HUMAN HERPESVIRUS EPSTEIN-BARR (EBV) AND ITS PORCINE HOMOLOGS UNVEIL THE CONSERVED MECHANISM OF RECEPTOR ENDOCYTOSIS: NEW INSIGHTS INTO VIRAL IMMUNE EVASION AND ANTIVIRAL THERAPY POTENTIAL?

Abstract

Over the past two years, the University of Ljubljana and the Republic of Slovenia’s public agency, the Slovenian Research and Innovation Service (ARIS), have acknowledged and cel-ebrated several exceptional accomplishments in viral recep-tor research. These achievements are considered among the finest by both the University of Ljubljana and ARIS. The sig-nificance of these achievements lies in the research findings, which indicate that the EBV-BILF1 receptor encoded by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) could become a promising new drug target for EBV. Additionally, the research suggests pigs repre-sent a great model for further investigations (1–4). Humani herpesvirus Epstein-Barr (EBV) in njegovi prašičji homologi razkrivajo ohranjeni mehanizem receptorske endocitoze: nov vpogled v virusno izmikanje imunskemu sistemu in potencialne protivirusne terapije? Univerza v Ljubljani in Javna agencija za znanstvenorazi-skovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije (ARIS) sta v preteklih dveh letih prepoznali in počastili več izjemnih dosežkov na področju raziskovanja virusnih receptorjev. Ti dosežki – tako na Univerzi v Ljubljani kot na ARIS-u – sodi-jo med najboljše. Njihov pomen izhaja iz raziskav, ki kažejo na to, da bi se lahko receptor EBV-BILF1, kodiran na virusu Epstein-Barr (EBV), uporabljal kot obetavna nova tarča za zdravljenje EBV. Poleg tega raziskava predlaga uporabo pra-šičev kot modela za nadaljnje preiskave (1–4).