Medical Xpress· Medical Xpress - Immunology·· 1 day agoPickScore54
Common cold sore virus may reprogram the brain's immune defenses
In brief
A CU Anschutz research team reports in PLOS Pathogens (DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1014684) that after intranasal HSV-1 infection, brain microglia undergo region-specific, interferon-dominated immune reprogramming, with associated chromatin changes concentrated in regions where virus was detected. The authors note this microglial reprogramming pattern resembles changes seen under known Alzheimer's disease risk factors, and next will test whether these immune changes persist after the infection is cleared.
Why it matters
The paper characterizes HSV-1's region-specific reprogramming of brain microglia at molecular and chromatin levels, informing a mechanistic link between infection and Alzheimer's disease.
Source: Medical Xpress · medicalxpress.com