The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in Retroviral Infection

Edward P Browne

doi:10.3390/microorganisms8111787

The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in Retroviral Infection

Microorganisms. 2020 Nov 14;8(11):1787. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8111787.

Author

Edward P Browne^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
³ UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.

Abstract

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key pathogen sensing receptors that respond to diverse microbial ligands, and trigger both innate and adaptive immune responses to infection. Since their discovery, a growing body of evidence has pointed to an important role for TLRs in retroviral infection and pathogenesis. These data suggest that multiple TLRs contribute to the anti-retroviral response, and that TLR engagement by retroviruses can have complex and divergent outcomes for infection. Despite this progress, numerous questions remain about the role of TLRs in retroviral infection. In this review, I summarize existing evidence for TLR-retrovirus interactions and the functional roles these receptors play in immunity and pathogenesis, with particular focus on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Keywords: Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs); human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); innate immunity; interferon; retrovirus.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

R01 AI143381/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States