Herpes Simplex Virus Evasion of Early Host Antiviral Responses

Herpes Simplex Virus Evasion of Early Host Antiviral Responses Eduardo I. Tognarelli1, Tomás F. Palomino1, Nicolás Corrales1, Susan M. Bueno1, Alexis M. Kalergis1,2 and Pablo A. González1* 1Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 2Departamento de Endocrinología, Facultad de Medicina, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile Herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) have co-evolved with humans for thousands of years and are present at a high prevalence in the population worldwide. HSV infections are responsible for several illnesses including skin and mucosal lesions, blindness and even life-threatening encephalitis in both, immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals of all ages. Therefore, diseases caused by HSVs represent significant public health burdens. Similar to other herpesviruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2 produce lifelong infections in the host by establishing latency in neurons and sporadically reactivating from these cells, eliciting recurrences that are accompanied by viral shedding in both, symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The ability of HSVs to persist and recur in otherwise healthy individuals is likely given by the numerous virulence factors that these viruses have evol...
Source: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research