Immune-Modulation by the Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Focus on Dendritic Cells

This study is complemented by another report that found that hRSV infection induces significant expression of three miRNAs, namely hsa-miR-4448, hsa-miR-30a-5p, and hsa-miR-4634 in human DCs (104). Interestingly, this latter study also performed comparative analyses of miRNA profiles between DCs infected with hRSV and a related virus, namely the human metapneumovirus, and found that both viruses induced the expression of elevated levels of hsa-miR-4634. Elucidating the contribution of these miRNAs in DCs in response to hRSV remains to be determined. Dendritic Cell Phenotype and Migration Upon hRSV Infection in vivo Although the study of DC infection with hRSV in vitro has provided valuable insights on the consequences that hRSV infection has over these cells, studying the effects of hRSV over DCs at the site of infection is likely key for understanding the contribution of this interaction to airway disease. They are also important as they help determine if the results obtained in vitro mirror what occurs in the respiratory tissue. Interestingly, several studies have addressed the question of how DCs respond to lung infection with hRSV, yet only a few have directly assessed whether the analyzed DCs are actually infected with hRSV, or if the observed effects are driven by viral antigen or other factors in the virus-infected environment. Evidence for the participation of hRSV-infected DCs in the exacerbated inflammatory response to hRSV has been reported by the instillation of...
Source: Frontiers in Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research