Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that causes serious neuroinfections such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), the lining of the brain (meningitis), and the spinal cord (myelitis). The exact mechanism by which the virus enters the brain remains an unsolved problem. However, the virus is known to infect several cells in the brain, such as glial cells and neurons. This thesis focusses on the ultrastructural changes induced by infection in the mouse brain. A special focus was placed on the endothelium during infection and to determine if or how endothelial cells can be infected to reconstruct possible entry routes of the virus into the brain.
Anotace v angličtině
Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that causes serious neuroinfections such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), the lining of the brain (meningitis), and the spinal cord (myelitis). The exact mechanism by which the virus enters the brain remains an unsolved problem. However, the virus is known to infect several cells in the brain, such as glial cells and neurons. This thesis focusses on the ultrastructural changes induced by infection in the mouse brain. A special focus was placed on the endothelium during infection and to determine if or how endothelial cells can be infected to reconstruct possible entry routes of the virus into the brain.
Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that causes serious neuroinfections such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), the lining of the brain (meningitis), and the spinal cord (myelitis). The exact mechanism by which the virus enters the brain remains an unsolved problem. However, the virus is known to infect several cells in the brain, such as glial cells and neurons. This thesis focusses on the ultrastructural changes induced by infection in the mouse brain. A special focus was placed on the endothelium during infection and to determine if or how endothelial cells can be infected to reconstruct possible entry routes of the virus into the brain.
Anotace v angličtině
Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that causes serious neuroinfections such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), the lining of the brain (meningitis), and the spinal cord (myelitis). The exact mechanism by which the virus enters the brain remains an unsolved problem. However, the virus is known to infect several cells in the brain, such as glial cells and neurons. This thesis focusses on the ultrastructural changes induced by infection in the mouse brain. A special focus was placed on the endothelium during infection and to determine if or how endothelial cells can be infected to reconstruct possible entry routes of the virus into the brain.
Prof Grubhoffer welcomed the student and commission members; all commission members were present. The student presented the theoretical background of her work on the tick-borne encephalitis virus, the infection process, and cellular changes in the infected cells. Next, the methods were described, followed by the results. The supervisor and the opponent presented their reviews. The student answered all the questions of the opponent and also questions from the commission members on the comparison of infected and healthy tissues, the use of antibodies for confirmation of the presence of virions, the presence of virions throughout the cells, proliferation of RE vs myelin sheets and the possibility to see a damged BBB.