CoV2TIP
Defective interfering particles (DIP) are degenerate forms of viral genomes that are non-replicative but remain infectious by complementation with the wildtype (WT) virus. DIPs play a significant role in modulating the outcome of infection and immune responses, and can be artificially selected to strengthen their interfering activity and suppress replication of the full virus (therapeutic interfering particles, or TIPs). We propose to produce DIPs during SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell culture, purify them, test their antiviral effects, and characterize them molecularly. The outcome of the project will be a SARS-CoV-2 specific set of TIPs that could be used right away to treat COVID19.
FecOrSARS
SARS-CoV-2 is mainly a respiratory virus, although it’s been shown that it can replicate in the intestinal mucosa and be excreted via faecal matter. Molecular data proved the presence of the virus’s genetic material in faeces, while detection studies for infective viral particles are still incipient and based on a small number of patients.
