Our research
Our aim is to understand the mechanisms behind hantavirus pathogenesis and the acute and long-term consequences of hantavirus-infection. We focus on the capacity of hantaviruses to affect normal cell signaling and functions, especially cell death, immune and inflammatory responses. The ultimate goal is to generate a better understanding of the details of hantavirus-induced pathogenesis to aid in the development of specific treatment of patients.
Vaccines and specific therapy is lacking. Further, infected patients show increased risks for heart attack and stroke during, and an increased risk for lymphoma after, the acute phase of infection. Altogether, this shows that hantaviruses affect human health in several different ways. In contrast to humans, natural hosts are asymptomatically infected - why hantaviruses cause disease in humans is unknown.
Projects
Hantavirus-mediated inhibition of cell death; mechanisms and consequences
Hantaviruses have very strong anti-apoptotic effects. We are investigating in detail the mechanisms behind how hantaviruses protect infected cells from being killed by cytotoxic lymphocytes and via other apoptosis-inducing pathways. We further investigate the possible consequences of hantavirus-mediated inhibition of apoptosis on the function of infected cells.
Hantavirus-mediated deregulation of inflammatory responses
Understanding the mechanisms behind how hantaviruses cause hyperinflammation in HFRS/HPS-patients has the potential to reveal important insights into pathogenesis behind human hantavirus-infection. We investigate the effects hantaviruses have on Natural Killer cell, Dendritic cell and endothelial/epithelial cell functions and responses. This might also prove valuable for our understanding of other severe zoonotic emerging viral diseases, like other hemorrhagic fevers caused by e.g. Ebola and Dengue virus.
Acute and long-term consequences of human hantavirus-infection
We analyze immune responses and functions in Swedish HFRS-patients to characterize the impact hantavirus-infection has on our immune system. We also analyze the acute and long-term consequences of hantavirus-infection in Swedish HFRS-patients as compared to the Swedish total population to characterize the effects of human hantavirus-infection on the public health.
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