Innate Immune Response in Respiratory System: A Double-edged Sword Against Virus Infection.

Abstract

Respiratory virus infection, as a leading cause of newly emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases, is undoubtedly a primary threat for global public health. Nevertheless, among various respiratory viruses, namely adenovirus, influenza virus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus as well as coronavirus, most of them cause self-limited diseases with mild symptoms. However, a fewmay progress into severe morbidity and evenmortality. For example, a-coronavirus HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63 and ßcoronavirus HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1 only cause mild common cold, whereas the b-coronavirus SARS-CoV, MERSCoV, and SARS-CoV-2 could result in fatal infection and pose great threat to human public health with global pandemics. Similar observations exist for influenza viruses, as low pathogenic seasonal influenza (H3N2) versus high pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 and H7N9) and 1918 pandemic influenza (H1N1). The mechanisms underlying the nature of different respiratory viral infections should be urgently explored to develop effective intervention approaches.