Kim Stobbelaar unpaid staff

Research Kim Stobbelaar

Research team

Identification of host-virus interactions contributing to immunopathology and disease severity in respiratory syncytial virus infections in children. 01/11/2019 - 31/10/2023

Abstract

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is worldwide the leading cause of serious airway infections. It's so common that most children will be infected by age 2. In adults and older children, RSV symptoms are mostly mild and typically mimic a common cold, but younger children can develop very severe disease. Preventive and therapeutic options are limited and currently it is not clear why some children develop severe disease while others do not. We therefore aim to investigate host- and virus-related factors that influence disease severity. To reach this objective, we will isolate RSV from children with respiratory disease, characterize the isolates and objectify differences between them. Next, we will investigate the effect of different virus isolates on the immunological response induced by a human respiratory epithelial cell line, since epithelial cells are the primary target cells and are implicated in the pathogenic reaction upon RSV infection. Lastly we want to evaluate whether the same clinical isolate induces a different immunological response in respiratory epithelial cells isolated from different patients. We will thus not only gain fundamental insights in the causes of RSV induced disease, but we will finally also correlate the virus- and host-related risk factors identified in the lab with clinical symptoms observed in patients. With this project we aim to identify patients prone to severe disease in an early stage, thus improving therapeutic options and disease outcome.

Researcher(s)

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

  • Research Project

Identification of host-virus interactions contributing to immunopathology and disease severity in respiratory syncytial virus infections in children. 01/10/2018 - 30/09/2022

Abstract

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is worldwide the leading cause of serious infections of the lower airways, and nearly all children are infected with RSV by the age of two. RSV is responsible for different clinical presentations, ranging from mild to very severe disease. Limited preventive and therapeutic options are available, and furthermore, it is not clear why some infected individuals develop severe disease while others do not. We therefore aim to investigate host- and virus-related factors that may influence disease severity. To reach this objective, we will divide our research project in four different goals. Firstly, we will isolate RSV from patients and investigate which of two commonly used virus collection methods is best to obtain viable RSV isolates. Secondly, we will investigate the effect of different virus isolates on human respiratory epithelial cells, since these are not only the primary target cells, but also implicated in the pathogenic immune response upon RSV infection. Thirdly, we want to evaluate whether respiratory epithelial cells from different patients, react differently upon infection with the same virus, which may explain differences in disease severity observed in patients. We will thus not only gain fundamental insights in the causes of RSV induced diseases, but we will finally also correlate risk factors identified in the laboratory with clinical symptoms in patients, supporting the translational character of this research project.

Researcher(s)

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

  • Research Project