Category Archive for : ‘Ongoing Projects’

Call title: Research Projects / Swiss – Croatian research projects

Call code: IPCH-2023-10

Competent authority:  Croatian Science Foundation

Project title: The role of kynurenine metabolism in immune-mediated neurodevelopmental pathology after cytomegalovirus infection

Applicant name: University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine

Coordinator: Prof. Stipan Jonjic, MD, PhD

Research Team, University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine:

Prof. Astrid Krmpotic, MD, PhD
Prof. Ilija Brizić, PhD
Tina Ruzic, PhD
Marko Sustic, PhD
Jelena Materljan, PhD student

Project implementation period: 01.10.2024 – 30.09.2028

Total project value: 198.245,00

Brief description:

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common intrauterine viral infection in the world. Approximately one-third of symptomatic infants, and to a

Call title: Targeted scientific research

Call code: NPOO.C3.2.R3-I1.04

Competent authority: Ministry of Science, Education and Youth and Croatian Science Foundation

Project title: Targeted research towards the establishment of a platform for the development of viral vector vaccines for poultry – NPOO.C3.2.R3-I1.04.0182

Applicant name: University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine

Partner name: Genera Inc. for development and production of pharmaceuticals

Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. dr. Ilija Brizić, Head of the Center for Proteomics

Research Team, University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine:

Project title: Characterizing innate immune responses to cytomegalovirus in the ovaries

Grantor: Croatian Science Foundation

Grantor’s website: www.hrzz.hr

Grant number: HRZZ-IP-2022-10-2324

Coordinator: Assoc. prof. dr. Vanda Juranic Lisnic

Research team:

Prof. dr. Jelena Tomac
Assoc. prof. dr. Berislav Lisnic
Dr. Marija Mazor
Dr. Jelena Zeleznjak
Magdalena Medved, biol. exp.

Total funding: EUR 199.064,31

Brief description:

Viral infections strongly influence our lives and health, and there is hardly any better proof of this claim than the recent COVID-19 pandemic. But pandemic viruses come and go while herpesviruses, latent viruses with impressive immunoevasive abilities, remain with us for life. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread virus

Project title: Cytomegalovirus latency in the central nervous system

Grantor: Croatian Science Foundation

Grantor’s website: www.hrzz.hr

Grant number: HRZZ-IP-2022-10-3371

Coordinator: Assoc. prof. dr. Ilija Brizic

Research team:

Prof. dr. Stipan Jonjic
Dr. Marina Pribanic Matesic
Dr. Carmen Rozmanic
Fran Krstanovic, mag. biochem.
Andrea Mihalic, mag. biotech. in med.

Total funding: EUR 198.984,67

Brief description:

Many viruses can cause persistent or latent infections and/or inflammation in the CNS. Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major cause of trans-placentally transmitted congenital infections and may result in a wide range of structural and functional disabilities and permanent neurological sequelae. Our data suggests that mouse CMV (MCMV) becomes

Full title: MCMV altered-self MHC-I molecules and their impact on cellular immune responses

Grantors: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Grant number: 421448608

Grantors web site: https://www.dfg.de

Duration: 2022 – 2025

Coordinators:
Prof. Dr. Stipan Jonjić,
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vanda Juranić Lisnić

Total funding: EUR 256.000,00

Description:

While down-regulating MHC-I from the surface protects the infected cells from cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), it also renders them sensitive to NK-cell-mediated “missing-self” attack. How CMVs balance between these two remains unclear. During the first funding period, we characterized a novel MCMV immunoevasin MATp1, which, together with the viral m04 protein, interferes with “missing-self” NK-cell activation. MATp1 and

Project title: Pathogenesis of the cytomegalovirus infection in the adrenal gland

Grantor: Croatian Science Foundation

Grantor’s website: www.hrzz.hr

Grant number: HRZZ-IP-2020-02-3402

Coordinator: Assoc. prof. dr. Berislav Lisnic

Research team:

Prof. dr. Tihana Lenac Rovis
Dr. Jelena Zeleznjak
Assoc. prof. dr. Vanda Juranic Lisnic

Total funding: EUR 200.864,71

Brief description:

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread virus that establishes latency and persistence after primary infection in most humans worldwide. In individuals with a healthy immune system, it causes little or no symptoms at all, although it is considered a risk factor for the development of autoimmune, (cardio)vascular and malignant diseases. In contrast, in

Project title: The immunoregulatory role of PrPC in antiviral immune response following cytomegaloviral infection

Grantor: Croatian Science Foundation

Grantor’s website: www.hrzz.hr

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Tihana Lenac Rovis

Research team:

Dr. Milena Hasan
Dr. Paola Kucan Brlic
Dr. Maja Cokaric Brdovcak
Dr. Hrvoje Simic
Dubravka Karner, mag. biotech. in med.

Total funding: EUR 201.401,41

Dubravka Karner osvojila nagradu za najbolju usmenu prezentaciju na Godišnjem skupu HID-a 2024.

Nekada doktorandica, a danas poslijedoktorandica, Dubravka Karner sudjelovala je kao članica društva na Godišnjem skupu Hrvatskog imunološkog društva (HID), održanom u listopadu 2024. godine u Sisku.

Dubravka je na skupu sudjelovala s usmenim izlaganjem na temu “Cellular prion

PROJECT TITLE: Strengthening the capacity of CerVirVac (Croatian Centre of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines) for research in viral immunology and vaccinology

FUND: European Regional Development Fund

DURATION: 01 October 2017 – 30 September 2022

COORDINATOR: University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine

INSTITUTIONS IN THE NETWORK:
Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology of the University of Zagreb
Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljevic”, Zagreb

Total value of the project: HRK 37.999.570,30 (approx. EUR 5.000.000)
The value of the EU co-financing: HRK 37.716.072,15

Brief description:

The aim of this project is to upgrade the research capacity of

Full title: New Cytomegaloviral Vaccine Vector Concepts

Grantors: Helmholtz Association’s Helmholtz European Partnering Grant

Grant number:  PIE-0008

Grantor’s website:   https://www.helmholtz.de/en/

Duration: 2018-2023

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Luka Cicin-Sain, HZI Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

No. of participants: 6

Partners:  Prof. Dr. Stipan Jonjic, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka

Dr. Christine Goffinet, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Prof. Dr. Alemka Markotic, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases (BFM) Zagreb

Prof. Dr. Stefan Pohlmann, Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH (DPZ), Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung

Prof. Dr. Albert Osterhaus Sitftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (TiHo)

Coordinator’s web site: https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/

Brief description:

Numerous viruses causing vast global disease burden (e.g. HCV, HIV, and numerous emerging and re-emerging viruses)

Full title: Scientific Center of Excellence in Viral Immunology and Development of Vaccines

Coordinator of Center’s activities: Professor Stipan Jonjić, Head of the Department for Histology and Embryology and Center for Proteomics of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka

Website: http://zci-cervirvac.hr/en/general-information/

Brief description:

Following domestic and international selection and evaluation procedure, on 10th of November 2014 the assembly of the National Committee for Science, High Education and Technological Development of the Republic of Croatia proclaimed the founding of the Scientific Center of Excellence in Viral Immunology and Development of Vaccines.

Activities