Project

The inherent capabilities of specific DNA sequences, so-called DNAzymes, to selectively eliminate unwanted RNA molecules pose an outstanding antiviral potential. However, reduced cellular activity frequently limits DNAzyme therapeutic applications. This proposal aims to overcome the persisting limitations by developing novel DNAzyme variants with strongly increased antiviral efficacy. To achieve this goal, the interdisciplinary project team will exploit their recently obtained new mechanistic understanding of the system and address the DNAzyme's persisting antiviral limitations via in silico predictions, in vitro characterizations, in cellulo monitoring, and innovative chemical synthesis in an integrative approach. While the DNAzyme technique is, in general, able to target a broad range of viruses, the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) systems have been selected as initial test systems to validate the approach via reliable viral readout parameters in tissue culture and preclinical experiments. Following these proof-of-principle experiments, DNAzymes for human viral pathogens will be generated and tested in tissue culture settings.

• Dr. Manuel Etzkorn

  Universität Düsseldorf
  Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät
  Institut für Physikalische Biologie
  Düsseldorf
  

• Prof. Dr. Philipp Lang

  Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf
  Institut für Molekulare Medizin II
  Düsseldorf
  

• Prof. Dr. Holger Gohlke

  Universität Düsseldorf
  Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät
  Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische
  Chemie
  Düsseldorf
  

• Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kath-Schorr

  Universität Köln
  Department für Chemie
  Institut für Organische Chemie
  Köln