The Systems Virology lab at Laboratory Medicine focuses on using systems biology and experimental approaches to understand the biology of host-pathogen interactions targeted towards the RNA viruses. The group aims to identify the components of the immune response that are required for natural immune protection and disease severity that can be translated into the future development of vaccine and antiviral strategies against emerging and re-emerging viruses.
Our projects investigate immuno-metabolic reprogramming during viral infections, focusing on how viruses hijack host metabolism to facilitate replication and development of host-directed therapy. Using multi-omics systems biology, metabolic modeling, and experimental assays, we aim to identify key metabolic and signaling alterations induced by viral infections.
We aim to understand common global interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) responses against different viruses can provide a novel avenue for viral antagonism.
Lead: Soham Gupta.
We investigate how liver X receptors (LXRs) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) regulate immune responses, cholesterol metabolism, and cellular differentiation, with a particular focus on their roles in neurodegeneration.
Lead: Mukesh Varshney
We study the innate immune system in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in children and adults.
Lead: Magdalini Lourda.
The Systems Infection Biology (CSIB) facility provides services for advanced bioinformatics analysis on transcriptomics, proteomics (targeted and untargeted), metabolomics (targeted and untargeted), microbiome (16s and metagenome), integrative multi-omics analysis including single cell analysis.
Facility Director: Anoop T. Ambikan
Photo: Adobe StockA new study reveals that a significant proportion of people living with HIV (PWH) on long-term antiretroviral therapy remain at risk of immune and metabolic complications despite successful viral suppression. The findings highlight a pressing need for precision medicine approaches to improve long-term health outcomes for PWH.
Photo: iStockAs part of the response to the escalating threat of a global dengue fever epidemic, a new interdisciplinary EU-funded research initiative has been established with KI as coordinator.
Photo: Getty ImagesThe clinical outcome and severity of COVID-19 cannot be explained by a single factor like age, gender, or comorbidities. A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has identified potential determinants of COVID-19 severity at the cellular level using advanced systems biology analysis. The findings, published in the journal Cell Systems, offer insights into the metabolic tug-of-war in the human body and its association with disease severity.
Photo: Getty ImagesResearchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified key signalling pathways that when blocked by existing drug candidates limit reproduction of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus. The findings, published in the journal eLife, offer hope for patients affected by this potentially deadly disease.
COMBAT is an ambitious initiative at the forefront of dengue research and pandemic preparedness, pioneering innovative antiviral strategies to alleviate the burden of dengue infection while deepening our understanding of its complex pathogenesis through cutting-edge multi-modal technologies.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101191315
