Current Projects

Implementing a multiplex methodology for rapid testing of hepatic viruses (MULTIHEP)

Project permalink: https://szilard.ro/multihep

This project is carried out as a joint partnership of Pro-Vitam Ltd (project leader) with the Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy of Sciences (IBAR, project partner), and financed by CCCDI-UEFISCDI (project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2019-0226). Project activities are co-financed by Pro-Vitam Ltd. The project runs from May 2020 to May 2022.

Total project budget: grant of 1,189,000 RON (CCCDI-UEFISCDI) and co-financing of 158,960 RON (Pro-Vitam Ltd.). The project is financed through the National Research and Development Program III scheme entitled “Program 2 – Increasing the competitivity of the Romanian economy through research, development and innovation”.

Project manager: Dr Szilard Fejer
Director of research of the partner institution: Dr Costin-Ioan Popescu

Project details

Hepatic viruses represent a major global health problem worldwide with more than 325 million people being chronically infected. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) induce chronic infections and liver pathology ranging from liver steatosis to cirrhosis. The standard of care for HCV has been recently upgraded with direct acting antivirals being approved for clinical use. The present treatment for HBV is able to control the viral infection, but it does not achieve the clearance of the viral genome. HBV/HDV coinfection determines the most serious form of hepatitis and there is no specific antiviral treatment. In Romania, there is a high prevalence of HBV/HDV coinfected people. Thus, the diagnosis of patients infected with hepatic viruses and their early access to treatment represents a public health priority. Rapid detection tests (RDTs) represent an efficient method to achieve that goal. The present project aims to develop a multiplex RDT for detection of anti-HCV, anti-HDV and HBsAg in patient sera. Our test will use the HDsAg as a capturing probe for anti-HDV antibodies. HCV and HDV antigens will be produced in a recombinant prokaryotic system. Using these antigens, a multiplexed RDT will be assembled and tested in the research laboratory and medical testing laboratory as a prototype.

Group members

Pro-Vitam (project coordinator):
Dr Szilard FEJER
Dr Zsuzsanna JENEI
Dr Kinga RAKOSI
Monika KORODI (PhD student)

IBAR (project partner):
Dr Costin-Ioan POPESCU
Dr Emil NEAGA
Dr Paula Ecaterina FLORIAN
Lia CUCOS (PhD student)
George Nicolae Daniel ION (PhD student)
Alina Veronica GHIONESCU (PhD student)

Kapcsolat

Pro-Vitam Ltd: Dr Szilard Fejer, szilard.fejer@cantab.net, tel. +40728114907
IBAR: Dr Costin-Ioan Popescu, pop@biochim.ro, tel. +40212239069