Laboratory of Chemotherapy for Viral Infections

                  

  Director                  Anna A. Shtro, PhD

  Dir.  telephone        +7 (812) 499–15–27
  Lab. telephone        +7 (812) 499–15–26

  E-mail                    anna.shtro@influenza.spb.ru

Main activities

  • Targeted search for new virus-inhibiting substances based on the molecular biological features of viral reproduction. In vitro screening of chemical libraries and identification of components with high antiviral potential
  • Preliminary assessment of the acute toxicities of natural and synthetic compounds in cell culture and animals
  • Assessment of the specific antiviral activities of natural and synthetic compounds in animal models of viral infection, including influenza A/B, parainfluenza, herpes virus, adenovirus, enterovirus, etc.; characterization of the pathological processes caused by viral infection under various conditions, including drug treatment, using relevant virological, biochemical, immunological, morphological, and molecular biological techniques
  • Study of the mechanisms of protection behind effective antiviral compounds; modeling of the interactions between low molecular weight compounds and targets; molecular docking and the development of criteria for rational drug design and synthesis of specific ligands; evaluation of the effectiveness of developed compounds using computer models, cell-free systems, and cell culture models of viral infection
  • Monitoring the sensitivity of circulating viruses to clinical antiviral drugs; study of the efficacy of these drugs in relation to circulating strains; identification of resistant clinical isolates and characterization of their degrees of resistance

Over the past 5 years, as a result of research work, approximately forty scientific articles have been published and six Russian patents have been filed. Research has been conducted on the following projects

  • “Development of an innovative antiviral drug based on an imino-derived natural monoterpenoid” (2014-2015, state contract 14411 204 9999 19 085 dated October 22, 2014)
  • Implementation of the biological duties of the project "Creation of new drugs to combat resistant influenza strains through the directed transformation of natural terpenoids" (2015-2017, Russian Science Foundation project 15-13-00017)
  • Fulfillment of collaborative work on “Testing the anti-influenza activity of bi-functional IgG/IgA hybrid antibodies in model animals” (2016; contract with Moscow State University, as part of Russian Ministry of Education and Science project 14.607.21.0060 dated Sept. 23, 2014)
  • Fulfillment of collaborative work on “Study of the anti-influenza activity of bi-functional IgG/IgA hybrid antibodies using in vitro experiments” (2016; contract with Moscow State University, as part of Russian Ministry of Education and Science project 14.607.21.0060 dated Sept. 23, 2014)