Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a skin infection caused by Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV). MCV appears to be incredibly adept at evading human immunity and is capable of infecting both children and adults, causing particularly invasive infections in immunocompromised individuals. An untreated infection can last for up to four years. MCV, like many other pathogens, uses specialised proteins to allow its persistence in the skin. This project focuses on one such protein, MC009. We identified MC009 as an MCV-specific inhibitor with no known homologues in other poxviruses. Unlike most other poxviral inhibitors of innate immune signalling, MC009 inhibits both NF-kB and IRF family pathways. As a result of its dual specificity in inhibition, this viral protein may offer novel insights into how these pathways are regulated and how to target them therapeutically.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a skin infection caused by _Molluscum contagiosum_ virus (MCV). MCV appears to be incredibly adept at evading human immunity and is capable of infecting both children and adults, causing particularly invasive infections in immunocompromised individuals. An untreated infection can last for up to four years. MCV, like many other pathogens, uses specialised proteins to allow its persistence in the skin. This project focuses on one such protein, MC009. We identified MC009 as an MCV-specific inhibitor with no known homologues in other poxviruses. Unlike most other poxviral inhibitors of innate immune signalling, MC009 inhibits both NF-kB and IRF family pathways. As a result of its dual specificity in inhibition, this viral protein may offer novel insights into how these pathways are regulated and how to target them therapeutically.

Investigation of the Molluscum Contagiosum Virus Protein MC009 as a Novel Inhibitor of Innate Signalling

Exploring the intricacies of host-pathogen communication is vital in order to understand why
some microbes persist within a host, while others are effectively cleared. As such,
host-pathogen communication is an urgent area of research underpinning human health
and disease, especially given the emerging concerns of antibiotic resistance.
Understanding host-pathogen pathways requires intricate knowledge in the fields of both
microbiology and immunology.

Living in a world of specialists, where scientists sometimes invest their whole career
studying one organism, a specific pathway or a protein, multidisciplinary discussions of
host-pathogen interactions are highly needed. This international conference will provide
such a forum for scientific exchange at the highest level, between scientists from different
research areas related to host-pathogen interactions, with the aim to trigger fruitful
collaborations addressing the urgent questions in the field.

This meeting has an additional special focus of bringing researchers from Ireland, Denmark
and Israel together to learn about cutting edge biology and form new collaborations.
Thus, the conference will be a showcase for the exciting and original research emanating
from these three small but innovative countries.