Epstein-Barr virus: the mastermind of immune chaos

Jean de Melo Silva; Carlos Eduardo de Castro Alves; Gemilson Soares Pontes

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1297994

Epstein-Barr virus: the mastermind of immune chaos

Front Immunol. 2024 Feb 7:15:1297994. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1297994. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jean de Melo Silva^{1

2}, Carlos Eduardo de Castro Alves¹, Gemilson Soares Pontes^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Virology and Immunology, National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil.
² Post-Graduate Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil.

Abstract

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human pathogen linked to various diseases, including infectious mononucleosis and multiple types of cancer. To control and eliminate EBV, the host's immune system deploys its most potent defenses, including pattern recognition receptors, Natural Killer cells, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells, among others. The interaction between EBV and the human immune system is complex and multifaceted. EBV employs a variety of strategies to evade detection and elimination by both the innate and adaptive immune systems. This demonstrates EBV's mastery of navigating the complexities of the immunological landscape. Further investigation into these complex mechanisms is imperative to advance the development of enhanced therapeutic approaches with heightened efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various mechanisms known to date, employed by the EBV to elude the immune response, while establishing enduring latent infections or instigate its lytic replication.

Keywords: EBV; acquired immunity; evasion; herpesvirus; innate immunity.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Epstein-Barr Virus Infections*
Herpesvirus 4, Human
Humans
Infectious Mononucleosis*
Receptors, Pattern Recognition
T-Lymphocytes

Substances

Receptors, Pattern Recognition

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was funded by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - CAPES (Finance code PROCAD AMAZÔNIA 88881.200581/201801) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM) (POSGRAD Program #002/2023).