Molecular Virology Research

Research Areas

The major research projects of the Molecular Virology department are:

Study of persistent enteroviral infections in the central nervous system, which may be the aetiology of neurological syndromes such as the Post Polio Syndrome and Amylotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Study of the presence of antibodies and DNA of viruses belonging to the Herpesvirus family in Multiple Sclerosis patients. In follow-up of these patients their samples are analyzed in order to correlate relapses and remissions with viral multiplication and/or viral latency. The major aim of this study is the correlation between viral presence and manifestation of autoimmune antibodies in the patients.
Relationship between the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and cervical cancer. Oncogenic HPV types prevalent among Cypriot women are identified. Association of viral and cell proteins involved in carcinogenesis are studied.
Mapping of mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) with an aim of determining mutations responsible for hereditary breast cancer in Cyprus. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Department of Electron Microscopy and Molecular Pathology.