The role of dendritic cells in viral persistence

Viruses must modulate or suppress their host's immune system in order to persist. In this review, we discuss the means in which the lymphocytic choriomenengitis virus targets and infects an essential component of the immune system, the dendritic cell, essential to bridging the innate and adaptive immune response. Infection of these cells results in pleiotropic effects that serve to deregulate the host immune response.

► Viral persistence is dependent on high affinity interactions between αDG and GP1.
► LCMV specifically targets DCs through interactions with αDG.
► LCMV disrupts DC function and homeostasis leading to viral persistence.