Bloc transmission of viruses and implications for viral dynamics

National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

We identified differences in the host immune responses (innate and adaptive) when infected by bloc transmission versus single particle transmission. In summary when cells are infected with high multiplicities of viral genomes we find that they can no longer distinguish among entering non-self RNA and self RNA molecules, leading to an overall suppression of the innate immune response. This is a completely unexpected finding and upends much of what we know about innate immune responses and self/non-self RNA recognition. This study is now being submitted. We also found profound differences in the adaptive immune responses, specifically the mucosal immune response in the mammary glands of mothers whose pups were infected with free viruses versus vesicle-contained viruses. We are preparing a manuscript on this study. We are also putting a manuscript together on a new pathway of exit for coronaviruses. This study may open new venues of therapeutic development for the treatment of SARS and MERS infections.