Innate immune responses to respiratory syncytial virus infection

The innate immune response has a critical role in the initial stages of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and provides important instructional control that determines the direction of the acquired immune response and the severity of subsequent disease. Contributions to innate immunity include responses initiated in epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. The initiation and the intensity of the response depends upon the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that activate various pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as toll-like receptors (TLR), RIG-I-like receptors (RLR), and NOD-like receptors (NLR), that induce innate cytokines and chemokines that promote inflammation and direct the recruitment of immune cells as well as promote anti-viral responses. In this review, we summarize the results of numerous studies that have characterized the innate immune responses that contribute to the RSV-induced responses and may be important considerations for the development of efficacious vaccine strategies.