Dao Thi Viet Loan

University Hospital Heidelberg

Department of Infectious Diseases

Virology

In Neuenheimer Feld 344

69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Phone: 0049-6221-56 35643

Email: vietloan.daothi@med.uni-heidelberg.de

Curriculum vitae

INTERNAL

Project Specific Informations

Short Summary

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a non-enveloped single-stranded RNA virus and a common cause of acute hepatitis in humans worldwide. The far majority of infections are clinically silent. Nevertheless, some patients (< 1%) develop acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure. Usually, patients with acute HEV infection clear the virus spontaneously due to a broad and vigorous cellular and humoral immune response. However, immunosuppressed patients such as organ transplant recipients can develop chronic hepatitis E with the risk for progression to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

There is currently no approved therapy for life-threatening acute or chronic hepatitis E. Ribavirin (RBV, off label) can be used in patients with chronic infection inducing clearance in about 85% of patients. However, novel treatment strategies are urgently needed for patients with acute liver failure orhere is currently no approved therapy for life-threatening acute or chronic hepatitis E. Ribavirin (RBV, off label) can be used in patients with chronic infection inducing clearance in about 85% of patients. However, novel treatment strategies are urgently needed for patients with acute liver failure orhe Heidelberg site actively contributes to WP1, 2, and 3 by providing stem cell-derived culture systems permissive for HEV infection. For example, we are currently evaluating the neutralizing potency of identified antibodies in WP1 on HEV in stem cell-derived hepatocytes. HEV-infection of HLCs will be used in T-cell cytotoxicity assays in WP2. We also setup stem cell differentiation to other HEV-permissive tissues, such as neuronal and intestinal organoids to study the determinants of extrahepatic manifestations (WP3 and 4)

Highlights

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