Bartenschlager Ralf

University Hospital Heidelberg

Department of Infectious Diseases

Molecular Virology

Im Neuenheimer Feld 344

69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Phone: 0049-6221-56 4225

Email: ralf.bartenschlager@med.uni-heidelberg.de

Curriculum Vitae

INTERNAL

Project Specific Informations

Short Summary

Currently, there is an unmet medical need for antiviral drugs that are active against highly variable RNA viruses which represent the vast majority of emerging pathogens. However, since the virus variant or group causing a future outbreak is difficult to predict, antiviral drugs with broad-spectrum activity are needed. The identification of substances with these characteristics is only possible in close collaboration of the different DZIF–TTU EI partner sites, which have the expertise as well as the required in vitro and in vivo systems to conduct these challenging studies. Therefore, the aim of this project is to provide an antiviral compound testing platform (ATCP) for the rapid evaluation of drug candidates, including antiviral testing in established cell lines as well as validation in primary cell culture systems and in vivo models. The overall goal is to accelerate the development of clinical candidates covering a wide range of viruses within a genus or family (e.g. pan-flavivirus or pan-coronavirus inhibitors), thus increasing the likelihood that these candidates will be applicable to similar, but newly emerging, i.e. yet unknown viruses. To reach this goal the Heidelberg partner site will coordinate activities between the different partner sites and external institutions, including partners from industry, harmonize test algorithms, establish SOPs, coordinate IP issues related to the DZIF antiviral test platforms, in close collaboration with the PDU, support the TTU EI coordinators in communicating and reporting to the DZIF FMM and DZIF partner site coordinators, disseminate results of the project to the interested public, and organize project-related meetings. In addition to these coordinating activities, the Heidelberg partner site aims to develop broad-spectrum antiviral inhibitors with a focus on nucleoside analogues that have high potential for broad-spectrum activity while having a high resistance barrier.

Highlights

• Establishment of a SARS-CoV-2 colorimetric infection-based assay system è analyses of more than 500 compound

• Collaboration with multiple partners from industry, e.g. Janssen, Merck, BASF, WM Therapeutics in the field of antiviral compound testing and deciphering the mode-of-action

• Characterization of the first pan-Dengue virus inhibitor in collaboration with industry (Kaptein et al., Nature. 2021)