As part of the response to the escalating threat of a global dengue fever epidemic, a new interdisciplinary EU-funded research initiative has been established with KI as coordinator. The COMBAT project aims to develop solutions to manage and mitigate the dengue virus, which causes 100 million infections and 10,000 deaths annually in 141 countries. In addition to the human suffering, the virus causes an economic burden of over EUR 8 billion globally.
As climate change and urbanisation intensify, dengue - a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people - is now posing a growing threat to Europe. The virus has generally been confined to tropical and subtropical regions.
However, due to rising temperatures around the world, favourable conditions are being created for the mosquitoes and subsequently enabling the disease to spread further.
"COMBAT will spearhead efforts to adapt public health infrastructures and surveillance strategies to tackle the increasing risk of dengue outbreaks in both Europe and endemic regions worldwide," says Ujjwal Neogi , senior lecturer at the Department of Laboratory Medicine , Karolinska Institutet, and the principal investigator and coordinator of the COMBAT project.
COMBAT brings together a consortium of experts within multiple disciplines from research institutes and organisations around the world.
Focus on replication and immune responses
The researchers will investigate the interaction between the dengue virus and the human immune system and aim to develop innovative combination therapies to address both viral replication and the immune responses causing severe dengue complications.
"We will target not only viral factors but also host pathways that contribute to disease progression. The focus will be on novel host-directed therapies using small molecule analogs and immunomodulators. The aim is to disrupt the virus's replication cycle and mitigate the severe immune responses that contribute to organ failure and neurological complications," says Ujjwal Neogi.
Advanced technologies as a tool
The project will also study Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE), a phenomenon where antibodies, instead of protecting the body from an infection, actually help the virus infect more cells.
Advanced technologies, such as a brain-on-chip model, will be used to study dengue's impact on the nervous system. An AI-powered algorithm will also be created for early detection of severe dengue outcomes, improving early intervention strategies.
"COMBAT is a landmark in dengue research. By harnessing cutting-edge technology and a multidisciplinary approach, we are not only tackling the looming dengue crisis globally but also laying the groundwork for potential future pandemic preparedness," concludes Ujjwal Neogi.
COMBAT in short
The COMBAT initiative aims to develop scalable, affordable solutions to address the growing dengue epidemic as well as establish a pipeline for rapid response to future viral pandemics.
Parties involved include:
- Karolinska Institutet (coordinator), Sweden
- Lund University, Sweden
- Stichting Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands
- The Arctic University of Norway (UiT), Norway
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
- Bio Box Guatemala ONG (BBG), Guatemala
- React4life S.p.A., Italy
- Olink Proteomics AB, Sweden
- Chip NanoImaging AS, Norway
- University of Missouri, US (Associated Partners)
The COMBAT project is also a key initiative under the India-EU cooperation on research & innovation (R&I) with five associated partners from India.
Source: The research group
