Wellcome Trust awards St George's

Researchers at St George's, University of London have been awarded £700,000 by the Wellcome Trust to continue a study into viruses, immunity and anti-viral drugs.

The Wellcome Trust has given a total of £1.7m as a joint programme grant to Professor Steve Goodbourn of St George's in Tooting and Professor Richard Randall at the University of St Andrews.

The research will examine the effects of measles, mumps and other respiratory viruses on the body's immune system. It will focus on a group of viruses associated with childhood respiratory illness.

Goodbourn and his long-time collaborator are exploring the effects of a powerful anti-viral reaction called the interferon response. Interferon is a substance produced by the body as a reaction to infection by virus, and is designed to eliminate the virus. However, all viruses have the ability to counteract interferon by producing substances that inhibit its effect. Goodbourn has spent the last 12 years researching the ways viruses evade the immune response, and the new award will allow his team and his collaborators to continue the work.

"We expect the research will have widespread application for other kinds of virus, and we hope it will aid the development of new anti-viral vaccines," said Goodbourn.

St George's, University of London

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