Behrendt Lab
Projects
Antiviral Strategies Against HEV
Together with the Department of Structural Biology at the University of Lübeck, human, strongly neutralizing antibodies against HEV were identified and characterized for the first time. These showed a protective effect in the mouse model and are currently being further developed for clinical application, including mRNA-based application methods.
Determinants of the Clinical Course of Infection
Human, potentially neutralizing antibodies against HEV have advanced the development of new detection methods for the virus in patient samples. Serological and functional analyses are used to determine markers for the course and treatment of chronic infections.
Prevention of HEV Infection
Studies in the cell culture model show that only a few disinfectants are effective against HEV, which provides important information on hygiene measures for HEV infections. We are also working together to test vaccines for pigs as HEV reservoirs.
Genetic determinants of severe RSV infection in infants
We are investigating how genetic variants influence the risk of severe RSV infections in infants. Exome sequencing and bioinformatic analyses are used to identify causal variants in immunity genes.
