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Understanding human T‐cell‐mediated immunoregulation through herpesviruses
Author(s) -
Burrows Scott R,
Moss Denis J,
Khanna Rajiv
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1038/icb.2010.136
Subject(s) - immune system , immunology , virus , biology , asymptomatic , virology , cd8 , t cell , immunity , acquired immune system , medicine , pathology
Human herpesviruses have coevolved with humans over millions of years, and adaptation of latent infection within the cells of the immune system is a unique characteristic of many of these viruses. Following primary infection, these herpesviruses establish an asymptomatic‐persistent infection in healthy individuals that is strictly controlled by virus‐specific CD8 + and CD4 + T cells. Here, we provide a brief overview of how the human immune system interacts with these latent viruses and regulates the lifelong host–virus relationship in healthy virus carriers. Extensive studies on T‐cell‐mediated immune regulation over the last decade has allowed researchers to successfully translate these findings into the clinical setting to treat various herpesvirus‐associated diseases in transplant patients and individuals with virus‐associated malignancies. It is highly likely that these newly emerging T‐cell‐based therapeutic and diagnostic technologies will revolutionize the clinical management of patients with herpesvirus‐associated diseases.