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Current Understanding of the Role of T Cells in Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika Infections.

Maheshi MapalagamageDaniela WeiskopfAlessandro SetteAruna Dharshan De Silva
Published in: Viruses (2022)
Arboviral infections such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) are a major disease burden in tropical and sub-tropical countries, and there are no effective vaccinations or therapeutic drugs available at this time. Understanding the role of the T cell response is very important when designing effective vaccines. Currently, comprehensive identification of T cell epitopes during a DENV infection shows that CD8 and CD4 T cells and their specific phenotypes play protective and pathogenic roles. The protective role of CD8 T cells in DENV is carried out through the killing of infected cells and the production of proinflammatory cytokines, as CD4 T cells enhance B cell and CD8 T cell activities. A limited number of studies attempted to identify the involvement of T cells in CHIKV and ZIKV infection. The identification of human immunodominant ZIKV viral epitopes responsive to specific T cells is scarce, and none have been identified for CHIKV. In CHIKV infection, CD8 T cells are activated during the acute phase in the lymph nodes/blood, and CD4 T cells are activated during the chronic phase in the joints/muscles. Studies on the role of T cells in ZIKV-neuropathogenesis are limited and need to be explored. Many studies have shown the modulating actions of T cells due to cross-reactivity between DENV-ZIKV co-infections and have repeated heterologous/homologous DENV infection, which is an important factor to consider when developing an effective vaccine.
Keyphrases
  • zika virus
  • dengue virus
  • aedes aegypti
  • lymph node
  • climate change
  • sars cov
  • induced apoptosis
  • case control
  • signaling pathway
  • cell proliferation
  • cell death
  • saccharomyces cerevisiae
  • pluripotent stem cells
  • drug induced