The 2020 pandemic is still vivid in all our memories. Since then, we have been closely following news about viruses and epidemics, as science warns that in today’s globalised world, new epidemics can emerge very quickly. At the University of Pécs, Hungarian researchers are working together with the finest international partners under the HU-rizon Programme to reduce the likelihood of such events.
Dr. Gábor Kemenesi, principal investigator
University of Pécs
Among the Hungarian-led international research collaborations funded by the NRDI Office, there are two large-scale projects headed by Dr. Gábor Kemenesi, Director of the National Laboratory of Virology established at the University of Pécs. We spoke with him about how the latest developments and technologies help in the prevention, detection, and study of epidemics.
The SENTINEL project supports preparation for pandemics through capacity building. What are the expected outcomes of this work?
In this project, we are practically developing rapid tests that are very similar to the tests that are commonly used today, such as the ones available at pharmacies during the Covid pandemic. These tests are now widely familiar and are simple and fast to use. What we are adding, however, is a completely new technology. I usually describe our goal as a kind of technological integration: we map the latest results in the scientific field and combine the freshest, “red-hot” technologies into a device that is easy for anyone to use. It is important that we do not hand users a “space technology” gadget that leaves them blinking, unsure of what to press. Instead, we provide a device they already know, familiar to them. We then enhance this familiar device with molecular biology that makes its operation more accurate, faster, and more reliable. A unique aspect of the project is that we test the developed devices in real-life conditions, taking them into the field and validating them in practical environments. We go where these tools are truly needed.
Which viruses and diseases are you focusing on?
Our current developments target the Nipah virus and the virus responsible for the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. We did not choose these viruses by chance: we already have a history and concrete research experience with them. By this, I mean the most traditional kind of epidemiological work. We were present at outbreak sites, supporting local teams and investigating when and where the virus appeared. That’s where the idea came from: while working in the field, we realised that mobile laboratories need tools that would enable us to quickly provide data.
The Nipah virus has recently made the news. The number of cases is relatively low – with only a few dozen reported each year – but what is particularly worrying is that about 70% of these cases are fatal. We already have a good understanding of how the disease spreads to humans: it is transmitted from fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, but a significant number of patients contract it by consuming food contaminated by bats and collected from nature, for example, sap tapped from a certain palm tree. That is why we are developing the rapid test further so that it can also handle this slightly acidic, sugary sap. In other words, we will not only be able to test patients, but also determine whether the food itself is contaminated and potentially dangerous. In December, we plan to return to the field; this is the season for palm sap collection in Bangladesh. On-site, at the markets or directly where the sap is collected, we will test the food and demonstrate that the rapid test can be used in this way as well. At this stage, it is no longer just about quickly detecting whether a patient in a hospital is infected; we can intervene before an outbreak even occurs, effectively preventing infections.
So, are we talking about a project that’s already well underway and has passed testing?
Yes, exactly. We are now entering the next phase of the project, where we take it into the field and test it under real-life conditions to determine which of the promising laboratory results proves to be the most effective direction. We are really looking forward to this next period, as it represents the culmination of our work: seeing that our laboratory developments can truly save lives.
Speaking of laboratory developments: your other supported project, VANGUARD, is actually a lab-focused research initiative...
Yes, in this project our aim is to make it possible to conduct research currently restricted to the highest biosafety level – so-called BSL-4 laboratories – safely in facilities with lower biosafety classifications. BSL-4 laboratories work with agents for which there are no vaccines, no treatments, and which have very high fatality rates. A well-known example is Ebola, but the aforementioned Nipah virus and the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus are also BSL-4 pathogens. I recently looked into this and found that, according to 2023 data, there are only 51 such laboratories worldwide. This means that only around 1,000–1,500 laboratory professionals can conduct experiments with these viruses under such high-security conditions. This significantly slows down research processes aimed at developing vaccines or drugs should another pandemic lice COVID-19 occur. In the VANGUARD project, we are developing technologies that will enable drug development against BSL-4 pathogens to be carried out safely even at BSL-2 level. These are known in science as surrogate systems.
How can such dangerous pathogens be studied safely?
It has often been said in connection with COVID that sunlight – or, more precisely, UV radiation – inactivates viruses. One approach is to use UV radiation to bring the virus into a state in which it can be removed from the highest-security BSL-4 environment, allowing it to be studied in larger laboratories with more researchers involved. The other approach is somewhat more complex: we modify both a cell line and a virus through gene knockout. As a result, the virus becomes capable of functioning only within this modified cell line, and nowhere else. This allows us to work with it in a safer, controlled system and develop drugs against it. With these technologies, we essentially “put a leash” on the viruses and study them under controlled conditions.
At the second stop of the HU-rizon Roadshow, taking place in Pécs on 9 April, these two promising projects will also be presented. We warmly invite everyone to attend the event, where Gábor Kemenesi will also offer insights into epidemiological fieldwork conducted in exotic locations. Participation in the event is free of charge but requires prior registration.
For further details on the HU-rizon Roadshow please visit the event website at https://nkfih.gov.hu/hu-rizont-roadshow-pecs.