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Shaping the Immune Response: Cathepsins in Virus-Dendritic Cell Interactions.
Adrianna Niedzielska1, Magdalena Bossowska-Nowicka2, Zuzanna Biernacka1
1Department of Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.
Cells
|December 10, 2025
Summary
Cathepsins are key enzymes in dendritic cells (DCs) that control antiviral immunity. Viruses manipulate these enzymes to evade immune responses, impacting infections like HIV and SARS-CoV-2.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial for initiating antiviral immunity.
- Cathepsins, lysosomal proteases, regulate DC functions including antigen presentation and cytokine production.
- Distinct DC subsets have varying cathepsin profiles, affecting their antiviral roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the dual role of cathepsins in DC-virus interactions.
- To highlight how DCs utilize cathepsins for antiviral defense.
- To explain viral strategies for subverting cathepsin activity in DCs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific articles on cathepsins, dendritic cells, and viral infections.
- Focus on mechanisms of cathepsin regulation by viruses.
- Analysis of cathepsin involvement in DC functions like antigen processing and immune evasion.
Main Results:
- Cathepsins are essential for DC sensing of viruses, cytokine release, and T-cell activation.
- Viruses like HIV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 exploit cathepsins for entry, replication, and immune evasion.
- Cathepsin activity differentially impacts DC subsets, influencing immune outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Cathepsins play a complex, multifaceted role in the interplay between dendritic cells and viruses.
- Understanding these interactions is vital for developing antiviral therapies.
- Targeting cathepsins could offer new strategies against viral pathogens.
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