Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
Published on: March 2, 2014
Pomelo-derived exosomes suppress vesicular stomatitis virus infection through GSK3β dependent regulation of innate
Zhanzhi Ren1, Lishan Huang2, Dan Guo1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. yaoxingang@smu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
RNA virus infection triggers robust innate immune activation and inflammatory injury. Using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a model, we investigated the antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of pomelo-derived extracellular vesicles (EVPomelo). Among multiple plant vesicles screened, EVPomelo exhibited the strongest anti-VSV activity in vitro and in vivo. LC-MS analysis identified penicillic acid (PA) as an important endogenous bioactive component. Mechanistically, EVPomelo suppressed viral replication and reduced IFN-β and IL-6 production, accompanied by the inhibition of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) activation and decreased ISG15 transcription. Functional evidence suggests that these effects may be associated with the modulation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)-dependent signaling, to which PA may contribute. Sodium alginate (SA) encapsulation further improved in vivo retention and sustained release. Collectively, EVPomelo exert antiviral effects by suppressing virus-induced excessive inflammatory response. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the GSK3β/STAT1-mediated innate immune signaling pathway. These findings verify that EVPomelo possesses promising antiviral potential for further development.
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
