INTERFERON-DEPENDENT AND -INDEPENDENT MODULATION OF WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTIONS OF HUMAN DERMAL FIBROBLASTS.

Although dermal fibroblasts are one of the first cell types exposed to West Nile virus (WNV) during a blood meal by an infected mosquito, little is known about WNV replication within this cell type. Here, I demonstrate that pathogenic, WNV-New York (WNV-NY), and nonpathogenic, WNV-Australia (WNV-AUS60) strains are able to infect and replicate in primary human dermal fibroblasts (HFFs). However, WNV-AUS60 replication and spread within HFFs was reduced compared to that of WNV-NY due to an interferon-independent reduction in viral infectivity early in infection. Additionally, replication of both strains was constrained late in infection by an IFN-β-dependent reduction in particle infectivity. Overall, our data indicate that dermal fibroblasts are capable of supporting WNV replication; however, the low infectivity of particles produced from HFFs late in infection suggests that this cell type likely plays a limited role as a viral reservoir in vivo

Antiviral Drug Research Proposal Activity

<p align="left">The development of antiviral drugs provides an excellent example of how basic and clinical research must be used together in order to achieve the final goal of treating disease. A Research Oriented Learning Activity was designed to help students to better understand how basic and clinical research can be combined toward a common goal. Through this project students gained a better understanding of the process of scientific research and increased their information literacy in the field of virology. The students worked as teams to research the many aspects involved in the antiviral drug design process, with each student becoming an "expert" in one aspect of the project. The Antiviral Drug Research Proposal (ADRP) culminated with students presenting their proposals to their peers and local virologists in a poster session. Assessment data showed increased student awareness and knowledge of the research process and the steps involved in the development of antiviral drugs as a result of this activity.</p