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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
Published on: March 2, 2014
Lipoxins as an immune-escape mechanism
Fabiana S Machado1, Julio Aliberti
1Division of Molecular Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
Abstract:
Here, we discuss the mechanisms of repression of signaling pathways that are triggered by Lipoxin (LX) and are responsible for control of pro-inflammatory response during chronic phase of Toxoplasma gondii infection. We also discuss this mechanism from the perspective of the pathogen, which pirates the host's lipoxygenase machinery to its own advantage as a probable immune-escape mechanism. Pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF are essential in controlling parasite growth during T. gondii infection. However, it is clear that exacerbated production of these cytokines results in host tissue damage. LX, an anti-inflammatory eicosanoid, plays an important role in regulation of immune response to T. gondii.
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