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Reposted by Barry Rockx

@ERINHA-RI @erinha-ri.bsky.social · May 14

🎉 Join the #ISIDORe User Conference – FREE registration now open! 🧬
📅 11–12 June 2025 | 📍 Paris & online
🔬 Showcasing ISIDORe’s key contributions from users & infrastructures
🤝 Meet peers, share results, shape the future
👉 isidore-project.eu/user-confere...

##InfectiousDiseases #FreeConference

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · May 16

Great collaboration with the group of Sander Koenraadt, @marionkoopmans.bsky.social from the #OneHealthPact and many others.

Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · May 16

In addition, saliva from Cx. pipiens biotypes enhance WNV-induced morbidity and mortality in vivo, as well as increased dermal vascular permeability at the inoculation site. However, only Cx pipiens molestus saliva enhances WNV viremia.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · May 16

🦟 Imke found that saliva from anthropophilic mosquitoes (Aedes and Cx. pipiens molestus) increases permeability of the dermal endothelium, likely due to protease(s) absent in ornithophilic Cx. pipiens pipiens.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · May 16

While finishing her thesis, Imke Visser just published another very cool paper on the effects of mosquito saliva from distinct species on human dermal endothelial cell function in vitro and West Nile virus pathogenesis in vivo. doi.org/10.1080/2222...

Effect of mosquito saliva from distinct species on human dermal endothelial cell function in vitro and West Nile virus pathogenesis in vivo

During probing and feeding, an infected mosquito injects both virus and saliva into the host skin. The presence of mosquito saliva in the skin increases arbovirus pathogenesis in the bitten host, h...

doi.org

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Jan 23

Perfect timing! Today Danny Noack is defending his thesis on "Novel models to study #orthohantavirus infection and pathogenesis", and coincidentally the final chapter of his thesis was published today, what an achievement! #proudPI, dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

A pan-orthohantavirus human lung xenograft mouse model and its utility for preclinical studies

Author summary Orthohantaviruses are rodent-borne pathogens that can be transmitted from rodents to humans by inhalation of aerosolized virus-contaminated rodent excreta. While orthohantaviruses gener...

dx.plos.org

Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Jan 6

What a start of the year! Email on Jan 1st, paper accepted! Stay tuned!

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 21

It depends on the question I suppose. I particularly like the human lung xenograft model, because it allows (for the first time) for direct comparison of HFRS and HCPS viruses in human lung tissue. The possibilities with combining with a human immune system are especially exciting!

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 21

As if writing a thesis wasn’t hard enough, Eleanor did the design and layout all by herself. Even the individual chapter pages are specifically geared towards each topic.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 20

3/ Finally, she consolidated the clinicopathological findings obtained from human cases of WNV neuroinvasive disease and compare these with the sparse data available for human cases of USUV-related disease, to speculate on the underlying causes of the clinical differences.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 20

2/ Next, she investigated the haematogenous routes of neuroinvasion to identify whether USUV and WNV differ in their ability to invade across the blood-brain barrier. She then used motor neurons to investigate their potential for use of transneural routes of neuroinvasion.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 20

1/ During her PhD, Eleanor started with an overview of the neuroinvasive routes and mechanisms employed by arboviruses. She then identify whether USUV and WNV differ in their ability to infect and replicate within the brain, using a human brain slice model.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 20

Xmas came early this year! Not 1 but two theses received from 2 highly talented PhD students. Can't wait for their thesis defenses next year, what a way to start 2025!

Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 20

Very proud of Eleanor Marshall, today she handed me a copy of her thesis. She will defend her thesis on Thursday February 13th! It was a pleasure supervising her! #ProudPI

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 19

/3 Finally, he used a human lung xenograft mouse model to study the early cell tropism and host response of a range of HFRS and HCPS orthohantaviruses in human lung tissue in vivo.

Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 19

/2 He then went on to develop a 3D vessel-on-chip model to investigate the effect of Puumala virus infection on endothelial cell function and response. He also studied the difference in endothelial cell responses to Seoul virus infection in the reservoir (rats) and humans.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 19

/1 During his PhD, Danny first characterized a Puumala virus patient cohort to identify key immunological, hemostatic and kidney injury markers. Next he summarized current data on cell tropism in humans and animals, identifying key gaps in knowledge.

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Barry Rockx @barryrockx.bsky.social · Dec 18

Very proud of Danny Noack, today he handed me a copy of his thesis. He will defend on Thursday, January 23rd! It’s been an pleasure supervising him! #ProudPI