| title: | Study of the replication mechanisms of the RNA and DNA viruses and development of new methods for gene therapy and gene vaccination. |
|---|---|
| reg no: | SF0182566Bs03 |
| project type: | targeted financing |
| subject: |
1.6-1.9. Chemistry and Molecular Biology 2. Engineering 3. Medical Sciences |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Tartu University Institute of Technology |
| head of project: | Mart Ustav |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2007 |
| description: | The research program is comprised of two parts and will be carried out in the premises of three research organisations: a) Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Univ. of Tartu, Estonian Biocentre and Institute of Technology, Univ. of Tartu. The PI of the program and Head of the A subprogram is prof. Mart Ustav, while subprogram B is led by Dr. Andres Merits. We plan to study: 1) the replication mechanisms of papillomaviruses during the initial amplification, latent replication and vegetative replication phases. Specific effort will be made for the basic studies of the mechanisms assuring proper segregation and partitioning of the viral episomes in the dividing cells and mechanisms driving the vegetative replication. 2) Sup-program B will concentrate on the Hepatitis C virus and Semliki Forest virus. The specific aims of the project are: a) analysis of the structure and formation of the replication complexes; b) study of interactions between viral proteins; c) mechanisms of regulation of life cycle; d) virus-host interactions; e) to reconstitute the in vitro replication system and to study the replication complexes participating in the HCV replication. We shall use the modern methods of Molecular Biology and Virology in our work. In the process of research many graduate students of M.Sci and Ph.D level will participate. Although major attention will be on the basic research, we specifically work for use of the results of research for development of new methods for gene therapy and gene vaccination. Specific attention will be paid for the development of new type of expression vectors, which could be used for induction of specific immune response through transient expression of antigen of interest as well for long term stable expression of therapeutic genes in the gene therapy programs. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Aigi Ilves | TÜTI | v.laborant | |
| 2. | Reet Kurg | TÜTI | v. teadur | |
| 3. | Ene Ustav | TÜTI | v. teadur | |
| 4. | Mart Ustav | University of Tartu | professor | |