Divir · Deciphering the role of host immunity in development of herpes virus meningitis

Deciphering the role of host immunity in development of herpes virus meningitis

Viruses are responsible for a wide range of severe diseases, including influenza, hepatitis, and COVID-19, and represent a persistent global health burden. An individual’s susceptibility to viral infection is influenced by multiple factors—host genetics, viral properties, and environmental conditions—yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In humans, infections with any of the nine known human herpesviruses can result in outcomes ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening. Alphaherpesviruses typically cause lesions on the skin or mucosal surfaces, but in certain cases, they can lead to serious neurological complications such as encephalitis and meningitis. The reasons why some individuals develop severe central nervous system (CNS) complications following alphaherpesvirus infections or viral reactivation from latency are still largely unknown. The primary objective of this project is to identify host factors that contribute to the pathological outcomes of neurotropic herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infections, and to elucidate their physiological roles in the human antiviral immune response. Studying patients with rare genetic mutations that result in extreme clinical responses to infection offers a powerful approach to uncover fundamental insights into the immune system.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union