Evaluation of the impact of emerging and reemerging viruses in the field of hemotherapy and stem cell transplantation by multiple-research approach

Abstract

In the last decades, the scientific attention has been largely turned to a specific area of the clinical virology comprised by the emerging and reemerging viruses. This is due to the fact that these infectious agents have been recognized as a continuing threat to human health. Many of them can be transmitted by hemotherapy procedures including application of hemoderivatives or hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT). In the majority of cases, the emerging infections are represented by zoonotic viruses with exotic natural cycles, which are transmitted by insect vectors. Their dissemination in the human population can be related to high morbidity outbreaks with many asymptomatic infections which in turn can impact the hemotherapy process. In Brazil, there have been no comprehensive studies of such infections and their real threat for the hemotherapy processes is underestimated and largely unknown. This proposal, therefore, aims to investigate by multiple-based approaches including viral metagenomics next generation sequencing and state-of-the art molecular methods the significance of the emerging infections in the field of hemotherapy. For this purpose, the studies will be performed on plasma samples obtained from patients submitted to HSCT, multiply-transfused patients and deferred blood units. The project will also evaluate in a constant manner the prevalence of different viral infections in the blood donor population of our region which is subject to frequent arbovirus outbreaks. Therefore, the systematic approach of this project will add positive value for the understanding of the impact of the emerging viruses for the hemotherapy in Brazil and will capacitate Brazilian researches in the area of metagenomic analysis and next generation sequencing. This proposal represents a new research line in an already established scientific institution (Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto) and counts with national collaborations from important clinical institutions (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hospital "Albert Einstein"-São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto-USP). Moreover, the project will be supported by many international collaborators from leading research clinical and bioinformatics centers from France and Germany (Pasteur Institute, National Institute of Blood Transfusion, Paris, France; Institute of Virology, University of Bonn, Germany), and aims at establishing a closely related research group for emerging viruses and hemotherapy/stem cell transplantation. (AU)