# In vivo relevance of the Schlafen-mediated innate immune mechanism in flavivirus infection

> **NIH NIH R16** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO · 2024 · $154,648

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Flaviviruses are important human pathogens including viruses such as West Nile, dengue, and Zika. No
specific treatments or vaccines are available against these infections, and no biomarkers exist that allow
predicting their outcome, characterized by important clinical variability. Understanding innate antiviral immune
responses against flaviviruses, could lead to the identification of disease susceptibility biomarkers and
therapeutic targets. We recently demonstrated that the type I interferon-stimulated protein Schlafen 11
(SLFN11) is a novel and potent flavivirus restriction factor. In this application we aim to define, at the molecular
level, several aspects of the mechanism of action of SLFN11 and determine the anti-flavivirus activity of other
members of the SLFN family, as well as the in vivo relevance of this defense system. Therefore, this
investigation is highly relevant and will significantly advance our understanding of the antiviral mechanism of
action of SLFN proteins, which is currently unknown.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10845702
- **Project number:** 5R16AI167830-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO
- **Principal Investigator:** Manuel Llano
- **Activity code:** R16 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $154,648
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-22 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10845702

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10845702, In vivo relevance of the Schlafen-mediated innate immune mechanism in flavivirus infection (5R16AI167830-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10845702. Licensed CC0.

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