SARS-CoV-2 escapes host immune responses by modulating dendritic cell maturation
A team of scientists from Italy and the USA has recently explored the maturation pattern of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Their findings reveal that the virus efficiently escapes host immune responses by directly interacting with cDCs and disrupting T cell activation. The study is currently available on the
Background
Since its emergence in December 2019 in China, SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected 114 million people and claimed 2.5 million lives worldwide. In its milder form, COVID-19 is mainly associated with fever, dry cough, sore throat etc. However, a severe form of the disease often leads to serious health complications characterized by cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic disorders. In general, COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms exhibit severe immune impairment characterized by aberrant production of proinflammatory mediators and alteration in dendritic cell populations in the peripheral blood.