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Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
Published on: September 13, 2018
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Circular nucleic acids at the host-virus interface: from immune modulation to therapeutic innovation
Jiacheng Lou1, Jing Liu2, Danlu Zhang3
1Department of Pediatrics, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Frontiers in Immunology
|February 16, 2026
Summary
Circular nucleic acids, including circular RNAs (circRNAs), play dual roles in viral infections, impacting immunity and persistence. Understanding these circular forms offers new avenues for antiviral strategies and diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Nucleic acids are increasingly recognized for their circular forms beyond linear polymers.
- Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and other circular nucleic acids have significant biological roles in host-viral interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the diverse roles of circRNAs and circular nucleic acids in viral infection and immunity.
- To explore the biogenesis, function, and interplay of host circRNAs with innate immunity.
- To examine viral circular nucleic acid architectures and their implications in viral persistence and pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing current research on circular nucleic acids in host-virus interactions.
- Discussion of circRNA biogenesis, immune modulation, and viral circular genome evolution.
- Analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and its clinical relevance.
Main Results:
- Host circRNAs exhibit a dual role, activating antiviral defenses and being exploited by viruses for immune evasion.
- Viral evolution has repeatedly favored circular nucleic acid structures, including viroids, HDV, and HBV cccDNA.
- HBV cccDNA is a key persistent template for viral replication, with biomarkers reflecting its activity.
Conclusions:
- Circular nucleic acids are central to the host-virus interface, influencing immunity and viral persistence.
- Understanding circularity opens opportunities for novel antiviral therapies, diagnostics, and vaccine development.
- circRNA-based vaccines and circular nucleic acid probes represent promising biotechnological applications.
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