Tuberculosis

WHO strategy for control of the pandemic spread of tuberculosis embraces:

  • Monitoring transmission of tuberculosis
  • Evaluation of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains incidence

Epidemiology and surveillance are estimatedby advanced molecular biology methods:

  • Fingerprinting (IS6110 PCR)
  • Spoligotyping
  • MIRU-VNTR typing
  • Genotypic detection of drug resistant mutations

[Map of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome]:

- Molecular characterisation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains improves the case detection rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Bulgaria.

- Scientific cooperation of Institute of Microbiology (BAS), Sofia, with Institut Pasteur of Saint-Petersburg and Institut Pasteur of Guadeloupe (world database), contributes to effective control of the global spread of tuberculosis.

Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN)

Role of hantaviruses in the BEN pathogenesis → severe endemic disease in North West Bulgaria, Central Serbia (Shumadiya), North East Bosnia, South East Croatia and Romanian regian close to Iron Gate.

Viruses – Diabetes

New proves on the role of neurotropic viruses in the insulin-dependent diabetes melitus

→ by a model of herpesvirus infection in organ cultures of Langerhans islets.

Human Papillomaviruses (HPV)

Molecular epidemiological studies (genotyping) on the role of HPVs in pre-canceral diseases and invasive cervical cancer in Bulgarian women.

Food Control

Emerging zoonotic diseases, especially when food-borne, have significant social and financial impact in Europe, being addressed across the whole food supply chain. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been developed for detection of food-borne pathogens in meat, milk and their products. This highly specific and sensitive method allows detection of 1 to 10 bacterial cells per gram sample. Effective control has been carried out against Campylobacter,Salmonella and Listeriafrom farm to dish.

Vaccines

Development ofnew generation of live carrier vaccines with economic impact primarily for veterinary medicine has been carried out. Enteric Yersinia species, selected for carrier, were attenuated by targeted disruption of genes encoding virulence factors. Taking advantage of protein secretion apparatus of Yersinia, antigens of classical swine fever are fused and a novel mucosal vaccination approach is created.

Introduction of DNA vaccines is a newapproach to vaccination. Such a hybrid DNA molecule was constructed by us, encoding a T and B cellepitope-containing influenza hemagglutinin peptideand a scFv antibody fragment binding to mouse complement receptors I and II (CR1 andCR2). A single immunization with a plasmid containing the described construct induced a strong anti-influenza cytotoxicresponse lasting formore than six months and a weak antibody response.

Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

A major event in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the breaking of tolerance to native (double stranded, ds) DNA and the appearance IgG anti-DNA antibodies.

Pathological DNA-specific B cells in SLE are logical targets for a selected therapeutic intervention.Our data show that it is possible to suppress selectively the activity of targeted autoreactive B-lymphocytes and to change the natural course of an autoimmune disease by administering

chimeric molecules that cross-link the inhibitory receptor with the immunoglobulin B cell receptor.

Chemotherapy of Viral Infections

Development and application oflarge-spectrum screening system for antiviral activity

New antivirals:

  • Adenostatin® →antiviral agent for treatment of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis and other human adenoviral infections
  • Cycluridine → antiviral agent for treatment of mucosal diseases-viral diarrhea in calves and other flavivirus infections
  • Mopyridone → antiviral agent active against influenza (M1 protein inhibitor) and alfavirus infections
  • Oxoglaucine → antiviral agent active against broad-spectrum enteroviruses
  • Synergistic combinations of anti-enteroviral replication inhibitors → a new approach for effective anti-enteroviral chemotherapy directed to overcoming drug-resistance development

New Generation Antiviral Microbicide

Manorapid® Synergy → broad-spectrum hand disinfectant with low-alcoholic content (in