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Tachykinin-modulated anti-viral responses
1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA. kbost@email.uncc.edu
Frontiers in Bioscience : a Journal and Virtual Library
|September 9, 2004
Summary
Substance P and its receptor play a dual role in viral infections, aiding protective immunity against gammaherpesvirus but potentially worsening HIV replication and inflammatory responses in other viral diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Substance P and its receptor (neurokinin-1 receptor) are involved in host responses to viral infections.
- Their precise role can be context-dependent, influencing both protective immunity and disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the multifaceted role of substance P and the neurokinin-1 receptor in host responses to viral infections.
- To elucidate how these molecules modulate immune responses and viral replication.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing studies on substance P and neurokinin-1 receptor involvement in gammaherpesvirus, HIV, and paramyxovirus infections.
- Analysis of experimental data from mouse models and cell cultures.
Main Results:
- In gammaherpesvirus infection, substance P and its receptor enhance protective immunity, likely by promoting T helper type 1 responses and cytotoxic T lymphocyte activation.
- Conversely, substance P can augment HIV replication in macrophages and contribute to destructive inflammatory responses in paramyxovirus infections.
- Elevated substance P levels are observed in HIV patients.
Conclusions:
- Substance P and the neurokinin-1 receptor exhibit a complex, dual role in viral infections.
- They can be protective by boosting antiviral immunity or detrimental by promoting viral replication and inflammation.