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Project Description

Please note that we are a research service provider, not a pharmacy or clinic, so we are unable to see patients and do not offer diagnostic and treatment services for individuals.

Rhinovirus Infection

Rhinoviruses (RVs) are the most common viral agents causing human infections and reign as the most rampant cause of common colds alongside notable asthma attacks, especially in children. Positioned at the vanguard of progress, our company spearheads the development of groundbreaking strategies to combat rhinovirus infections.

Overview of Rhinovirus Infection

Rhinoviruses (RVs) belong to the family of Picornaviridae and are non enveloped viruses that are single stranded RNA. They are a major cause of infections in the upper respiratory tract, with more than 160 different serotypes divided into three species RV-A, RV-B, and RV-C. These viruses are easily spread through contact or aerosol vectors and are infamous for their ability to penetrate epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and stir up inflammation and immune responses that lead to a condition resembling common cold.

Human rhinovirus genomic organization, virion structure, and species. Fig.1 Schematic representation of human rhinovirus genome organization, virion structure, and species. (Stobart C. C., et al., 2017)

Vaccine Development for Rhinovirus Infection

VLP subunit vaccines rely primarily on a few selected viral proteins or virus-like particles (VLPs) to elicit immune responses. For instance, capsid proteins VP4 and VP2 (VP0) vaccines, which are targeted towards RV serotypes, have been constructed. Immunization using RV-A16 VP0 protein together with Th1-directing adjuvants has been found to produce powerful Th1 immune responses together with antibodies that recognize multiple virus serotypes.
Because of the remarkably high number of serotypes, making a polyvalent or universal vaccine against RV is an arduous przedsięwzięcie. However, recently conducted experiments have proved the effectiveness of polyvalent inactivated RV vaccines. One such example is a 50-valent inactivated vaccine preparation that has shown the ability to stimulate neutralizing antibodies in Rhesus monkeys towards all tested types except one.

Therapeutics Development for Rhinovirus Infection

Antiviral Drugs

The development of antivirals targeting RVs have advanced relatively with products such as ribavirin, pleconaril and rupintrivir. These compounds are known to target specific stages of viral life cycle, ranging from entry, protease and uncoating. Pleconaril for example binds the viral capsid preventing RV uncoating. On the other hand, rupintrivir is an inhibitor of RV 3C protease which is essential for RV replication.

Host Defense Peptides

In the recent years, host defense peptides (cathelicidins) have been investigated for their potential use in fighting RV infections. These peptides have the capacity to act as direct antiviral agents while simultaneously modulating the immune response. It was previously shown that exogenous LL-37 delivery significantly reduces RV replication in vitro.

Immunomodulatory Therapies

There are other strategies that are focused on shifting the immune response of the host that have also been tried with positive results. For example, interferons can confer an antiviral state by stimulating an increase in production of interfuron stimulated genes that can curtail RV replication. Vitamin D supplementation is also hypothesized to enhance the innate immune response, thus reducing RV replication.

Our Services

With the strong background in molecular biology and immunology, we create and fabricate new vaccines and therapeutics based on conserved RV antigens and pathways.

Vaccine Development

Therapeutic Development

Infectious Disease Models

Mouse Model for HRV Infection using HRV2 Variant
Transgenic Mouse Model of Major-Group HRV Infection
Mouse Model of Rhinovirus-Induced Exacerbation of Allergic Airway Inflammation

Preclinical studies are a very important segment in the building of vaccines and therapeutics. Our services comprise:

Molecular Characterization: We carry out thorough molecular characterizations of RVs to discover conserved antigens and drugable targets.
In Vitro Screening and Assays: We perform extensive in vitro screening to determine the antiviral efficacy of compounds and the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidates.
Development of Animal Model: We design and employ the appropriate animal models for the study of RV pathology and for vaccine and treatment assessment.
Assessment of Efficacy: The laboratory conducts a first series of tests designed to establish the efficacy of a candidate vaccine or therapeutic medications prior to clinical trials.

If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.

References

Stobart Christopher C., Jenna M. Nosek, and Martin L. Moore. "Rhinovirus biology, antigenic diversity, and advancements in the design of a human rhinovirus vaccine." Frontiers in microbiology 8 (2017): 2412.
Blaas, Dieter, and Renate Fuchs. "Mechanism of human rhinovirus infections." Molecular and cellular pediatrics 3 (2016): 1-4.
Casanova, Victor, et al. "Antiviral therapeutic approaches for human rhinovirus infections." Future virology 13.7 (2018): 505-518.

All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.