Research Outline

In recent years, as seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases caused by viruses have posed a long-standing threat to humanity. Among them, the rabies virus—which causes severe central nervous system disorders—has long been recognized as a model of highly virulent viruses. Since there is no treatment available once symptoms appear and the disease has a 100% fatality rate, it causes approximately 59,000 deaths annually across 150 countries. One factor contributing to the high virulence of the rabies virus is its ability to evade the immune system. This is achieved through the action of a viral protein, the P protein, which is encoded by the viral genome and inhibits STAT, a key molecule in host immune regulation, within the host cell. I aim to elucidate how P protein inhibits STAT at the molecular level by using biochemical and structural biology approaches. This study connects to clarify the viral host tropism and provide the molecular foundation necessary for developing antiviral drugs and vaccines.