Università Roma Tre

The course describes and compares the replication cycles of different animal viruses that infect vertebrate hosts to gain insight into: origin of viruses, structure, evolution, virus-cell interactions, host defense mechanisms and strategies of viral immunoevasion, methods of detection, identification and titration, antiviral drugs and profilaxis of viral infections. In particular, it will be described viruses of the following viral families: picornaviridae, ortomixoviridae, paramixoviridae, rabdoviridae, retroviridae, hepadnaviridae, flaviviridae, parvoviridae, poliomaviridae, papillomaviridae, adenoviridae, herpesviridae, poxviridae. In addition, introduction to applied virology will be provided (i.e., vaccine development, viral vectors and oncolytic viruses). Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to understand in-depth texts and experimental data related to the discipline.

WHERE TO STUDY:
Adopted text book:
- N. J. Dimmock, A. J. Easton, K. N. Leppard - Introduction to Modern Virology - Seventh edition 2016 -Wiley Blackwell - ISBN 978-1-119-97810-7

Mandatory integrations regarding viral vectors (adenoviral, adeno-associated, retroviral and lentiviral vectors, poxvirus-based vectors) and oncolitic viruses (general introduction + oncolytic adenoviruses):

- Fields virology, Vth edition, 2007- D.M.Knipe and P.M.Howley editors-in-chief -Lippincot Williams & Wilkins publishers, cap.16 Viral vectors and their applications
- Stéphanie Durand and Andrea Cimarelli - The Inside Out of Lentiviral Vectors - Viruses 2011, 3, 132-159.

The detailed list of topics covered during the lessons and PDF of power point presentations used during the course are available upon request.
Office hours by appointment via email (elisabetta.affabris@uniroma3.it) or at the end of the lessons.