Neuron intrinsic immunity to HSV-1 infection

Primary infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can precipitate herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), the commonest sporadic form of viral encephalitis in humans. Inborn errors of cell-intrinsic immunity in the central nervous system (CNS) can account for HSE, with defective TLR3- and DBR1-mediated immunity underlying forebrain and brainstem HSE, respectively. We study the immune responses to TLR3, IFN and HSV-1 in human pluripotent stem cell-derived CNS neurons, in order to dissect the known and unknown immune pathways involved in host defense against HSV-1 infection in the human brain.