Frontiers in Microbiology

A. Review Lectures by Invited Speakers.- Section I: Chemotherapy.- - Introduction to Section I.- - ?-Lactam antibiotics as carbonyl donors of the active-site serine ?-lactamases, DD-peptidases and LL-peptidases.- - New antifungal agents: a result of target-oriented drug design.- - Antiviral chemotherapy: design or serendipity ?.- Section II: Intestinal Microflora.- - Introduction to Section II.- - The indigenous gastrointestinal microflora.- - Metabolism of endogenous substances.- - Seeking explanations for pharmacological and toxicological phenomena in the metabolic reactions of the intestinal flora.- Section III: Humoral Factors in Immunity.- - Introduction to Section III.- - Mechanisms of natural resistance.- - Regulation of cell growth by interferon and tumor necrosis factor.- - The role of interleukin-1 in mediating host defense mechanisms.- Section IV: Tumor Immunity.- - Introduction to Section IV.- - Mechanisms of resistance to viruses and tumors, and the development of vaccines.- - Total lymphoid irradiation.- Section V: New Horizons in Virus Research.- - Introduction to Section V.- - Perspectives in disease prevention by vaccines.- - The challenge of chronic virus infections.- - Structure and function of the genome of HTLV-III and related viruses: current concepts on the role of HTLV-III in the pathogenesis of AIDS.- B. Contributions from the Rega Institute.- I. Research Unit.- - Synthesis and activity of some new cephalosporins.- - Incorporation of nucleoside analogues into oligonucleotides.- - 2?-5?-Oligoadenylates (2-5A) as mediators of interferon action. Synthesis and biological activity of new 2-5A analogues.- II. Research Unit.- - Cloning and expression of an rRNA methylase gene in Streptomyces venezuelae phage VWB.- - Coprostanic acids and a C29-dicarboxylic bile acid in peroxisomal diseases.- - Bile acid desulfation by the gut microflora.- - Steroid desulfation by the gut microflora.- - Biohydrogenation of fatty acids by intestinal bacteria.- -

Erik De Clercq, M.D., PhD is currently President of the Rega Foundation, a member of the Belgian (Flemish) Royal Academy of Medicine and of the Academia Europaea, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is an active Emeritus Professor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven), Belgium. He is honorary doctor of the Universities of Ghent, Belgium, Athens, Greece, Ferrara, Italy, Jinan (Shandong), China, Charles (Prague), Czech Republic, and Jihoceska (Bude?jovice), Czech Republic.
For his pioneering efforts in antiviral research, Professor De Clercq received in 1996 the Aventis award from the American Society for Microbiology, and in 2000 the Maisin Prize for Biomedical Sciences from the Belgian National Science Foundation. In 2008 he was elected Inventor of the Year by the European Union. Together with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Prof. De Clercq received the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research in 2010.
He is the (co)inventor of a number of antiviral drugs, used for the treatment of HSV (valaciclovir, Valtrex , Zelitrex ), VZV (brivudin, Zostex , Brivirac , Zerpex ), CMV (cidofovir, Vistide ), HBV (adefovir dipivoxil, Hepsera ), and HIV infections (AIDS) (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, Viread ).