Konstantinos Kokkonos

Expertises

Virology? RNA? Bunyaviruses? Confocal microscopy

Main research areas

RNA viruses? MicroRNA? CRISPR? Pestiviruses? BVDV? HCV? CLIP

Current research

Our research focuses on pestiviruses which are viruses related to the human hepatitis C virus (HCV). Pestiviruses offer a platform to study the mechanisms that govern viral persistence in a safe and convenient way. Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is an important pathogen in cattle that causes significant economic losses to the livestock industry. By studying the virology of viruses such as BVDV we aim to better understand the biology of human and veterinary pathogens.

A specific area of interest is how the virus interacts with cellular microRNAs (miRNA). Studies have showed that miR-122, a cellular miRNA present only in the liver, is absolutely required for HCV proliferation. This interaction has emerged as a therapeutic target. Similarly, BVDV has been shown to bind miR-17 to the viral genome, and this interaction is crucial to the virus. Understanding the functional relation between cellular miRNAs and viral persistence will shed light on how drugs targeting RNA interactions could potentially be designed.

Potential conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest at the moment.