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During primary infection, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) spreads systemically, resulting in virus replication and pathology in multiple organs. This disseminated infection is ultimately controlled, but the underlying immune defense mechanisms are unclear. Investigating the role of the cytokine IL-22 in MCMV infection, we discovered an unanticipated function for neutrophils as potent antiviral effector cells that restrict viral replication and associated pathogenesis in peripheral organs. NK-, NKT-, and T cell-secreted IL-22 orchestrated antiviral neutrophil-mediated responses via induction in stromal nonhematopoietic tissue of the neutrophil-recruiting chemokine CXCL1. The antiviral effector properties of infiltrating neutrophils were directly linked to the expression of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Our data identify a role for neutrophils in antiviral defense, and establish a functional link between IL-22 and the control of antiviral neutrophil responses that prevents pathogenic herpesvirus infection in peripheral organs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2014.03.003 | DOI Listing |
ACS Synth Biol
September 2025
A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russian Federation.
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large DNA virus that causes a highly lethal disease in pigs and currently has no effective vaccines or antiviral treatments available. We designed a protein switch that combines the DNase domain of colicin E9 (DNase E9) and its inhibitor Im9 with the viral protease cleavage site. The complex is only destroyed in the presence of an ASFV pS273R protease, which releases DNase activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElife
September 2025
Division of Intramural Research, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.
Wnt proteins are critical signaling molecules in developmental processes across animals. Despite intense study, their evolutionary roots have remained enigmatic. Using sensitive sequence analysis and structure modeling, we establish that the Wnts are part of a vast assemblage of domains, the Lipocone superfamily, defined here for the first time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLab Chip
September 2025
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
CRISPR technology offers an entirely new approach to therapeutic development because it can target specific nucleotide sequences with high specificity, however, preclinical animal models are not useful for evaluation of their efficacy and potential off-target effects because of high gene sequence variations between animals and humans. Here, we explored the potential of using the CRISPR effector Cas13 to develop a new therapeutic approach for influenza A virus (IAV) infections based on its ability to specifically and robustly cleave single-strand viral RNA using a complementary CRISPR RNA (crRNA). We engineered crRNAs to target highly conserved regions in the IAV genome to create a potential pan-viral treatment strategy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Pathog
September 2025
School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged as a rising concern in global health in recent years. The role of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint in acute ZIKV infection remains to be understood. In this study we demonstrated the activation of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint by ZIKV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
September 2025
Immunocore Ltd., Abingdon, United Kingdom.
Background: The programmed cell death protein 1 (PDCD1 or PD-1) is a key regulatory immune checkpoint and a major target for therapeutic intervention. In oncology, antibodies blocking the PD-1 pathway are used to activate immune cells to promote anti tumour immunity while in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, PD-1 agonist molecules have the potential to achieve immune suppression. NK cells are a specialised population of innate lymphocytes able to recognize a large range of distressed cells including damaged tissues in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
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