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Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
Published on: March 2, 2014
Targeting Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling Enhances Type I Interferon-Independent Resistance to Herpes Simplex
Jincheng Chen1,2, Juan Liang2,3, Hui Xu2
1Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcript factor that plays an important role in regulating immunity and cell differentiation. However, its role in cell-autonomous antiviral resistance has not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that interruption of AHR signaling in human cells by a chemical antagonist or genetic targeting led to significant reductions in the replication of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), revealing an unexpected proviral function of AHR. Interestingly, the enhanced viral control in the absence of AHR is independent of type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Together, these results reveal a previously unknown function of AHR in promoting viral replication in vitro and suggest a potential intervention point for treating viral disease. IMPORTANCE This study describes how a virus might utilize host aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling to promote its replication, even in the presence of type I interferons.
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