Influenza virus infected HUVEC

To delineate specific patterns of signaling networks activated by H5N1 we used a comparative systems biology approach analyzing gene expression in endothelial cells infected with three different human and avian influenza strains of high and low pathogenicity. HUVECs were infected with either PR8, FPV or H5N1 virus. We used wildtype HUVEC or HUVEC transfected with a dominant negative mutant of IKK2 (block of the NF-kB signaling pathway). In case of FPV infections we also blocked p38 MAP kinase with an SB-inhibitor.