Description:

" Immunoregulatory Targeting of the Type 1 IFN Response Protects Against Mortality in a Murine Model of Neonatal HSV-1 Encephalitis"

Speaker: Daniel Giraldo, Driskill Graduate Program, Lab of Richard Longnecker, PhD

TOPIC

Newborn infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a serious, life-threatening condition with an incidence of 1 in 3,200 deliveries in the U.S. Unlike adult infections, which are commonly asymptomatic, over 50% of neonatal HSV infections result in disseminated disease or encephalitis. However, the nature of these age-dependent differences to HSV infection remains largely understudied. Here we explore how intrinsic differences in the type I IFN pathway in the central nervous system between the adult and the newborn correlate with increased susceptibility to HSV-1 infection and how this pathway can be modulated to provide protection to the newborn. Our studies will provide important insights into the mechanisms controlling age-dependent differences in the innate immune response to CNS injury throughout development and may lead to novel therapeutic approaches.