Bat Organoids Reveal Antiviral Responses at Epithelial Surfaces

Bat organoids reveal antiviral responses at epithelial surfaces

Bats can host viruses of pandemic concern without developing disease. The mechanisms underlying their exceptional resilience to viral infections are largely unresolved, necessitating the development of physiologically relevant and genetically tractable research models. Here, we developed respiratory and intestinal organoids that recapitulated the cellular diversity of the in vivo epithelium present in Rousettus aegyptiacus, the natural reservoir…

Fungal Antiviral Responses Enhanced Through RNA Editing Mechanisms

Recent discoveries have illuminated the intricate relationship between fungal viral infections and their viral hosts, particularly focusing on the less understood mechanisms in fungus-virus systems. The research conducted by a team from Japan, led by Associate Professor Shinji Honda of the University of Fukui, sheds light on how the fungus Neurospora crassa modulates its antiviral responses through RNA editing mechanisms. This intricate biologic…

Bats are considered natural hosts for highly dangerous viruses such as MERS and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the often fatal course of the disease in humans, bats usually show no obvious symptoms after infection with these viruses.

Bat Organoids Reveal Antiviral Responses at Epithelial Surfaces

The authors developed respiratory and intestinal organoids that recapitulate the cellular diversity of the in vivo epithelium present in Rousettus aegyptiacus, the natural reservoir for the highly pathogenic Marburg virus. [Nature Immunology] Full Article

Organoid research platform allows investigation of antiviral immunity in bats

Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease outcomes these viruses cause in humans, bats generally do not show obvious signs of viral illness following infection.