Research group - Ali Mirazimi

Increased mobility in the general population and recent climate changes affecting the geographical distribution of viral vectors, combined with animal trade, immigrations and augmented bioterrorism threats, have heightened the risk of emerging viral diseases in Europe. These changing factors highlight the need for understanding the interactions between virus-vector-animal-human in the infection cycle and for the development of new countermeasures such as antivirals and vaccines. Knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of highly emerging viruses such as Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) is very limited and in some cases completely lacking. VHF diseases are caused by a diverse set of pathogens belonging to different virus families. Some of these viruses cause very severe diseases, with fatal outcomes.

It is obvious that the knowledge of virus biology, pathogenesis, vaccine development and therapeutics is highly limited for these important bio-threat. To achieve a globally effective health programme for this disease, there is a need for synergised national and international programmes with the capability to perform modern and advanced research. Our projects are focused on multinational/institutional collaboration. The major focus of our projects are i) understanding of the role of innate immune response to molecular pathogenesis of these diseases, ii) to understand Virus-Host cell interaction (animal, insects and human cells), iii) developing vaccines against emerging viral diseases, iv) developing new therapeutic tools against emerging viral diseases and v). Developing new diagnostic tools.

Research group leader

Projects

Ongoing projects for the Ali Mirazimi group

Group members

External funding

Swedish research Council, 2016-2018

Formas, 2016-2019

European Commission. H2020, 2017-2023

Initiative medicine innovation funds, 2015-2018

Swedish foundation for Strategic Research, 2017-2021

The Swedish foundation for International cooperation in research and higher education, 2015-2018

Collaborations

Professor Friedemann Weber, Germany (Vaccine development and molecular pathogenesis)

Professor Josef Penninger, Austria (Virus-host interaction)

Professor Thomas Helleday, Scilifelab, KI (Antiviral development)

Professor Heinrich Feldmann, NIAID, NIH, (Vaccine development and molecular pathogenesis)

Professor Yee-Joo Tan, Singapore (Molecular pathogenesis)

Professor Martin Groushop, Germany, (Vaccine development)

Professor, Matti Sällberg, LABMED, KI, (Vaccine development)

Professor Nazif Elaldi, Turkey, (Vaccine development)

Professor Anna Papa, Greece, (Virus epidemiology and Diagnostic)

Professor Ola Blixt, Copenhagen (Diagnostic)

Professor. Amadou Sall, Pasture Dakar, (Diagnostic)

Professor. Noel Tordo, Pasture Guinea (Epidemiology and diagnostic)

Selected publications

Immunization with DNA Plasmids Coding for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Capsid and Envelope Proteins and/or Virus-Like Particles Induces Protection and Survival in Challenged Mice.
Hinkula J, Devignot S, Åkerström S, Karlberg H, Wattrang E, Bereczky S, et al
J. Virol. 2017 05;91(10):

The Non-structural Protein of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Disrupts the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Induces Apoptosis.
Barnwal B, Karlberg H, Mirazimi A, Tan YJ
J. Biol. Chem. 2016 Jan;291(2):582-92

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever replication interplays with regulation mechanisms of apoptosis.
Karlberg H, Tan YJ, Mirazimi A
J. Gen. Virol. 2015 Mar;96(Pt 3):538-546

Structure of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus nucleoprotein: superhelical homo-oligomers and the role of caspase-3 cleavage.
Wang Y, Dutta S, Karlberg H, Devignot S, Weber F, Hao Q, et al
J. Virol. 2012 Nov;86(22):12294-303

Interferon and cytokine responses to Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus; an emerging and neglected viral zonoosis.
Weber F, Mirazimi A
Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. ;19(5-6):395-404

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus activates endothelial cells.
Connolly-Andersen AM, Moll G, Andersson C, Akerström S, Karlberg H, Douagi I, et al
J. Virol. 2011 Aug;85(15):7766-74

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infection is lethal for adult type I interferon receptor-knockout mice.
Bereczky S, Lindegren G, Karlberg H, Akerström S, Klingström J, Mirazimi A
J. Gen. Virol. 2010 Jun;91(Pt 6):1473-7

Production, purification and immunogenicity of recombinant Ebola virus proteins - A comparison of Freund's adjuvant and adjuvant system 03.
Melén K, Kakkola L, He F, Airenne K, Vapalahti O, Karlberg H, et al
J. Virol. Methods 2017 04;242():35-45

Ebola virus disease: societal challenges and new treatments.
Mirazimi A
J. Intern. Med. 2015 Sep;278(3):227-37

Amiodarone and metabolite MDEA inhibit Ebola virus infection by interfering with the viral entry process.
Salata C, Baritussio A, Munegato D, Calistri A, Ha HR, Bigler L, et al
Pathog Dis 2015 Jul;73(5):

Development and deployment of a rapid recombinase polymerase amplification Ebola virus detection assay in Guinea in 2015.
Faye O, Faye O, Soropogui B, Patel P, El Wahed AA, Loucoubar C, et al
Euro Surveill. 2015 ;20(44):

An antibody against a novel and conserved epitope in the hemagglutinin 1 subunit neutralizes numerous H5N1 influenza viruses.
Oh HL, Akerström S, Shen S, Bereczky S, Karlberg H, Klingström J, et al
J. Virol. 2010 Aug;84(16):8275-86

Amiodarone and metabolite MDEA inhibit Ebola virus infection by interfering with the viral entry process.
Salata C, Baritussio A, Munegato D, Calistri A, Ha HR, Bigler L, et al
Pathog Dis 2015 Jul;73(5):

Development and deployment of a rapid recombinase polymerase amplification Ebola virus detection assay in Guinea in 2015.
Faye O, Faye O, Soropogui B, Patel P, El Wahed AA, Loucoubar C, et al
Euro Surveill. 2015 ;20(44):

An antibody against a novel and conserved epitope in the hemagglutinin 1 subunit neutralizes numerous H5N1 influenza viruses.
Oh HL, Akerström S, Shen S, Bereczky S, Karlberg H, Klingström J, et al
J. Virol. 2010 Aug;84(16):8275-86

Dual effect of nitric oxide on SARS-CoV replication: viral RNA production and palmitoylation of the S protein are affected.
Akerström S, Gunalan V, Keng CT, Tan YJ, Mirazimi A
Virology 2009 Dec;395(1):1-9

Amino acids 15-28 in the ectodomain of SARS coronavirus 3a protein induces neutralizing antibodies.
Akerström S, Tan YJ, Mirazimi A
FEBS Lett. 2006 Jul;580(16):3799-803