CD8+ T cells patrol HSV-1-infected trigeminal ganglia and prevent viral reactivation
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Updated: May 26, 2026

A Primary Neuron Culture System for the Study of Herpes Simplex Virus Latency and Reactivation
Published on: April 2, 2012
Anthony J St Leger1, Robert L Hendricks
1Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Abstract:
A hallmark of herpes viruses is their capacity to cause recurrent disease. Recurrences of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 disease do not result from reinfection from external sources, but rather from reactivation of virus that is maintained in a latent state in sensory neurons and periodically reactivates from latency to cause recurrent disease. Recent findings implicate HSV-specific CD8(+) T cells in immune surveillance of HSV-1 latently infected sensory neurons in trigeminal ganglia (TG) and inhibition of HSV-1 reactivation from latency. This review summarizes recent findings regarding the characteristics of the TG-resident CD8(+) T cell population and certain unique obstacles that might complicate the development of therapeutic vaccines.
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