structural domains in the noncoding regions of the FMDV genome exerting a robust antiviral effect, which are being tested for their use as antiviral agents and vaccine adjuvants, and ii) the study of the interplay between FMDV and the host innate immunity system, involving the detection of the viral genome by cellular immune sensors and the characterization of the immune evasion mechanisms exerted by the virus to counteract the antiviral host response. The outcome of this balance may determine the onset of disease and we are actively working on the identification of host innate effector proteins which are targets for the virally encoded proteases. This is currently, together with the biotherapeutical developments described above, our main research interest.