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Living with the enemy: viral persistent infections from a friendly viewpoint

Bertsy Goic1, Maria-Carla Saleh

  • 1Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference, CNRS URA 3015, F-75015 Paris, France.

Current Opinion in Microbiology
|July 10, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Viral persistence, where pathogens and hosts coexist, is explored through

Area of Science:

  • * Virology and Host-Pathogen Interactions.
  • * Evolutionary Biology and Ecology.

Background:

  • * Persistent infections represent a metastable state of coexistence between pathogen and host.
  • * This phenomenon is common in viral infections across all biological kingdoms.
  • * Persistent infections can modulate ecosystems, benefiting host or virus populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To explore the concept of 'endogenization' of viral sequences as a mechanism for persistent infections.
  • * To investigate the role of concomitant activation of host immune pathways in viral persistence.
  • * To discuss current concepts on viral persistence mechanisms and their biological significance.

Main Methods:

  • * Conceptual exploration of viral 'endogenization'.
  • * Analysis of host immune pathway activation in persistent infections.
  • * Review and discussion of existing literature on viral persistence.

Main Results:

  • * Proposes 'endogenization' of viral sequences coupled with host immune activation as a key mechanism for establishing and maintaining viral persistence.
  • * Highlights the ecological role of persistent infections as ecosystem modulators.
  • * Discusses the evolutionary advantage of viral persistence for both virus and host.

Conclusions:

  • * Viral sequence endogenization and host immune activation are central to persistent infections.
  • * Persistent infections play a significant role in ecological dynamics.
  • * Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing persistent viral diseases.

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