Project

Lassa virus (LASV) is an arenavirus causing hemorrhagic fever in human. 300 000 to 500 000 cases of LASV infection are reported every year in western Africa, including 5 000 to 6 000 deaths. LASV is highly pathogenic, and no vaccine or treatment is available in endemic areas. LASV pathogenesis mechanisms are not well documented, and further investigations are needed to understand viral and immunological factors involved during infection. As previously shown by studies conducted on patients and non-human primates infected by LASV, T-cell response and type I interferon (IFN-I) are important for an effective response to LASV infection. Among dendritic cells (DC), myeloid DC can induce T-cell activation and plasmacytoid DC are specialized in IFN-I response. DC are also the first target of LASV during the infection of a new host, and studies on in vitro differentiated DC suggest a role of DC in T-cell response to LASV infection. Therefore, plasmacytoid and myeloid DC could be important for an efficient response to LASV infection.