Viruses tipping the scales: The role of the CD4/CD8 ratio in determining viral outcome.

Here we review recent data on how animal viruses alter the T cell dynamics, and how stressed T cell populations alter viral disease outcomes. The CD4/CD8 ratio of T cells is regulated by the thymus well into adulthood, and determined by both host genetics and environmental exposures. Human and animal data now show many chronic viral infections interact with this ratio and Immune Health Grades, but this raises new questions and justifies new experimental systems.

Cryptic proteins translated from deletion-containing viral genomes dramatically expand the influenza virus proteome.

Productive infections by RNA viruses require faithful replication of the entire genome. Yet many RNA viruses also produce deletion-containing viral genomes (DelVGs), aberrant replication products with large internal deletions. DelVGs interfere with the replication of wild-type virus and their presence in patients is associated with better clinical outcomes.

Cryptic proteins translated from deletion-containing viral genomes dramatically expand the influenza virus proteome.

Productive infections by RNA viruses require faithful replication of the entire genome. Yet many RNA viruses also produce deletion-containing viral genomes (DelVGs), aberrant replication products with large internal deletions. DelVGs interfere with the replication of wild-type virus and their presence in patients is associated with better clinical outcomes as they.