IMPACT OF LIPID METABOLISM ON SEVERE DENGUE : BIOMARKERS AND PATHOGENESIS – METABODEN

Efforts to combat dengue require a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the transition to severe forms of dengue and the identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention. The hypothesis of the METABODEN project is based on the assumption that lipid metabolism plays a major role in dengue pathogenesis. METABODEN is a multidisciplinary project that aims (i) to investigate the crosstalk between blood metabolic imprinting and disease severity using longitudinal pediatric clinical samples and metabolomics approaches. (ii) to decrypt the molecular events accounting for DENV-induced lipidome remodeling (iii) to evaluate the pathogenic consequences of host lipidome remodeling on the innate immune response and vascular leakage. Besides increasing fundamental knowledge on the role of lipid metabolism in DENV pathogenesis, the METABODEN project will identify reliable biomarkers to predict diseases severity and potential targets for antiviral intervention. Our consortium is composed of molecular virologists specialized in the field of DENV research, immunologists, and clinicians providing access to blood samples from DENV-infected children. Previous joint publications and preliminary results guarantee cohesion, feasibility, and progress of the project.