The Viral Infections & Inflammation Workshop 2024 took place as a virtual meeting from 26 - 27 September 2024.
This workshop brings together basic, translational, and clinical researchers to disseminate the latest knowledge in this area and fuel discussion on the many remaining unknowns in order to catalyze future research.
Acute and chronic effects of viral diseases often involve immune-mediated responses, including inflammation, immune activation, and autoimmunity. Long-COVID immunopathogenesis is complex but its understanding is advancing rapidly. The consequences of immune-mediated damage in long COVID share similarities (and differences) with other post-viral diseases like Ebola and Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In the case of HIV, ongoing activation of the inflammatory response is a major concern, and immune reconstitution remains limited in some patients even long after treatment initiation. In addition to SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, other viral infections such as CMV are known to result in inflammation-related pathology. Viruses can also trigger autoimmunity. Epstein-Barr Virus is tightly linked with the onset of Multiple Sclerosis through several autoimmune mechanisms. Viral encephalitis also often has an autoimmune background. Although these few examples illustrate different viral infections with distinct clinical consequences, underlying mechanisms that drive inflammatory complications may be common. Which plausible mechanisms are at play?
Persistent inflammation, mucosal damage, coagulopathy, autoimmunity, and immune dysfunction are putative pieces of the puzzle. Common underlying mechanisms imply the possibility of employing similar therapeutic interventions, such as neutralizing antibodies, antiviral drugs, and therapeutic vaccines to eliminate the persistent virus or anti-inflammatory drugs to ameliorate chronic inflammation. Therapeutic interventions must often target both ends of the virus-immune system spectrum. Immune therapies targeting the inflammasome or virus-specific CAR-T cells, among others, are advancing toward the cure of different acute and chronic viral diseases.
Are you interested in hearing the progress in elucidating this remaining unmet need? Find out what we have learned so far, what the gaps are, and what we can do to address those in the future.
