Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of hepatitis worldwide, and the only zoonotic hepatitis virus. In developed countries across Europe, including Ireland, HEV genotypes 3 and 4 are transmitted to humans through the consumption of pork products. The virus is widespread throughout commercial pig herds, with a recent U.K. study demonstrating HEV RNA in both faeces and organs in 20% of pigs at slaughter. In humans, infection with HEV often results in acute disease but can progress to chronic disease in immunocompromised individuals and those with pre-existing liver disease. In contrast, current evidence suggests that HEV infection of pigs is asymptomatic. The absence of efficient in vitro or ex vivo model systems for the investigation of this emerging zoonotic virus means that little is currently known about HEV biology and pathogenesis. Current culture models use transformed, non-polarised cell lines which do not faithfully reproduce the complex multicellular structure of the liver, limiting the study of physiologically relevant cell/cell and virus/cell interactions. Furthermore, current studies use culture adapted HEV strains or electroporate HEV RNA into cells as clinical HEV isolates replicate poorly in currently available systems. Indeed, a recent report commissioned by the U.K. Food Standards Authority stated that the lack of a robust cell culture model for the study of HEV infection is the greatest roadblock to our understanding of factors that determine HEV transmission and to the development of novel antiviral treatments for HEV. We have optimised novel in vitro and ex vivo human and porcine model systems, that better recapitulate the complex physiology of the liver, for the culture of HEV. These 3D polarised model systems support infection and replication of HEV genotype 3 clinical isolates and provide an invaluable tool that will facilitate the investigation of this important emerging zoonotic pathogen.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of hepatitis worldwide, and the only zoonotic hepatitis virus. In developed countries across Europe, including Ireland, HEV genotypes 3 and 4 are transmitted to humans through the consumption of pork products. The virus is widespread throughout commercial pig herds, with a recent U.K. study demonstrating HEV RNA in both faeces and organs in 20% of pigs at slaughter. In humans, infection with HEV often results in acute disease but can progress to chronic disease in immunocompromised individuals and those with pre-existing liver disease. In contrast, current evidence suggests that HEV infection of pigs is asymptomatic. The absence of efficient _in vitro_ or _ex vivo_ model systems for the investigation of this emerging zoonotic virus means that little is currently known about HEV biology and pathogenesis. Current culture models use transformed, non-polarised cell lines which do not faithfully reproduce the complex multicellular structure of the liver, limiting the study of physiologically relevant cell/cell and virus/cell interactions. Furthermore, current studies use culture adapted HEV strains or electroporate HEV RNA into cells as clinical HEV isolates replicate poorly in currently available systems. Indeed, a recent report commissioned by the U.K. Food Standards Authority stated that the lack of a robust cell culture model for the study of HEV infection is the greatest roadblock to our understanding of factors that determine HEV transmission and to the development of novel antiviral treatments for HEV. We have optimised novel _in vitro_ and _ex vivo_ human and porcine model systems, that better recapitulate the complex physiology of the liver, for the culture of HEV. These 3D polarised model systems support infection and replication of HEV genotype 3 clinical isolates and provide an invaluable tool that will facilitate the investigation of this important emerging zoonotic pathogen.

Novel in vitro and ex vivo models for investigating Hepatitis E Virus infection

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.