The role of dendritic cells in innate and adaptive immunity to respiratory syncytial virus, and implications for vaccine development

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common human pathogen that causes cold-like symptoms in most healthy adults and children. However, RSV often moves into the lower respiratory tract in infants and young children predisposed to respiratory illness, making it the most common cause of pediatric broncheolitis and pneumonia. The development of an appropriate balanced immune response is critical for recovery from RSV, while an unbalanced and/or excessively vigorous response may lead to immunopathogenesis. Different dendritic cell (DC) subsets influence the magnitude and quality of the host response to RSV infection, with myeloid DCs mediating and plasmacytoid DCs modulating immunopathology. Furthermore, stimulation of DCs through Toll-like receptors is essential for induction of protective immunity to RSV. These characteristics have implications for the rational design of a RSV vaccine.

Keywords::

• dendritic cell subsets and maturation
• innate and adaptive immunity
• respiratory syncytial virus
• vaccine

Acknowledgements

S van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk thanks all current and previous members of the laboratory, colleagues and the animal care group at VIDO-Intervac, University of Saskatchewan, for their contributions.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Published as VIDO manuscript number 657. S van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and VIDO-Intervac, University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Canada), and R Garg and P Shrivastava are a research associate and postdoctoral fellow at VIDO-Intervac, the University of Saskatchewan, respectively. Agencies supporting the research in S van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk’s laboratory include the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Krembil Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization and Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.