Abstract
We discuss novel aspects of virus- and immune-mediated lung injury and repair after influenza infection http://ow.ly/JGhC6
Abstract
The influenza viruses are some of the most important human pathogens, causing substantial seasonal and pandemic morbidity and mortality. In humans, infection of the lower respiratory tract of can result in flooding of the alveolar compartment, development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and death from respiratory failure. Influenza-mediated damage of the airway, alveolar epithelium and alveolar endothelium results from a combination of: 1) intrinsic viral pathogenicity, attributable to its tropism for host airway and alveolar epithelial cells; and 2) a robust host innate immune response, which, while contributing to viral clearance, can worsen the severity of lung injury. In this review, we summarise the molecular events at the virus–host interface during influenza virus infection, highlighting some of the important cellular responses. We discuss immune-mediated viral clearance, the mechanisms promoting or perpetuating lung injury, lung regeneration after influenza-induced injury, and recent advances in influenza prevention and therapy.
Footnotes
Support statement: S. Herold received funding from the German Research Foundation (SFB1021 C05, SFB-TR84 B2) and the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (FluResearchNet grant 01 KI 1006M). G.R.S. Budinger and K.M. Ridge received funding from the National Institutes of Health (HL71643, ES015024, ES013995, HL092963 and HL71643, HL124664, respectively). Funding was also received for the study from the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) and the Veterans Administration. Funding information for this article has been deposited with FundRef.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
- Received October 7, 2014.
- Accepted January 7, 2015.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015