Project Organisation

The proposed research programme is unique in its focus on the immunity signalling pathways and on the role of certain GAGs in the investigated processes. The whole study is motivated by the emerging clinical data and is strongly backed by previous investigations of the Team on immunoactive complexes, immune response modulation, interferons and their glycosylation.

The research program encompasses theoretical (computer modeling and simulations) and experimental investigations organized in five work packages, which will work in close cooperation, as they will share results, input and output data. The research plan includes development of 3D models of the viral proteins ORF6 and Nsp13 and identification of their binding sites. Based on this, a screening for suitable ligands in the existing open access databases with chemical molecules and drugs will be performed. The interactions of the preselected candidates with targeted proteins and the stability of the complexes thus formed will be investigated by means of MD simulation. The potential for restoration of the innate immune response by the selected candidates will be tested in vitro. A separate work package is devoted to the search for glucosaminoglucans able to inhibit IFNγ and IL-6 and to suppress the development of a cytokine storm in COVID-19 acute patients. The management of the project is organized in the framework of WP6. Below, the work breakdown structure is presented in detail.

Twenty-two scientists and young researchers from eight organizations – Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and seven institutes of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences plus two foreign researchers, organised in four working groups, will join their efforts for the realisation of the research programme.

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