EUROPEAN-AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH CONSORTIUM ESTABLISHED TO ENHANCE TREATMENTS MOSQUITO-BORNE INFECTIONS

Rotterdam, April 2025 – In January 2025 REFINE has been established – a collaboration between 4 European and 2 Australian partners that aims to enhance treatments for infections by viruses that are spread by mosquitos. The focus is to find new ways to fight specifically orthoflaviviruses with antibodies, inhibitors, and vaccines. During the project of four years – funded by the European Union and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council – the six consortium partners will develop a platform to test the safety and effectiveness of these treatments before clinical trials. REFINE stands for: Receptor-Focused Interventions Against Orthoflavivirus Neuroinvasion and Entry  

The continuous spread and the intensifying outbreaks of mosquito-borne orthoflaviviruses are becoming a growing global concern – not just in Europe or Australia. These viruses, including dengue, Zika, and yellow fever, cause severe diseases and can trigger widespread epidemics, with dengue alone infecting over 400 million people annually. Factors such as climate change, globalization, and the proliferation of invasive mosquito species have contributed to the worldwide dissemination of these pathogens.

Prof. Marion Koopmans, principal investigator at coordinating partner Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands: “As mosquito-borne diseases continue to rise worldwide, we must accelerate our fight against the viruses causing these diseases and develop new treatments that are both safe and effective, ultimately helping to protect millions worldwide.”

Recently, Europe has witnessed an upsurge in cases of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) infection. Both these viruses are transmitted by Culex mosquitoes which are very common throughout almost all of Europe. In 2024, the largest geographical distribution of WNV in Europe in a single year was observed, with 1436 human cases of WNV infection, of which 91% were hospitalized and 9% were fatal. In addition, In Europe, the range of Aedes mosquitoes, vectors for some of these viruses, is expanding by approximately 100 km per year, opening opportunities for emergence of additional arboviruses.

REFINE addresses this growing threat of mosquito-borne orthoflaviviruses. Its main goal is to acquire new fundamental knowledge to better design therapeutic targets as well as to create models to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments, including antibodies, inhibitors and vaccines, for Phase I clinical trials.
The six key objectives of REFINE are:

1. Characterize genomic diversity: identify and characterize clinically relevant strains of orthoflaviviruses.
2. Develop model assays: study virus-host interactions to understand the infection process.
3. Receptor and Pathway Characterization: analyze receptors and pathways involved in the infection.
4. Identify and test intervention strategies: identify and test treatments like nanobodies, peptides, and monoclonal antibodies and assess their safety and effectiveness.
5. Characterize human infections: use patient samples to study key infection steps and receptors.
6. Establish a Validation Platform: create a system for quick validation of new therapeutic interventions.

REFINE aims to improve Europe’s readiness and response to mosquito-borne viral diseases by developing effective and safe treatments. The REFINE team is dedicated to understanding host-pathogen interactions and providing solutions to this significant health security concern.

Partners
The REFINE-consortium consists of coordinating partner Erasmus University Medical Center (the Netherlands) and Helsingin Yliopisto (Finland), Universita degli studi di Padova (Italy), Universitatsklinikum Bonn (Germany), University of Queensland (Australia) and University of Melbourne (Australia).

For more information, interviews and more: contact us through this webpage

We had our first in-person meeting on 26 and 27 February in Rotterdam. Now it feels like we really got started properly! 20 scientists representing all partners and associated partners came together for 2 days of in-depth discussion of the exciting work to be done in the upcoming years.

Our new website has been launched. Very soon you will find more news, publications and vacancies here, so check our website regularly!