Lay summary
Influenza virus, a human respiratory pathogen, continues to be a serious medical and economic problem for global public health. The existing anti-influenza drugs target the viral components, but influenza has successfully mutated those viral components to acquire drug-resistance. Therefore, an alternative approach is needed to develop the next-generation anti-influenza drugs. Influenza virus utilizes and interacts with the host components to facilitate its multiplication. We believe that specific influenza-host interactions should be targeted to block its multiplication. Thus, we are proposing to investigate the role of a key host component, HDAC6 in the influenza virus life cycle. HDAC6 regulates multiple host processes and is potentially involved in various stages of the influenza life cycle. We will employ modern biological research techniques to understand the role of HDAC6 in influenza life cycle. The knowledge generated from this study will contribute to designing new anti-influenza strategies.