My PhD project is focused on studying the basis of viral tropism and pathogenesis of Parvovirus B19 (B19V). This investigation could help in developing efficient antiviral strategies that interfere with the early steps of the infection.
B19V is a human pathogen characterized by a selective and narrow tropism for the erythroid lineage (EPCs) in the bone marrow where it exerts a cytopathic effect. Therefore, productive infection induces a block in erythropoiesis that can be manifested as a transient or persistent erythroid aplasia.
A VP1u binding coreceptor has been identified as a molecule involved in B19V entry step.
The distribution of viral coreceptor defines the set of susceptible cells, but the effective productivity of viral replication is critically linked to the intracellular environment.
Hence, during my PhD period I aim to investigate host-pathogen interactions and the B19 virus induced variation in the intracellular environment of EPCs, in order to assess a list of molecules potentially involved in permissiveness.
