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Experts in Neurology
Eun-Young Lee Shahdat Hossain NITIN M. NAGARKAR Kevin A Roth Asa Abeliovich Dritan Agalliu Ottavio Arancio Edmund Au Francesca Bartolini Wu Anhua  Priti Balchandani Prof. Dr. Raghda Nasr Ibrahim Nasr Nassa Jacque Dalton Sara Johnston Dr. Ryoko Sasamoto Evans Spears Zachery Sneed Nadine Bakkar Dave Schroeder Jennifer Basil View MoreOrf virus is a large DNA poxvirus and is the type species of the parapoxvirus genus of the family poxviridae. It causes pustular dermatitis in sheep and goats and is transmissible to humans. An interesting feature of this virus is that it has evolved a unique set of virulence factors that allows it to subvert the host immune responses and to modify host physiological processes. These factors may explain why this virus is able to reinfect its host. We and others have discovered genes such as a homologue of interleukin-10, a vascular endothelial growth factors, a factor that binds granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor and IL-2 and a chemokine binding protein. In addition we have discovered factors that block apoptosis and the interferon response and have identified a number of genes in orf virus for which functions are not known. Projects are offered to further characterise the function of the parapoxvirus accessory factors and to identify and characterise the function of unknown genes.
Applied and molecular immunology, viral pathogenesis and molecular virology