Structure-Function Studies on Chemokine Recognition and Selectively by Tick Evasins

Evasins, secreted in tick saliva prevent inflammation by neutralising chemokine functions, therefore, are considered as promising biologicals for the novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Natural evasins need to be repurposed to tailor their target towards specific chemokine(s). My PhD project discovered potential lead evasin candidates for future engineering. I explored the structural mechanism of chemokine recognition selectivity by evasins. Structural guided engineering revealed that co-operativity between structural components is essential for chemokine selectivity. Considering the complexity in structure-function relationship, I established a novel system for the in vitro evolution and future engineering to develop evasins as specific chemokine(s) targeted therapeutics.