Interactions of naked and extracellular vesicle-enclosed picornaviruses with cellular barriers

Recent literature has shown certain viruses, including members of the Picornaviridae family, can be released from infected cells packaged in extracellular vesicles (EVs). This additional egress pathway exists next to the classically defined lysis of host cells and subsequent escape of naked virus particles. Limited published data suggests that EVs are proficient in crossing cellular barriers, with recent research mainly focusing on interaction with and passage over the blood-brain barrier. These findings hint at a possible advantage for EV-enclosed virus particles over their naked counterparts in both intra- and inter-organismal dissemination. In this project, we aim to dissect the interaction of naked and EV-enclosed picornaviruses with cellular barriers that are important in viral dissemination. These include intestinal epithelium, the entry point for many enteroviruses that transmit through the fecal-oral route, as well as endothelium, important for picornaviruses that spread through the blood to multiple organs. This project will shed light on the currently underexplored dissemination routes of picornaviruses. In addition, it will yield  fundamental insight in whether/how viruses use EVs to interact with and passage cellular barriers. This can guide the development of novel antiviral therapies and improved EV-based drug delivery systems.

Contact 
Jasper van den Ende