Introduction

Group leader : Branka Horvat
INSERM U758                               N° de téléphone : 04 37 28 23 92
21, avenue Tony Garnier               Fax : 04 37 28 23 91  
69365 Lyon Cedex 07                   E-mail: branka.horvat@inserm.fr

       Viruses and immune system are in constant interaction, resulting with either elimination of a virus or infectious disease. Our group is studying several aspects of this dynamic relation, particularly innate immune response and role of non-structural viral proteins in pathogenesis of infection and mechanisms of viral evasion from the immune control. We are particularly interested in:
 

• Study of innate immune response and pathogenesis of measles virus infection, role of measles virus receptors, CD46 and CD150 (SLAM), and Pattern Recognition Receptors RIG-I and MDA-5 and nonstructural C protein in viral infection and induction of host cytokines and modulation of the immune response;
• Immunopathogenesis of recently discovered highly lethal Nipah virus: spreading of the virus and role of non-structural virus genes, using BSL4 laboratory.
• Extending the analysis of viral pathogenesis to few other viruses including human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and analysing their interaction with host cells.