Bystander neuronal progenitors in forebrain organoids promote protective antiviral responses.

ABSTRACT: Neurotropic viruses are the most common cause of infectious encephalitis and highly target neurons for infection. Our understanding of the intrinsic capacity of neuronal innate immune responses to mediate protective antiviral responses remains incomplete. Here, we evaluated the role of intercellular crosstalk in mediating intrinsic neuronal immunity and its contribution to limiting viral infection. We found that in the absence of viral antagonism, neurons transcriptionally induce robust interferon signaling and can effectively signal to uninfected bystander neurons. Yet, in two-dimensional cultures, this dynamic response did not restrict viral spread. Interestingly, this differed in the context of viral infection in three-dimensional forebrain organoids with complex neuronal subtypes and c

SUBMITTER: Negatu SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11881317 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature