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Staff photo Niklas Arnberg

Niklas Arnberg

Virus-host cell interactions: implications for tropism, treatment, and targeting

Contact

Works at

Affiliation
Professor at Department of Clinical Microbiology Section: Section of Virology
Location
6M, Universitetssjukhuset, Virologi Umeå universitet, 901 85 Umeå
Affiliation
Affiliated as professor at Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) Section: Research groups
Location
Virologi, By 6F, NUS, Klinisk mikrobiologi Klinisk mikrobiologi, 90187 Umeå

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared public health emergencies of international concern no less than seven times since 2009. All emergencies have been caused by different types of viruses: influenza virus (2009 – 2010), Ebola virus (2013 – 2015 and 2018 – 2020), poliovirus (2014 – ongoing), Zika virus (2016 – 2017), coronavirus (2020 – ongoing) and poxvirus (2022 – 2023). Virus-caused diseases, outbreaks, and pandemics constitute a global threat to public health and cause challelnges for health care and society. To address some of these challenges, WHO has identified more than ten different infectious diseases, to be prioritized with respect to research and development, and since these diseases are dangerous, are contagious, and since we have no or insufficient countermeasures, i.e. vaccines and antiviral treatments. All diseases pointed out by WHO – except one – are caused by viruses. The remaining diseases is described as ”Disease X” and is represented by the knowledge that a serious international epidemic can be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease

Beyond the diseases pointed out by WHO – many can be described as ”tropical” there are many other viruses that are more common in Sweden and can cause more or less severe diseases, and that cause hospitals into ”state of readiness”. In part because of patient influx, in part because of staff also fall ill in these diseases, but also because some staff have to take care of sick children. Some, common virus-cause diseases can also result in, or increase the risk for secondary diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes type 1, asthma, and exacerbate diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The collective costs caused by virus-caused diseases is high, but exactly how high is unknown.

Virus-caused diseases cannot be treated with antibiotics. Vaccines and antiviral treatments are available for a few virus-caused diseases, but we lack such countermeasures against most virus-caused diseases.

Our group study molecules and mechanisms involved in virus entry into and infection of target cells. This is a critical step in the viral life cycle that commonly (but not always) determine which cells, tissues, and organs that are infected.  This step is crucial for replication and transmission to other cells and to other humans. More and better knowledge about these molecules and mechanisms can be used to design and development of antiviral drugs. Such drugs can be used both for treatment but also for prevention of virus-caused diseases. If such, effecient drugs had been available in the beginning of the pandemic, we would have far less deaths caused by covid-19, and perhaps also fewer restrictions.

Viruses can also be ”designed” and ultimately used as tools – or ”vectors” for treatment of diseases such as cancer or inhereditary diseases. Some viruses can also be used as vaccines for prevention of diseases caused by other viruses or even other pathogens. Our research can contribute to design of vectors that ultimately target and kill specific cells of relevance i.e. cancer cells, and avoid other cells.

Our group has identified several cellular receptors that different viruses use for entry and infection. This knowledge has been – and can be – implemented to design, produce and evaluate antiviral drugs in clinical trials. In our research we use advanced cell models called organoids as substitutes for animal models. We also use stat-of-the-art tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 to modify viruses and cells, advanced microscopy and flow cytometry. We also collaborate with leading scientists in other areas of research, such as chemistry, structural biology, carbohydrate biology and medicine.

Our research is currently supported by grants from the European union, The Swedish Research Council, The Swedish Cancer Society, and Umeå University’s medical faculty.

Journal of Virology, Vol. 98, (3)
Dhillon, Arun; Persson, B. David; Volkov, Alexander N.; et al.
PLoS Pathogens, Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024, Vol. 20, (6)
Zhao, Cheng; Porter, Jessica M.; Burke, Phillip C.; et al.
Journal of Virology, Vol. 97, (10)
Becker, Miriam; Conca, Dario Valter; Dorma, Noemi; et al.
Cancer immunology research, American Association for Cancer Research 2023, Vol. 11, (1) : 72-92
Lidström, Tommy; Cumming, Joshua; Gaur, Rahul; et al.
Journal of General Virology, Microbiology Society 2022, Vol. 103, (3)
Benkő, Mária; Aoki, Koki; Arnberg, Niklas; et al.
RSC Advances, Royal Society of Chemistry 2022, Vol. 12, (4) : 2319-2331
Johansson, Emil; Caraballo, Remi; Zocher, Georg; et al.
Viruses, MDPI 2021, Vol. 13, (6)
Arnberg, Niklas; Lenman, Annasara
Journal of Virology, American Society for Microbiology 2021, Vol. 95, (22)
Ballmann, Mónika Z.; Raus, Svjetlana; Engelhart, Ruben; et al.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, MDPI 2021, Vol. 22, (16)
Johansson, Emil; Caraballo, Remi; Hurdiss, Daniel L.; et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences 2021, Vol. 118, (3)
Persson, B. David; Lijo, John; Rafie, Karim; et al.
Viruses, MDPI 2021, Vol. 13, (10)
Persson, B. David; Nord, Stefan; Lindquist, Richard; et al.
Science Advances, American Association for the Advancement of Science 2021, Vol. 7, (2)
Rafie, Karim; Lenman, Annasara; Fuchs, J.; et al.
ACS Chemical Biology, American Chemical Society (ACS) 2020, Vol. 15, (10) : 2683-2691
Johansson, Emil; Caraballo, Remi; Mistry, Nitesh; et al.
Journal of Virology, American Society for Microbiology 2020, Vol. 94, (14)
Persson, David; Lenman, Annasara; Frängsmyr, Lars; et al.
Viruses, MDPI 2019, Vol. 11, (3)
Chandra, Naresh; Frängsmyr, Lars; Arnberg, Niklas
Viruses, MDPI 2019, Vol. 11, (5)
Chandra, Naresh; Frängsmyr, Lars; Imhof, Sophie; et al.
Viruses, MDPI 2019, Vol. 11, (3)
Chandra, Naresh; Liu, Yan; Liu, Jing-Xia; et al.
PLOS ONE, Public Library Science 2019, Vol. 14, (6)
Rodrigues, Raquel; Danskog, Katarina; Överby, Anna K.; et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences 2018, Vol. 115, (2) : 397-402
Baggen, Jim; Hurdiss, Daniel L.; Zocher, Georg; et al.
Journal of General Virology, Vol. 99 : 135-147
Duffy, Margaret R.; Alonso-Padilla, Julio; Lijo, John; et al.
PLOS ONE, Public Library Science 2018, Vol. 13, (12)
Kaján, Gyõzõ L.; Lipiec, Agnieszka; Bartha, Daniel; et al.
Journal of Molecular Biology, Vol. 430, (13) : 1863-1882
Lasswitz, Lisa; Chandra, Naresh; Arnberg, Niklas; et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 115, (18) : E4264-E4273
Lenman, Annasara; Liaci, A. Manuel; Liu, Yan; et al.
Scientific Reports, Springer Nature 2018, Vol. 8, (1)
Rajan, Anandi; Persson, B. David; Frängsmyr, Lars; et al.
Virus Research, Elsevier 2017, Vol. 242 : 79-84
Kaján, Gyõzõ L.; Kajon, Adriana E.; Pinto, Alexis Castillo; et al.
Journal of Virology, Vol. 91, (5)
Storm, Rickard J; Persson, David B; Skalman, Lars Nygård; et al.
Organic and biomolecular chemistry, Vol. 13, (35) : 9194-9205
Caraballo, Rémi; Saleeb, Michael; Bauer, Johannes; et al.
PLoS Pathogens, Vol. 11, (2)
Lenman, Annasara; Liaci, A. Manuel; Liu, Yan; et al.
PLoS Pathogens, Public library science 2014, Vol. 10, (10) : e1004401-
Zocher, Georg; Mistry, Nitesh; Frank, Martin; et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 110, (50) : 19976-19977
Arnberg, Niklas
Cellular Microbiology, Wiley-Blackwell 2013, Vol. 15, (1) : 16-23
Greber, Urs F.; Arnberg, Niklas; Wadell, Göran; et al.
TIPS - Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, Elsevier 2012, Vol. 33, (8) : 442-448
Arnberg, Niklas
PLoS Pathogens, San Francisco: Public Library of Science 2012, Vol. 8, (7) : e1002738-
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Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Easton, Pa.: American Chemical Society 2011, Vol. 54, (19) : 6670-6675
Aplander, Karolina; Marttila, Marko; Manner, Sophie; et al.
Journal of Virology, Washington: The American Society For Microbiology 2011, Vol. 85, (24) : 13420-13431
Lenman, Annasara; Mueller, Steffen; Nygren, Mari I; et al.
Journal of Virology, Baltimore: American Society for Microbiology 2011, Vol. 85, (21) : 11283-11290
Mistry, Nitesh; Inoue, Hirotoshi; Jamshidi, Fariba; et al.
Nature Medicine, Vol. 17, (1) : 105-109
Nilsson, Emma C; Storm, Rickard J; Bauer, Johannes; et al.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Wiley 2011, Vol. 50, (29) : 6519-6521
Spjut, Sara; Qian, Weixing; Bauer, Johannes; et al.
Journal of Virology, American Society for Microbiology 2010, Vol. 84, (7) : 3189-3200
Cupelli, Karolina; Müller, Steffen; Persson, David B; et al.
Reviews in Medical Virology, John Wiley & Sons 2009, Vol. 19, (3) : 165-178
Arnberg, Niklas
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 52, (12) : 3666-3678
Johansson, Susanne; Nilsson, Emma; Qian, Weixing; et al.
Journal of Virology, Vol. 83, (8) : 3816-3825
Jonsson, Mari; Lenman, Annasara E; Frängsmyr, Lars; et al.
Journal of Virology, Vol. 83, (2) : 673-686
Persson, B David; Müller, Steffen; Reiter, Dirk M; et al.
Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Wiley 2008, Vol. 2, (5) : 147-154
Kumlin, Urban; Olofsson, Sigvard; Dimock, Ken; et al.
Journal of Virology, Baltimore: American Society for Microbiology 2008, Vol. 82, (6) : 3061-3068
Nilsson, Emma C; Jamshidi, Fariba; Johansson, Susanne M. C.; et al.
Journal of Virology, American Society for Microbiology 2007, Vol. 81, (2) : 954-963
Johansson, Cecilia; Jonsson, Mari; Marttila, Marko; et al.
Antiviral Research, Vol. 73, (2) : 92-100
Johansson, Susanne M C; Nilsson, Emma C; Elofsson, Mikael; et al.

Research groups

Head of research
Niklas Arnberg Lab

Research projects

1 October 2016 until 30 September 2020