title: Understanding human T-cell-mediated immunoregulation through herpesviruses.
abstract: Human herpesviruses have coevolved with humans over millions of years, and adaptation of latent infection within the cells of the immune system is a unique characteristic of many of these viruses. Following primary infection, these herpesviruses establish an asymptomatic-persistent infection in healthy individuals that is strictly controlled by virus-specific CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells. Here, we provide a brief overview of how the human immune system interacts with these latent viruses and regulates the lifelong host-virus relationship in healthy virus carriers. Extensive studies on T-cell-mediated immune regulation over the last decade has allowed researchers to successfully translate these findings into the clinical setting to treat various herpesvirus-associated diseases in transplant patients and individuals with virus-associated malignancies. It is highly likely that these newly emerging T-cell-based therapeutic and diagnostic technologies will revolutionize the clinical management of patients with herpesvirus-associated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Vaccine Development, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. scott.burrows@qimr.edu.au
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Burrows
authors.forename: Denis J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khanna
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007167:Immunotherapy; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006680:HLA Antigens