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Arbovirus circulation, epidemiology and spatiotemporal distribution in Uganda (2023)
Journal Article
Byaruhanga, T., Kayiwa, J. T., Nankya, A. M., Ataliba, I. J., McClure, C. P., Ball, J. K., & Lutwama, J. J. (2023). Arbovirus circulation, epidemiology and spatiotemporal distribution in Uganda. IJID Regions, 6, 171-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.01.013

Background: Arboviruses are endemic in Uganda; however, little is known about their epidemiology, seasonality and spatiotemporal distribution. Our study sought to provide information on arbovirus outbreaks from acute clinical presentations. Methods:... Read More about Arbovirus circulation, epidemiology and spatiotemporal distribution in Uganda.

Optimization of the pseudoparticle system for standardized assessments of neutralizing antibodies against hepatitis C virus (2022)
Journal Article
Chumbe, A., Urbanowicz, R. A., Sliepen, K., Koekkoek, S. M., Molenkamp, R., Tarr, A. W., …van Gils, M. J. (2022). Optimization of the pseudoparticle system for standardized assessments of neutralizing antibodies against hepatitis C virus. Journal of General Virology, 103(11), Article 001801. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001801

A better understanding of the antibody response during natural infection and the effect on disease progression and reinfection is necessary for the development of a protective hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine. The HCV pseudoparticle (HCVpp) system ena... Read More about Optimization of the pseudoparticle system for standardized assessments of neutralizing antibodies against hepatitis C virus.

Evaluation of the relative potential for contact and doffing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by a range of personal protective equipment materials (2022)
Journal Article
Xue, X., Coleman, C. M., Duncan, J. D., Hook, A. L., Ball, J. K., Alexander, C., & Alexander, M. R. (2022). Evaluation of the relative potential for contact and doffing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by a range of personal protective equipment materials. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 16654. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20952-8

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—has caused a global public health emergency. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the primary defence against viral exposure in... Read More about Evaluation of the relative potential for contact and doffing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by a range of personal protective equipment materials.

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Barriers and Enablers for Implementation of an Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Testing Service at the University of Nottingham: A Multi-Site Higher Education Setting in England (2022)
Journal Article
Blake, H., Somerset, S., Mahmood, I., Mahmood, N., Corner, J., Ball, J. K., & Denning, C. (2022). A Qualitative Evaluation of the Barriers and Enablers for Implementation of an Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Testing Service at the University of Nottingham: A Multi-Site Higher Education Setting in England. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), Article 13140. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013140

Asymptomatic testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been used to prevent and manage COVID-19 outbreaks in university settings, but few studies have explored their implementation. The aim of the study was to evaluate how an accredited asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2... Read More about A Qualitative Evaluation of the Barriers and Enablers for Implementation of an Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Testing Service at the University of Nottingham: A Multi-Site Higher Education Setting in England.

Workforce Experiences of a Rapidly Established SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service in a Higher Education Setting: A Qualitative Study (2022)
Journal Article
Blake, H., Somerset, S., Mahmood, I., Mahmood, N., Corner, J., Ball, J. K., & Denning, C. (2022). Workforce Experiences of a Rapidly Established SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service in a Higher Education Setting: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), Article 12464. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912464

The aim of the study was to explore workforce experiences of the rapid implementation of a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing service (ATS) in a higher education setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The setting was a multi-campus university in the UK,... Read More about Workforce Experiences of a Rapidly Established SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service in a Higher Education Setting: A Qualitative Study.

Hepatitis C subtyping assay failure in UK patients born in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for global treatment and elimination (2022)
Journal Article
Adeboyejo, K., King, B., Tsoleridis, T., Tarr, A. W., McLauchlan, J., Irving, W. L., …McClure, C. P. (2023). Hepatitis C subtyping assay failure in UK patients born in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for global treatment and elimination. Journal of Medical Virology, 95(1), Article e28178. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.28178

Background andAims: The newly developed direct-acting antivirals have revolutionized the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), with cure rates as high as 98% in some cohorts. Although genome sequencing has demonstrated that some subtypes of H... Read More about Hepatitis C subtyping assay failure in UK patients born in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for global treatment and elimination.

Mixed-methods process evaluation of a residence-based SARS-CoV-2 testing participation pilot on a UK university campus during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022)
Journal Article
Blake, H., Carlisle, S., Fothergill, L., Hassard, J., Favier, A., Corner, J., …Denning, C. (2022). Mixed-methods process evaluation of a residence-based SARS-CoV-2 testing participation pilot on a UK university campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health, 22(1), Article 1470. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13792-8

Background: Regular testing for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important strategy for controlling virus outbreaks on university campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic but testing participation rates can be low. The... Read More about Mixed-methods process evaluation of a residence-based SARS-CoV-2 testing participation pilot on a UK university campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exploring the Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 Social Restrictions on International University Students: A Qualitative Study (2022)
Journal Article
Al-Oraibi, A., Fothergill, L., Yildirim, M., Knight, H., Carlisle, S., O’Connor, M., …Blake, H. (2022). Exploring the Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 Social Restrictions on International University Students: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), Article 7631. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137631

The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the mental well-being of university students, but little attention has been given to international students, who may have a unique experience and perspective. The aim of this study was to explore the views... Read More about Exploring the Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 Social Restrictions on International University Students: A Qualitative Study.

Human parainfluenza 2 & 4: Clinical and genetic epidemiology in the UK, 2013–2017, reveals distinct disease features and co‐circulating genomic subtypes (2022)
Journal Article
Chellapuri, A., Smitheman, M., Chappell, J. G., Clark, G., Howson-Wells, H. C., Berry, L., …McClure, C. P. (2022). Human parainfluenza 2 & 4: Clinical and genetic epidemiology in the UK, 2013–2017, reveals distinct disease features and co‐circulating genomic subtypes. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 16(6), 1122-1132. https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.13012

Background: Human Parainfluenza viruses (HPIV) comprise of four members of the genetically distinct genera of Respirovirus (HPIV1&3) and Orthorubulavirus (HPIV2&4), causing significant upper and lower respiratory tract infections worldwide, particula... Read More about Human parainfluenza 2 & 4: Clinical and genetic epidemiology in the UK, 2013–2017, reveals distinct disease features and co‐circulating genomic subtypes.

The changing vaccine landscape: rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in young adults during vaccine rollout (2022)
Journal Article
Knight, H., Jia, R., Ayling, K., Blake, H., Morling, J. R., Villalon, A. M., …Vedhara, K. (2023). The changing vaccine landscape: rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in young adults during vaccine rollout. Perspectives in Public Health, 143(4), 220-224. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139221094750

Aims: Development and rollout of vaccines offers the best opportunity for population protection against the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. However, hesitancy towards the vaccines might impede successful uptake in the United Kingdom, particularly in you... Read More about The changing vaccine landscape: rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in young adults during vaccine rollout.

Enterovirus D68 epidemic, UK, 2018, was caused by subclades B3 and D1, predominantly in children and adults, respectively, with both subclades exhibiting extensive genetic diversity (2022)
Journal Article
Howson-Wells, H. C., Tsoleridis, T., Zainuddin, I., Tarr, A. W., Irving, W. L., Ball, J. K., …McClure, C. P. (2022). Enterovirus D68 epidemic, UK, 2018, was caused by subclades B3 and D1, predominantly in children and adults, respectively, with both subclades exhibiting extensive genetic diversity. Microbial Genomics, 8(5), https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000825

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has recently been identified in biennial epidemics coinciding with diagnoses of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis/myelitis (AFP/AFM). We investigated the prevalence, genetic relatedness and associated clinical features of EV-... Read More about Enterovirus D68 epidemic, UK, 2018, was caused by subclades B3 and D1, predominantly in children and adults, respectively, with both subclades exhibiting extensive genetic diversity.

The HCV Envelope Glycoprotein Down-Modulates NF-κB Signalling and Associates With Stimulation of the Host Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathway (2022)
Journal Article
McKay, L. G., Thomas, J., Albalawi, W., Fattaccioli, A., Dieu, M., Ruggiero, A., …Paxton, W. A. (2022). The HCV Envelope Glycoprotein Down-Modulates NF-κB Signalling and Associates With Stimulation of the Host Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathway. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, Article 831695. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.831695

Following acute HCV infection, the virus establishes a chronic disease in the majority of patients whilst few individuals clear the infection spontaneously. The precise mechanisms that determine chronic HCV infection or spontaneous clearance are not... Read More about The HCV Envelope Glycoprotein Down-Modulates NF-κB Signalling and Associates With Stimulation of the Host Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathway.

Simultaneous determination of HCV genotype and NS5B resistance associated substitutions using dried serum spots from São Paulo state, Brazil (2022)
Journal Article
Adeboyejo, K., Riquena Grosche, V., Pandeló José, D., Magalhães Ferreira, G., Farinha Shimizu, J., King, B. J., …Gomes Jardim, A. C. (2022). Simultaneous determination of HCV genotype and NS5B resistance associated substitutions using dried serum spots from São Paulo state, Brazil. Access Microbiology, 4(3), Article 000326. https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.0.000326

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for more than 180 million infections worldwide, and about 80 % of infections are reported in Low and Middle-income countries (LMICs). Therapy is based on the administration of interferon (INF), ribavirin (RBV) o... Read More about Simultaneous determination of HCV genotype and NS5B resistance associated substitutions using dried serum spots from São Paulo state, Brazil.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to invest in care home research infrastructure (2022)
Journal Article
Gordon, A. L., Rick, C., Juszczak, E., Montgomery, A., Howard, R., Guthrie, B., …Tate, V. (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to invest in care home research infrastructure. Age and Ageing, 51(3), Article afac052. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac052

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in catastrophic levels of morbidity and mortality for care home residents. Despite this, research platforms for COVID-19 in care homes arrived late in the pandemic compared with other care settings. The Prophylactic The... Read More about The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to invest in care home research infrastructure.

Human Parainfluenza 2 & 4: clinical and genetic epidemiology in the UK, 2013-2017, reveals distinct disease features and co-circulating genomic subtypes (2022)
Working Paper
Chellapuri, A., Smitheman, M., Chappell, J. G., Clark, G., Howson-Wells, H. C., Berry, L., …McClure, C. P. Human Parainfluenza 2 & 4: clinical and genetic epidemiology in the UK, 2013-2017, reveals distinct disease features and co-circulating genomic subtypes

Human Parainfluenza viruses (HPIV) are constituted by four members of the genetically distinct genera of Respirovirus (type 1 and 3) and Orthorubulavirus (type 2 and 4), causing significant upper and lower respiratory tract infections in both childre... Read More about Human Parainfluenza 2 & 4: clinical and genetic epidemiology in the UK, 2013-2017, reveals distinct disease features and co-circulating genomic subtypes.

Relationship between Anxiety, Depression, and Susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Proof of Concept (2022)
Journal Article
Vedhara, K., Ayling, K., Jia, R., Fairclough, L., Morling, J. R., Ball, J. K., …Tighe, P. (2022). Relationship between Anxiety, Depression, and Susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Proof of Concept. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 225(12), 2137-2141. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiac006

Background: Psychological factors can influence susceptibility to viral infections. We examined whether such influences are evident in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Methods: Participants (n=102) completed mea... Read More about Relationship between Anxiety, Depression, and Susceptibility to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Proof of Concept.

Saliva for COVID-19 testing: Simple but useless or an undervalued resource? (2021)
Journal Article
Pijuan-Galito, S., Tarantini, F. S., Tomlin, H., Jenkins, H., Thompson, J. L., Scales, D., …Denning, C. (2021). Saliva for COVID-19 testing: Simple but useless or an undervalued resource?. Frontiers in Virology, 1, Article 778790. https://doi.org/10.3389/fviro.2021.778790

During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries with robust population-based asymptomatic testing were generally successful in controlling virus spread, hence reducing hospitalizations and deaths. This effectiveness inspired widespread asymptomatic surveilla... Read More about Saliva for COVID-19 testing: Simple but useless or an undervalued resource?.

The Impact of Real-Time Whole-Genome Sequencing in Controlling Healthcare-Associated SARS-CoV-2 Outbreaks (2021)
Journal Article
Francis, R. V., Billam, H., Clarke, M., Yates, C., Tsoleridis, T., Berry, L., …McClure, C. P. (2022). The Impact of Real-Time Whole-Genome Sequencing in Controlling Healthcare-Associated SARS-CoV-2 Outbreaks. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 225(1), 10-18. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab483

Nosocomial severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have severely affected bed capacity and patient flow. We utilized whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to identify outbreaks and focus infection control resources and interve... Read More about The Impact of Real-Time Whole-Genome Sequencing in Controlling Healthcare-Associated SARS-CoV-2 Outbreaks.

Understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19: development of a digital intervention (2021)
Journal Article
Knight, H., Jia, R., Ayling, K., Bradbury, K., Baker, K., Chalder, T., …Vedhara, K. (2021). Understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19: development of a digital intervention. Public Health, 201, 98-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2021.10.006

Objectives: Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in late 2019, spreading to over 200 countries and resulting in almost two million deaths worldwide. The emergence of safe and effective vaccines provides a route out of th... Read More about Understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19: development of a digital intervention.

An Antigenically Diverse, Representative Panel of Envelope Glycoproteins for Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine Development (2021)
Journal Article
Salas, J. H., Urbanowicz, R. A., Guest, J. D., Frumento, N., Figueroa, A., Clark, K. E., …Bailey, J. R. (2022). An Antigenically Diverse, Representative Panel of Envelope Glycoproteins for Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine Development. Gastroenterology, 162(2), 562-574. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2021.10.005

Background & Aims: Development of a prophylactic hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine will require accurate and reproducible measurement of neutralizing breadth of vaccine-induced antibodies. Currently available HCV panels may not adequately represent the... Read More about An Antigenically Diverse, Representative Panel of Envelope Glycoproteins for Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine Development.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and self-isolation on students and staff in higher education: A qualitative study (2021)
Journal Article
Knight, H., Carlisle, S., O’connor, M., Briggs, L., Fothergill, L., Al-Oraibi, A., …Blake, H. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and self-isolation on students and staff in higher education: A qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), Article 10675. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010675

This qualitative study explored the impact of COVID-19 self-isolation and social restriction measures on university students, through the perspectives of both students and the staff supporting them. The study comprised 11 focus groups (students) and... Read More about Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and self-isolation on students and staff in higher education: A qualitative study.

Two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine enhance antibody responses to variants in individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (2021)
Journal Article
Urbanowicz, R. A., Tsoleridis, T., Jackson, H. J., Cusin, L., Duncan, J. D., Chappell, J. G., …Ollivere, B. J. (2021). Two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine enhance antibody responses to variants in individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Science Translational Medicine, 13(609), Article eabj0847. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abj0847

Understanding the impact of prior infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on the response to vaccination is a priority for responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In particular, it is necess... Read More about Two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine enhance antibody responses to variants in individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Prospective examination of mental health in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021)
Working Paper
Jia, R., Knight, H., Ayling, K., Coupland, C., Corner, J., Denning, C., …Vedhara, K. Prospective examination of mental health in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background The impact of changing social restrictions on the mental health of students during the COVID-19 pandemic warrants exploration. Aims To prospectively examine changes to university students’ mental health during the pandemic. Methods S... Read More about Prospective examination of mental health in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students’ views towards sars-cov-2 mass asymptomatic testing, social distancing and self-isolation in a university setting during the covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study (2021)
Journal Article
Blake, H., Knight, H., Jia, R., Corner, J., Morling, J. R., Denning, C., …Vedhara, K. (2021). Students’ views towards sars-cov-2 mass asymptomatic testing, social distancing and self-isolation in a university setting during the covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), Article 4182. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084182

We aimed to explore university students’ perceptions and experiences of SARS-CoV-2 mass asymptomatic testing, social distancing and self-isolation, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study comprised of four rapid online focus groups condu... Read More about Students’ views towards sars-cov-2 mass asymptomatic testing, social distancing and self-isolation in a university setting during the covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

Students’ Views Towards SARS-CoV-2 Mass Asymptomatic Testing, Social Distancing and Self-Isolation in a University Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study (2021)
Working Paper
Blake, H., Knight, H., Jia, R., Corner, J., Morling, J. R., Denning, C., …Vedhara, K. Students’ Views Towards SARS-CoV-2 Mass Asymptomatic Testing, Social Distancing and Self-Isolation in a University Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

We aimed to explore university students’ perceptions and experiences of SARS-CoV-2 mass asymptomatic testing, social distancing and self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study comprised of four rapid online focus groups conduc... Read More about Students’ Views Towards SARS-CoV-2 Mass Asymptomatic Testing, Social Distancing and Self-Isolation in a University Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Perceptions and Experiences of the University of Nottingham Pilot SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service: A Mixed-Methods Study (2020)
Journal Article
Blake, H., Corner, J., Cirelli, C., Hassard, J., Briggs, L., Daly, J. M., …Ball, J. (2021). Perceptions and Experiences of the University of Nottingham Pilot SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service: A Mixed-Methods Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010188

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. We aimed to explore student and staff perceptions and experiences of a pilot SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing service (P-ATS) in a UK university campus setting. This was a mixed-method study co... Read More about Perceptions and Experiences of the University of Nottingham Pilot SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of risk perceptions and mental health in a student cohort (2020)
Working Paper
Jia, R., Knight, H., Blake, H., Corner, J., Denning, C., Ball, J., …Vedhara, K. Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of risk perceptions and mental health in a student cohort

Objective: This study examined the COVID-19 risk perceptions and mental health of university students on returning to campus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was completed during the first four weeks of the academic... Read More about Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of risk perceptions and mental health in a student cohort.

Polymer microarrays rapidly identify competitive adsorbents of virus-like particles (VLPs) (2020)
Journal Article
Blok, A. J., Gurnani, P., Xenopoulos, A., Burroughs, L., Duncan, J., Urbanowicz, R. A., …Alexander, M. R. (2020). Polymer microarrays rapidly identify competitive adsorbents of virus-like particles (VLPs). Biointerphases, 15, Article 061005. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0000586

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the global need for platform technologies to enable rapid development of diagnostics, vaccines, treatments, and personal protective equipment (PPE). However, many current technologies require the detailed mechan... Read More about Polymer microarrays rapidly identify competitive adsorbents of virus-like particles (VLPs).

Polymer microarrays rapidly identify competitive adsorbents of virus-like particles (2020)
Journal Article
Blok, A. J., Gurnani, P., Xenopoulos, A., Burroughs, L., Duncan, J., Urbanowicz, R. A., …Alexander, M. R. (2020). Polymer microarrays rapidly identify competitive adsorbents of virus-like particles. Biointerphases, 15(6), Article 061005. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0000586

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the global need for platform technologies to enable the rapid development of diagnostics, vaccines, treatments, and personal protective equipment (PPE). However, many current technologies require the detailed me... Read More about Polymer microarrays rapidly identify competitive adsorbents of virus-like particles.

All Surfaces Are Not Equal in Contact Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (2020)
Journal Article
Xue, X., Ball, J. K., Alexander, C., & Alexander, M. R. (2020). All Surfaces Are Not Equal in Contact Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Matter, 3(5), 1433-1441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2020.10.006

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. The world faces a severe and acute public health emergency due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Healthcare workers are... Read More about All Surfaces Are Not Equal in Contact Transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Role of HVR1 sequence similarity in the cross-genotypic neutralization of HCV (2020)
Journal Article
Mosa, A. I., AbouHaidar, M. G., Urbanowicz, R. A., Tavis, J. E., Ball, J. K., & Feld, J. J. (2020). Role of HVR1 sequence similarity in the cross-genotypic neutralization of HCV. Virology Journal, 17, Article 140. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-020-01408-9

Despite available treatments, a prophylactic HCV vaccine is needed to achieve elimination targets. HCV vaccine development has faltered largely because the extreme diversity of the virus limits the protective breadth of vaccine elicited antibodies. I... Read More about Role of HVR1 sequence similarity in the cross-genotypic neutralization of HCV.

A bivalent HCV peptide vaccine elicits pan-genotypic neutralizing antibodies in mice (2020)
Journal Article
Mosa, A. I., Urbanowicz, R. A., AbouHaidar, M. G., Tavis, J. E., Ball, J. K., & Feld, J. J. (2020). A bivalent HCV peptide vaccine elicits pan-genotypic neutralizing antibodies in mice. Vaccine, 38(44), 6864-6867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.08.066

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Vaccine development for antigenically variable pathogens has faltered because extreme genetic diversity precludes induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (nAB) with classical vaccines. Here, using the most variable epitope of... Read More about A bivalent HCV peptide vaccine elicits pan-genotypic neutralizing antibodies in mice.

Structure-Based Design of Hepatitis C Virus E2 Glycoprotein Improves Serum Binding and Cross-Neutralization (2020)
Journal Article
Pierce, B. G., Keck, Z. Y., Wang, R., Lau, P., Garagusi, K., Elkholy, K., …Foung, S. K. (2020). Structure-Based Design of Hepatitis C Virus E2 Glycoprotein Improves Serum Binding and Cross-Neutralization. Journal of Virology, 94(22), https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00704-20

Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology. An effective vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major unmet need, and it requires an antigen that elicits immune responses to key conserved epitopes. Based on structures of antibodies targetin... Read More about Structure-Based Design of Hepatitis C Virus E2 Glycoprotein Improves Serum Binding and Cross-Neutralization.

A next generation vaccine against human rabies based on a single dose of a chimpanzee adenovirus vector serotype C (2020)
Journal Article
Napolitano, F., Merone, R., Abbate, A., Ammendola, V., Horncastle, E., Lanzaro, F., …Vitelli, A. (2020). A next generation vaccine against human rabies based on a single dose of a chimpanzee adenovirus vector serotype C. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14(7), Article e0008459. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008459

Rabies, caused by RNA viruses in the Genus Lyssavirus, is the most fatal of all infectious diseases. This neglected zoonosis remains a major public health problem in developing countries, causing the death of an estimated 25,000-159,000 people each y... Read More about A next generation vaccine against human rabies based on a single dose of a chimpanzee adenovirus vector serotype C.

Retrieval of the Complete Coding Sequence of the UK-Endemic Tatenale Orthohantavirus Reveals Extensive Strain Variation and Supports Its Classification as a Novel Species (2020)
Journal Article
Chappell, J. G., Tsoleridis, T., Onianwa, O., Drake, G., Ashpole, I., Dobbs, P., …McClure, C. P. (2020). Retrieval of the Complete Coding Sequence of the UK-Endemic Tatenale Orthohantavirus Reveals Extensive Strain Variation and Supports Its Classification as a Novel Species. Viruses, 12(4), Article 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/v12040454

©2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Orthohantaviruses are globally distributed viruses, associated with rodents and other small mammals. However, data on the circulation of orthohantaviruses within the UK, particularly the UK-end... Read More about Retrieval of the Complete Coding Sequence of the UK-Endemic Tatenale Orthohantavirus Reveals Extensive Strain Variation and Supports Its Classification as a Novel Species.

Hepatitis C virus vaccine: Challenges and prospects (2020)
Journal Article
Duncan, J. D., Urbanowicz, R. A., Tarr, A. W., & Ball, J. K. (2020). Hepatitis C virus vaccine: Challenges and prospects. Vaccines, 8(1), Article 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8010090

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes both acute and chronic infection and continues to be a global problem despite advances in antiviral therapeutics. Current treatments fail to prevent reinfect... Read More about Hepatitis C virus vaccine: Challenges and prospects.

Discovery and Prevalence of Divergent RNA Viruses in European Field Voles and Rabbits (2019)
Journal Article
Tsoleridis, T., Chappell, J. G., Monchatre-Leroy, E., Umhang, G., Shi, M., Bennett, M., …Ball, J. K. (2019). Discovery and Prevalence of Divergent RNA Viruses in European Field Voles and Rabbits. Viruses, 12(1), Article 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/v12010047

The advent of unbiased metagenomic virus discovery has revolutionized studies of virus biodiversity and evolution. Despite this, our knowledge of the virosphere, including in mammalian species, remains limited. We used unbiased metagenomic sequencing... Read More about Discovery and Prevalence of Divergent RNA Viruses in European Field Voles and Rabbits.

IFITMs mediate viral evasion in acute and chronic hepatitis C virus infection (2019)
Journal Article
Wrensch, F., Ligat, G., Heydmann, L., Schuster, C., Zeisel, M. B., Pessaux, P., …Baumert, T. F. (2019). IFITMs mediate viral evasion in acute and chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology, 70(5), 1506-1520. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.30699

While adaptive immune responses against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been studied in great detail, the role of innate immunity in protection against HCV infection and immune evasion is only partially understood. Interferon‐induced transmemb... Read More about IFITMs mediate viral evasion in acute and chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Cross-genotype AR3-specific neutralizing antibodies confer long-term protection in injecting drug users after HCV clearance (2019)
Journal Article
Merat, S. J., Bru, C., van de Berg, D., Molenkamp, R., Tarr, A. W., Koekkoek, S., …Schinkel, J. (2019). Cross-genotype AR3-specific neutralizing antibodies confer long-term protection in injecting drug users after HCV clearance. Journal of Hepatology, 71(1), 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2019.02.013

Background & Aims Understanding immune protection against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is necessary for designing an effective vaccine. A number of broadly-reactive, neutralizing antibodies have been isolated from B cells of HCV-infected subjec... Read More about Cross-genotype AR3-specific neutralizing antibodies confer long-term protection in injecting drug users after HCV clearance.

Expression of human ficolin-2 in hepatocytes confers resistance to infection by diverse hepatotropic viruses (2019)
Journal Article
Irving, W. L., Jalal, P. J., Urbanowicz, R. A., Horncastle, E., Pathak, M., Goddard, C., …Tarr, A. W. (2019). Expression of human ficolin-2 in hepatocytes confers resistance to infection by diverse hepatotropic viruses. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 68(4), 642-648. https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.000935

The liver-expressed pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) mannose binding lectin (MBL), ficolin-2 and ficolin-3 contribute to the innate immune response by activating complement. Binding of soluble ficolin-2 to viral pathogens can directly neutralize... Read More about Expression of human ficolin-2 in hepatocytes confers resistance to infection by diverse hepatotropic viruses.

Shared common ancestry of rodent alphacoronaviruses sampled globally (2019)
Journal Article
Tsoleridis, T., Chappell, J. G., Onianwa, O., Marston, D. A., Fooks, A. R., Monchatre‐leroy, E., …K 7 Ball, J. (2019). Shared common ancestry of rodent alphacoronaviruses sampled globally. Viruses, 11(2), Article 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/v11020125

The recent discovery of novel alphacoronaviruses (alpha-CoVs) in European and Asian rodents revealed that rodent coronaviruses (CoVs) sampled worldwide formed a discrete phylogenetic group within this genus. To determine the evolutionary history of r... Read More about Shared common ancestry of rodent alphacoronaviruses sampled globally.

Antigenicity and immunogenicity of differentially glycosylated HCV E2 envelope proteins expressed in mammalian and insect cells (2019)
Journal Article
Urbanowicz, R. A., Wang, R., Schiel, J. E., Keck, Z., Kerzic, M. C., Lau, P., …Fuerst, T. R. (2019). Antigenicity and immunogenicity of differentially glycosylated HCV E2 envelope proteins expressed in mammalian and insect cells. Journal of Virology, 93(7), https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01403-18

Development of a prophylactic vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a global health challenge. Cumulative evidence supports the importance of antibodies targeting the HCV E2 envelope glycoprotein to facilitate viral clearance. However, a signif... Read More about Antigenicity and immunogenicity of differentially glycosylated HCV E2 envelope proteins expressed in mammalian and insect cells.

InFusion cloning for the generation of biologically relevant HCV chimeric molecular clones (2018)
Book Chapter
King, B., Urbanowicz, R., Tarr, A. W., Ball, J. K., & McClure, C. P. (2019). InFusion cloning for the generation of biologically relevant HCV chimeric molecular clones. In M. Law (Ed.), Hepatitis C Virus Protocols (93-104). New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8976-8_6

This chapter describes how to generate chimeric molecular cassettes that are ready to receive PCR-amplified E1/E2 genes using new DNA cloning technology. The method is divided into three sections: (1) generation of a ΔCore-NS2 cassette based upon the... Read More about InFusion cloning for the generation of biologically relevant HCV chimeric molecular clones.

Cloning and analysis of authentic patient-derived HCV E1/E2 glycoproteins (2018)
Book Chapter
Urbanowicz, R. A., Ball, J. K., & Tarr, A. W. (2019). Cloning and analysis of authentic patient-derived HCV E1/E2 glycoproteins. In M. Law (Ed.), Hepatitis C Virus Protocols, 275-294. Springer Publishing Company. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-8976-8_19

Experimental characterization of the properties of authentic viruses circulating in infected individuals presents a problem when investigating RNA viruses with error-prone polymerases. The hepatitis C virus provides an extreme example of RNA virus ge... Read More about Cloning and analysis of authentic patient-derived HCV E1/E2 glycoproteins.

Standardized method for the study of antibody neutralization of HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp) (2018)
Book Chapter
Bailey, J. R., Urbanowicz, R. A., Ball, J. K., Law, M., & Foung, S. K. H. (2019). Standardized method for the study of antibody neutralization of HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp). In M. Law (Ed.), Hepatitis C Virus Protocols (441-450). New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8976-8_30

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) pseudoparticles (HCVpp) are generated by cotransfection of HCV envelope (E1 and E2) genes along with a retroviral packaging/reporter construct into HEK293T cells. Enveloped particles bearing HCV E1E2 proteins on their surface... Read More about Standardized method for the study of antibody neutralization of HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp).

Immunization with a synthetic consensus hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein ectodomain elicits virus-neutralizing antibodies (2018)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Backx, M., Hamed, M. R., Urbanowicz, R. A., McClure, C. P., Brown, R. J., & Ball, J. K. (2018). Immunization with a synthetic consensus hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein ectodomain elicits virus-neutralizing antibodies. Antiviral Research, 160, 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.09.005

Global eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection will require an efficacious vaccine capable of eliciting protective immunity against genetically diverse HCV strains. Natural spontaneous resolution of HCV infection is associated with productio... Read More about Immunization with a synthetic consensus hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein ectodomain elicits virus-neutralizing antibodies.

Development and characterization of a human monoclonal antibody targeting the N-terminal region of hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E1 (2017)
Journal Article
Mesalam, A. A., Desombere, I., Farhoudi, A., Van Houtte, F., Verhoye, L., Ball, J., …Meuleman, P. (2018). Development and characterization of a human monoclonal antibody targeting the N-terminal region of hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E1. Virology, 514, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2017.10.019

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope have been raised mainly against envelope protein 2 (E2), while the antigenic epitopes of envelope protein 1 (E1) are not fully identified. Here we describe the detailed chara... Read More about Development and characterization of a human monoclonal antibody targeting the N-terminal region of hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E1.

A novel neutralizing human monoclonal antibody broadly abrogates hepatitis C virus infection in vitro and in vivo (2017)
Journal Article
Desombere, I., Mesalam, A. A., Urbanowicz, R. A., Van Houtte, F., Verhoye, L., Keck, Z., …Meuleman, P. (2017). A novel neutralizing human monoclonal antibody broadly abrogates hepatitis C virus infection in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Research, 148, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.10.015

Infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) represent a worldwide health burden and a prophylactic vaccine is still not available. Liver transplantation (LT) is often the only option for patients with HCV-induced end-stage liver disease. However, immedia... Read More about A novel neutralizing human monoclonal antibody broadly abrogates hepatitis C virus infection in vitro and in vivo.

Human Adaptation of Ebola Virus during the West African Outbreak (2016)
Journal Article
Urbanowicz, R. A., McClure, C. P., Sakuntabhai, A., Sall, A. A., Kobinger, G., Müller, M. A., …Ball, J. K. (2016). Human Adaptation of Ebola Virus during the West African Outbreak. Cell, 167(4), 1079-1087.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.013

The 2013–2016 outbreak of Ebola virus (EBOV) in West Africa was the largest recorded. It began following the cross-species transmission of EBOV from an animal reservoir, most likely bats, into humans, with phylogenetic analysis revealing the cocircul... Read More about Human Adaptation of Ebola Virus during the West African Outbreak.

Broad neutralization of hepatitis C virus-resistant variants by Civacir hepatitis C immunoglobulin (2016)
Journal Article
Tawar, R. G., Heydmann, L., Bach, C., Schüttrumpf, J., Chavan, S., King, B. J., …Baumert, T. (2016). Broad neutralization of hepatitis C virus-resistant variants by Civacir hepatitis C immunoglobulin. Hepatology, 64(5), 1495-1506. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.28767

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced end-stage liver disease is the major indication for liver transplantation (LT). However, reinfection of the liver graft is still common, especially in patients with detectable viral load at the time of LT. Limited data... Read More about Broad neutralization of hepatitis C virus-resistant variants by Civacir hepatitis C immunoglobulin.

Novel functional hepatitis C virus glycoprotein isolates identified using an optimized viral pseudotype entry assay (2016)
Journal Article
Urbanowicz, R. A., McClure, C. P., King, B., Mason, C. P., Ball, J. K., & Tarr, A. W. (2016). Novel functional hepatitis C virus glycoprotein isolates identified using an optimized viral pseudotype entry assay. Journal of General Virology, 97(9), 2265-2279. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000537

Retrovirus pseudotypes are a highly tractable model used to study the entry pathways of enveloped viruses. This model has been extensively applied to the study of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry pathway, pre-clinical screening of antiviral antibodi... Read More about Novel functional hepatitis C virus glycoprotein isolates identified using an optimized viral pseudotype entry assay.

Flexible and rapid construction of viral chimeras applied to hepatitis C virus (2016)
Journal Article
McClure, P. C., Urbanowicz, R. A., King, B. J., Cano-Crespo, S., Tarr, A. W., & Ball, J. K. (2016). Flexible and rapid construction of viral chimeras applied to hepatitis C virus. Journal of General Virology, 97(9), 2187-2193. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000530

A novel and broadly applicable strategy combining site directed mutagenesis and DNA assembly for constructing seamless viral chimeras is described using Hepatitis C Virus as an exemplar. Full-length HCV genomic cloning cassettes, which contained flex... Read More about Flexible and rapid construction of viral chimeras applied to hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C virus quasispecies and pseudotype analysis from acute infection to chronicity in HIV-1 co-infected individuals (2016)
Journal Article
Ferns, R. B., Tarr, A. W., Hue, S., Urbanowicz, R. A., McClure, C. P., Gilson, R., …Pillay, D. (2016). Hepatitis C virus quasispecies and pseudotype analysis from acute infection to chronicity in HIV-1 co-infected individuals. Virology, 492, 213-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2016.02.003

HIV-1 infected patients who acquire HCV infection have higher rates of chronicity and liver disease progression than patients with HCV mono-infection. Understanding early events in this pathogenic process is important. We applied single genome sequen... Read More about Hepatitis C virus quasispecies and pseudotype analysis from acute infection to chronicity in HIV-1 co-infected individuals.

Discovery of novel alphacoronaviruses in European rodents and shrews (2016)
Journal Article
Tsoleridis, T., Onianwa, O., Horncastle, E., Dayman, E., Zhu, M., Danjittrong, T., …McClure, P. (2016). Discovery of novel alphacoronaviruses in European rodents and shrews. Viruses, 8(3), Article 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/v8030084

Eight hundred and thirteen European rodents and shrews encompassing seven different species were screened for alphacoronaviruses using PCR detection. Novel alphacoronaviruses were detected in the species Rattus norvegicus, Microtus agrestis, Sorex ar... Read More about Discovery of novel alphacoronaviruses in European rodents and shrews.

Novel human anti-claudin 1 mAbs inhibit hepatitis C virus infection and may synergize with anti-SRB1 mAb (2016)
Journal Article
Paciello, R., Urbanowicz, R. A., Riccio, G., Sasso, E., McClure, C. P., Zambrano, N., …De Lorenzo, C. (2016). Novel human anti-claudin 1 mAbs inhibit hepatitis C virus infection and may synergize with anti-SRB1 mAb. Journal of General Virology, 97(1), 82-94. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000330

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis and liver carcinoma and new therapies based on novel targets are needed. The tight junction protein claudin 1 (CLDN-1) is essential for HCV cell entry and spread, and anti-CLDN-1 rat and m... Read More about Novel human anti-claudin 1 mAbs inhibit hepatitis C virus infection and may synergize with anti-SRB1 mAb.

A diverse panel of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins for use in vaccine research reveals extremes of monoclonal antibody neutralization resistance (2015)
Journal Article
Urbanowicz, R. A., McClure, P., Brown, R. J., Tsoleridis, T., Persson, M. A., Krey, T., …Tarr, A. W. (2016). A diverse panel of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins for use in vaccine research reveals extremes of monoclonal antibody neutralization resistance. Journal of Virology, 90(7), 3288-3301. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02700-15

Despite significant advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the need to develop preventative vaccines remains. Identification of the best vaccine candidates and evaluation of their performance in preclinical and clinical devel... Read More about A diverse panel of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins for use in vaccine research reveals extremes of monoclonal antibody neutralization resistance.

An ancestral host defence peptide within human beta-defensin 3 recapitulates the antibacterial and antiviral activity of the full-length molecule (2015)
Journal Article
Nigro, E., Colavita, I., Sarnataro, D., Scudiero, O., Zambrano, G., Granata, V., …Pessi, A. (2015). An ancestral host defence peptide within human beta-defensin 3 recapitulates the antibacterial and antiviral activity of the full-length molecule. Scientific Reports, 5, Article 18450. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18450

Host defence peptides (HDPs) are critical components of innate immunity. Despite their diversity, they share common features including a structural signature, designated “γ-core motif”. We reasoned that for each HDPs evolved from an ancestral γ-core,... Read More about An ancestral host defence peptide within human beta-defensin 3 recapitulates the antibacterial and antiviral activity of the full-length molecule.

Targeting a host-cell entry factor barricades antiviral-resistant HCV variants from on-therapy breakthrough in human-liver mice (2015)
Journal Article
Vercauteren, K., Brown, R. J., Mesalam, A. A., Doerrbecker, J., Bhuju, S., Geffers, R., …Meuleman, P. (2016). Targeting a host-cell entry factor barricades antiviral-resistant HCV variants from on-therapy breakthrough in human-liver mice. Gut, 65(12), https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2014-309045

Objective: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by targeting viral proteins that play essential roles in the replication process. However, selection of resistance-associated variants (RAVs) during DAA therapy has... Read More about Targeting a host-cell entry factor barricades antiviral-resistant HCV variants from on-therapy breakthrough in human-liver mice.

Non-ionic detergents facilitate non-specific binding of M13 bacteriophage to polystyrene surfaces (2015)
Journal Article
Hakami, A. R., Ball, J. K., & Tarr, A. W. (2015). Non-ionic detergents facilitate non-specific binding of M13 bacteriophage to polystyrene surfaces. Journal of Virological Methods, 221, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2015.04.023

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Phage-displayed random peptide libraries are widely used for identifying peptide interactions with proteins and other substrates. Selection of peptide ligands involves iterative rounds of affinity enrichment. The binding properti... Read More about Non-ionic detergents facilitate non-specific binding of M13 bacteriophage to polystyrene surfaces.

Structural flexibility of a conserved antigenic region in Hepatitis C virus glycoprotein E2 recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies (2015)
Journal Article
Meola, A., Tarr, A. V., England, P., Meredith, L. W., McClure, P., Foung, S. K., …Krey, T. (2015). Structural flexibility of a conserved antigenic region in Hepatitis C virus glycoprotein E2 recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies. Journal of Virology, 89(4), 2170-2181. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02190-14

Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) targeting glycoprotein E2 are important for the control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. One conserved antigenic site (amino acids 412 to 423) is disordered in the reported E2 structure, but a synthetic peptide mim... Read More about Structural flexibility of a conserved antigenic region in Hepatitis C virus glycoprotein E2 recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Recombinant Human L-Ficolin Directly Neutralizes Hepatitis C Virus Entry (2014)
Journal Article
Hamed, M. R., Brown, R. J., Zothner, C., Urbanowicz, R. A., Mason, C. P., Krarup, A., …Tarr, A. W. (2014). Recombinant Human L-Ficolin Directly Neutralizes Hepatitis C Virus Entry. Journal of Innate Immunity, 6(5), 676-684. https://doi.org/10.1159/000362209

L-ficolin is a soluble pattern recognition molecule expressed by the liver that contributes to innate immune defense against microorganisms. It is well described that binding of L-ficolin to specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns activates t... Read More about Recombinant Human L-Ficolin Directly Neutralizes Hepatitis C Virus Entry.

The past, present and future of neutralizing antibodies for hepatitis C virus (2014)
Journal Article
Ball, J. K., Tarr, A. W., & McKeating, J. A. (2014). The past, present and future of neutralizing antibodies for hepatitis C virus. Antiviral Research, 105(1), 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2014.02.013

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. HCV establishes a chronic infection in the majority of cases. However, some individuals clear the virus, demonstrating a protective role for the host im... Read More about The past, present and future of neutralizing antibodies for hepatitis C virus.

Analysis of Serine Codon Conservation Reveals Diverse Phenotypic Constraints on Hepatitis C Virus Glycoprotein Evolution (2014)
Journal Article
Brown, R. J., Koutsoudakisu, G., Urbanowicz, R. A., Mirza, D., Ginkel, C., Riebesehl, N., …Ball, J. K. (2014). Analysis of Serine Codon Conservation Reveals Diverse Phenotypic Constraints on Hepatitis C Virus Glycoprotein Evolution. Journal of Virology, 88(1), 667-678. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01745-13

Serine is encoded by two divergent codon types, UCN and AGY, which are not interchangeable by a single nucleotide substitution. Switching between codon types therefore occurs via intermediates (threonine or cysteine) or via simultaneous tandem substi... Read More about Analysis of Serine Codon Conservation Reveals Diverse Phenotypic Constraints on Hepatitis C Virus Glycoprotein Evolution.

B-cell receptors expressed by lymphomas of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients rarely react with the viral proteins (2014)
Journal Article
Ng, P. P., BALL, J., Kuo, C., Wang, S., Einav, S., Arcaini, L., …Levy, S. (2014). B-cell receptors expressed by lymphomas of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients rarely react with the viral proteins. Blood, 123(10), 1512–1515. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2013-10-532895

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been implicated in the induction and maintenance of B-cell lymphomas. The strongest evidence for this derives from clinical observations of tumor regressions upon antiviral treatments. Here we used multip... Read More about B-cell receptors expressed by lymphomas of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients rarely react with the viral proteins.

Use of short-tandem repeat (STR) fingerprinting to validate sample origins in hepatitis C virus molecular epidemiology studies (2014)
Journal Article
Edwards, V. C., McClure, P., Brown, R. J., Thompson, E., Irving, W. L., & Ball, J. K. (in press). Use of short-tandem repeat (STR) fingerprinting to validate sample origins in hepatitis C virus molecular epidemiology studies. Journal of General Virology, 95(1), https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.057828-0

Sequence analysis is used to define the molecular epidemiology and evolution of the hepatitis C virus. Whilst most studies have shown that individual patients harbour viruses that are derived from a limited number of highly related strains, some rece... Read More about Use of short-tandem repeat (STR) fingerprinting to validate sample origins in hepatitis C virus molecular epidemiology studies.

An alpaca nanobody inhibits hepatitis C virus entry and cell-to-cell transmission (2013)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Lafaye, P., Meredith, L., Damier-Piolle, L., Urbanowicz, R. A., Meola, A., …Krey, T. (2013). An alpaca nanobody inhibits hepatitis C virus entry and cell-to-cell transmission. Hepatology, 58(3), 932-939. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.26430

Severe liver disease caused by chronic hepatitis C virus is the major indication for liver transplantation. Despite recent advances in antiviral therapy, drug toxicity and unwanted side effects render effective treatment in liver-transplanted patient... Read More about An alpaca nanobody inhibits hepatitis C virus entry and cell-to-cell transmission.

Hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein fitness defines virus population composition following transmission to a new host (2012)
Journal Article
Brown, R. J., Hudson, N., Wilson, G., Rehman, S. U., Jabbari, S., Hu, K., …Ball, J. K. (2012). Hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein fitness defines virus population composition following transmission to a new host. Journal of Virology, 86(22), https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01079-12

Genetic variability is a hallmark of RNA virus populations. However, transmission to a new host often results in a marked decrease in population diversity. This genetic bottlenecking is observed during hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission and can ari... Read More about Hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein fitness defines virus population composition following transmission to a new host.

The Role of Humoral Innate Immunity in Hepatitis C Virus Infection (2012)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Urbanowicz, R. A., & Ball, J. K. (2012). The Role of Humoral Innate Immunity in Hepatitis C Virus Infection. Viruses, 4(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.3390/v4010001

Infection with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) causes chronic disease in approximately 80% of cases, resulting in chronic inflammation and cirrhosis. Current treatments are not completely effective, and a vaccine has yet to be developed. Spontaneous resoluti... Read More about The Role of Humoral Innate Immunity in Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

The role of neutralizing antibodies in hepatitis C virus infection (2012)
Journal Article
Edwards, V. C., Tarr, A. W., Urbanowicz, R. A., & Ball, J. K. (2012). The role of neutralizing antibodies in hepatitis C virus infection. Journal of General Virology, 93(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.035956-0

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne virus estimated to infect around 170 million people worldwide and is, therefore, a major disease burden. In some individuals the virus is spontaneously cleared during the acute phase of infection, whilst in ot... Read More about The role of neutralizing antibodies in hepatitis C virus infection.

Hepatitis C patient-derived glycoproteins exhibit marked differences in susceptibility to serum neutralizing antibodies: Genetic subtype defines antigenic but not neutralization serotype (2011)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Urbanowicz, R. A., Hamed, M. R., Albecka, A., McClure, C. P., Brown, R. J., …Ball, J. K. (2011). Hepatitis C patient-derived glycoproteins exhibit marked differences in susceptibility to serum neutralizing antibodies: Genetic subtype defines antigenic but not neutralization serotype. Journal of Virology, 85(9), 4246-4257. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01332-10

Neutralizing antibodies have a role in controlling hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A successful vaccine will need to elicit potently neutralizing antibodies that are capable of preventing the infection of genetically diverse viral isolates. Howeve... Read More about Hepatitis C patient-derived glycoproteins exhibit marked differences in susceptibility to serum neutralizing antibodies: Genetic subtype defines antigenic but not neutralization serotype.

Identification of new functional regions in hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E2 (2011)
Journal Article
Albecka, A., Montserret, R., Krey, T., Tarr, A. W., Diesis, E., Ball, J. K., …Dubuisson, J. (2011). Identification of new functional regions in hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E2. Journal of Virology, 85(4), 1777-1792. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02170-10

Little is known about the structure of the envelope glycoproteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV). To identify new regions essential for the function of these glycoproteins, we generated HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp) containing HCV envelope glycoproteins, E... Read More about Identification of new functional regions in hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E2.

Specific interaction of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins with mannan binding lectin inhibits virus entry (2010)
Journal Article
Brown, K. S., Keogh, M. J., Owsianka, A. M., Adair, R., Patel, A. H., Arnold, J. N., …Hickling, T. P. (2010). Specific interaction of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins with mannan binding lectin inhibits virus entry. Protein and Cell, 1(7), 664-674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0088-9

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is a soluble innate immune protein that binds to glycosylated targets. MBL acts as an opsonin and activates complement, contributing to the destruction and clearance of infecting microorganisms. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) enc... Read More about Specific interaction of hepatitis C virus glycoproteins with mannan binding lectin inhibits virus entry.

Broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies to the hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein (2008)
Journal Article
Owsianka, A. M., Tarr, A. W., Keck, Z. Y., Li, T. K., Witteveldt, J., Adair, R., …Patel, A. H. (2008). Broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies to the hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein. Journal of General Virology, 89(3), 653-659. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.83386-0

The humoral response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) may contribute to controlling infection. We previously isolated human monoclonal antibodies to conformational epitopes on the HCV E2 glycoprotein. Here, we report on their ability to inhibit infection b... Read More about Broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies to the hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein.

Association of antibodies to hepatitis C virus glycoproteins 1 and 2 (anti-E1E2) with HCV disease (2008)
Journal Article
Hamed, M. R., Tarr, A. W., McClure, C. P., Ball, J. K., Hickling, T. P., & Irving, W. L. (2008). Association of antibodies to hepatitis C virus glycoproteins 1 and 2 (anti-E1E2) with HCV disease. Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 15(5), 339-345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2893.2007.00947.x

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes acute and chronic liver diseases in humans. Its two envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2, provide a target for host immune recognition. HCV genotypes are classified into six genetic groups. To study the role of anti-HCV E1... Read More about Association of antibodies to hepatitis C virus glycoproteins 1 and 2 (anti-E1E2) with HCV disease.

Identification of a broadly cross-reacting and neutralizing human monoclonal antibody directed against the hepatitis C virus E2 protein (2008)
Journal Article
Perotti, M., Mancini, N., Diotti, R. A., Tarr, A. W., Ball, J. K., Owsianka, A., …Burioni, R. (2008). Identification of a broadly cross-reacting and neutralizing human monoclonal antibody directed against the hepatitis C virus E2 protein. Journal of Virology, 82(2), 1047-1052. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01986-07

Identification of anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) human antibody clones with broad neutralizing activity is important for a better understanding of the interplay between the virus and host and for the design of an effective passive immunotherapy an... Read More about Identification of a broadly cross-reacting and neutralizing human monoclonal antibody directed against the hepatitis C virus E2 protein.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies protect against hepatitis C virus quasispecies challenge (2007)
Journal Article
Law, M., Maruyama, T., Lewis, J., Giang, E., Tarr, A. W., Stamataki, Z., …Burton, D. R. (2008). Broadly neutralizing antibodies protect against hepatitis C virus quasispecies challenge. Nature Medicine, 14(1), 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1698

A major problem in hepatitis C virus (HCV) immunotherapy or vaccine design is the extreme variability of the virus. We identified human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that neutralize genetically diverse HCV isolates and protect against heterologous HCV... Read More about Broadly neutralizing antibodies protect against hepatitis C virus quasispecies challenge.

Determination of the human antibody response to the epitope defined by the hepatitis C virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibody AP33 (2007)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Owsianka, A. M., Jayaraj, D., Brown, R. J., Hickling, T. P., Irving, W. L., …Ball, J. K. (2007). Determination of the human antibody response to the epitope defined by the hepatitis C virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibody AP33. Journal of General Virology, 88(11), 2991-3001. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.83065-0

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide and there is a pressing need for the development of a preventative vaccine as well as new treatments. It was recently demonstrated that the mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) AP33 poten... Read More about Determination of the human antibody response to the epitope defined by the hepatitis C virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibody AP33.

Human combinatorial libraries yield rare antibodies that broadly neutralize hepatitis C virus (2007)
Journal Article
Johansson, D. X., Voisset, C., Tarr, A. W., Aung, M., Ball, J. K., Dubuisson, J., & Persson, M. A. (2007). Human combinatorial libraries yield rare antibodies that broadly neutralize hepatitis C virus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(41), 16269-16274. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0705522104

One way to dissect the antibody response to an invading microorganism is to clone the antibody repertoire from immune donors and subsequently characterize the specific antibodies. Recently, methodological advances have allowed investigations of neutr... Read More about Human combinatorial libraries yield rare antibodies that broadly neutralize hepatitis C virus.

Cloning, Expression, and Functional Analysis of Patient-Derived Hepatitis C Virus Glycoproteins (2007)
Book Chapter
Tarr, A. W., Owsianka, A. M., Szwejk, A., Ball, J. K., & Patel, A. H. (2007). Cloning, Expression, and Functional Analysis of Patient-Derived Hepatitis C Virus Glycoproteins. In Glycovirology Protocols (177-197). Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59745-393-5%3A177

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of severe chronic liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV has been classified into six major genotypes that exhibit extensive genetic variability, particularly in the enve... Read More about Cloning, Expression, and Functional Analysis of Patient-Derived Hepatitis C Virus Glycoproteins.

Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of patient-derived hepatitis C virus glycoproteins (2007)
Book Chapter
Tarr, A. W., Owsianka, A. M., Szwejk, A., Ball, J. K., & Patel, A. H. (2007). Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of patient-derived hepatitis C virus glycoproteins. In R. J. Sugrue (Ed.), Glycovirology Protocols (177-197). Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-393-6_13

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of severe chronic liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV has been classified into six major genotypes that exhibit extensive genetic variability, particularly in the enve... Read More about Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of patient-derived hepatitis C virus glycoproteins.

Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of patient-derived hepatitis C virus glycoproteins (2007)
Book Chapter
Tarr, A. W., Owsianka, A. M., Szwejk, A., Ball, J. K., & Patel, A. H. (2007). Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of patient-derived hepatitis C virus glycoproteins. In R. J. Sugrue (Ed.), Glycovirology Protocols (177-197). Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-393-6_13

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of severe chronic liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV has been classified into six major genotypes that exhibit extensive genetic variability, particularly in the enve... Read More about Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of patient-derived hepatitis C virus glycoproteins.

Cross-genotype characterization of genetic diversity and molecular adaptation in hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein genes (2007)
Journal Article
Brown, R. J., Tarr, A. W., McClure, C. P., Juttla, V. S., Tagiuri, N., Irving, W. L., & Ball, J. K. (2007). Cross-genotype characterization of genetic diversity and molecular adaptation in hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein genes. Journal of General Virology, 88(2), 458-469. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.82357-0

Investigation of the mechanisms underlying hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein gene evolution will greatly assist rational development of broadly neutralizing antibody-based vaccines or vaccine components. Previously, comprehensive cross-ge... Read More about Cross-genotype characterization of genetic diversity and molecular adaptation in hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein genes.

Identification of Conserved Residues in the E2 Envelope Glycoprotein of the Hepatitis C Virus That Are Critical for CD81 Binding (2006)
Journal Article
Owsianka, A. M., Timms, J. M., Tarr, A. W., Brown, R. J., Hickling, T. P., Szwejk, A., …Ball, J. K. (2006). Identification of Conserved Residues in the E2 Envelope Glycoprotein of the Hepatitis C Virus That Are Critical for CD81 Binding. Journal of Virology, 80(17), 8695-8704. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00271-06

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cell entry involves interaction between the viral envelope glycoprotein E2 and the cell surface receptor CD81. Knowledge of conserved E2 determinants important for successful binding will facilitate development of entry inhibi... Read More about Identification of Conserved Residues in the E2 Envelope Glycoprotein of the Hepatitis C Virus That Are Critical for CD81 Binding.

Characterization of the hepatitis C virus E2 epitope defined by the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody AP33 (2006)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Owsianka, A. M., Timms, J. M., McClure, C. P., Brown, R. J., Hickling, T. P., …Ball, J. K. (2006). Characterization of the hepatitis C virus E2 epitope defined by the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody AP33. Hepatology, 43(3), 592-601. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.21088

The mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) AP33, recognizing a 12 amino acid linear epitope in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 glycoprotein, potently neutralizes retroviral pseudoparticles (HCVpp) carrying genetically diverse HCV envelope glycoproteins. Cons... Read More about Characterization of the hepatitis C virus E2 epitope defined by the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody AP33.

Analysis of the binding of hepatitis C virus genotype 1a and 1b E2 glycoproteins to peripheral blood mononuclear cell subsets (2005)
Journal Article
Yamada, E., Montoya, M., Schuettler, C. G., Hickling, T. P., Tarr, A. W., Vitelli, A., …Borrow, P. (2005). Analysis of the binding of hepatitis C virus genotype 1a and 1b E2 glycoproteins to peripheral blood mononuclear cell subsets. Journal of General Virology, 86(9), 2507-2512. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.81169-0

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) binding to hepatocytes is thought to be mediated via interaction of the E2 glycoprotein with (co-)receptors including CD81 and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI). Here, the expression of CD81 and SR-BI was analysed on p... Read More about Analysis of the binding of hepatitis C virus genotype 1a and 1b E2 glycoproteins to peripheral blood mononuclear cell subsets.

Monoclonal antibody AP33 defines a broadly neutralizing epitope on the hepatitis C virus E2 envelope glycoprotein (2005)
Journal Article
Owsianka, A., Tarr, A. W., Juttla, V. S., Lavillette, D., Bartosch, B., Cosset, F. L., …Patel, A. H. (2005). Monoclonal antibody AP33 defines a broadly neutralizing epitope on the hepatitis C virus E2 envelope glycoprotein. Journal of Virology, 79(17), 11095-11104. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.79.17.11095-11104.2005

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a significant threat to the general health of the world's population, and there is a pressing need for the development of new treatments and preventative vaccines. Here, we describe the generation of retrovirus-based p... Read More about Monoclonal antibody AP33 defines a broadly neutralizing epitope on the hepatitis C virus E2 envelope glycoprotein.

Evolutionary dynamics of hepatitis C virus envelope genes during chronic infection (2005)
Journal Article
Brown, R. J., Juttla, V. S., Tarr, A. W., Finnis, R., Irving, W. L., Hemsley, S., …Ball, J. K. (2005). Evolutionary dynamics of hepatitis C virus envelope genes during chronic infection. Journal of General Virology, 86(7), 1931-1942. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.80957-0

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are important targets for the host immune response. The genes encoding these proteins exhibit a high degree of variability that gives rise to differing phenotypic traits, including alterations... Read More about Evolutionary dynamics of hepatitis C virus envelope genes during chronic infection.

Characterization of host-range and cell entry properties of the major genotypes and subtypes of hepatitis C virus (2005)
Journal Article
Lavillette, D., Tarr, A. W., Voisset, C., Donot, P., Bartosch, B., Bain, C., …Cosset, F. L. (2005). Characterization of host-range and cell entry properties of the major genotypes and subtypes of hepatitis C virus. Hepatology, 41(2), 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.20542

Because of the lack of a robust cell culture system, relatively little is known about the molecular details of the cell entry mechanism for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Recently, we described infectious HCV pseudo-particles (HCVpp) that were generated by... Read More about Characterization of host-range and cell entry properties of the major genotypes and subtypes of hepatitis C virus.

Tagged polymerase chain reaction subtractive hybridization for the enrichment of phage display random peptide libraries (2005)
Journal Article
Tarr, A. W., Boneham, S. P., Grabowska, A. M., & Ball, J. K. (2005). Tagged polymerase chain reaction subtractive hybridization for the enrichment of phage display random peptide libraries. Analytical Biochemistry, 339(1), 61-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ab.2004.12.020

Affinity selection of phage display peptide libraries is routinely used for isolating peptides capable of binding a range of molecules, including antibodies and receptors. This process is most successful when the selecting molecule is relatively pure... Read More about Tagged polymerase chain reaction subtractive hybridization for the enrichment of phage display random peptide libraries.

Perceptions and Experiences of the University of Nottingham Pilot Asymptomatic Testing Service: A Mixed-Methods Study
Working Paper
Blake, H., Corner, J., Cirelli, C., Hassard, J., Briggs, L., Daly, J. M., …Ball, J. Perceptions and Experiences of the University of Nottingham Pilot Asymptomatic Testing Service: A Mixed-Methods Study

We aimed to explore student and staff perceptions and experiences of a pilot COVID-19 asymptomatic testing service (P-ATS) in a UK university campus setting. This was a mixed-method study comprised of an online survey, and thematic analysis of qualit... Read More about Perceptions and Experiences of the University of Nottingham Pilot Asymptomatic Testing Service: A Mixed-Methods Study.