What is Viral Latency?

in medical •  3 years ago 

"Viral Latency

When a virus is present in the body but exists in a resting (latent) state without producing more virus. A latent viral infection usually does not cause any noticeable symptoms and can last a long period of time before becoming active and causing symptoms."
https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/glossary/viral-latency

"Viral latency is the ability of a virus to remain dormant within the host cell, sometimes establishing lifelong occult infection. Depending on the virus, the trigger of latency is highly variable but the host cell context is always determining. Latency can stop upon viral genome reactivation, often promoted by stress cellular signals.

The viral genome can remain latent either as an episome or integrated in the host chromosome. The latter allows replication of the viral genome during host cell division. Virus latency is generally maintained by a few viral genes that keep the viral genome silent and escape from host immune system."
https://viralzone.expasy.org/3970

"Virus latency remains an obstacle to successful antiviral chemotherapy for which no solution appears to be in sight. Members of the Herpesviridae are notable for being able to establish latent infections; with HSV and VZV, latency is established in neuronal cells."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/virus-latency

"Many of the most common viruses stay in the body forever. These viruses are found in two stages: active and latent. Most of the time these viruses are latent. This means that the virus is almost asleep. It produces only a few of its proteins, and replicates on a small scale. In fact, when the virus is latent, it is not causing the usual symptoms. However, research shows that over time, this “half-asleep” virus can cause major diseases, such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and many more. The following three scientific papers, by Hanan Polansky and Adrian Javaherian from the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD), explain how latent viruses can cause two types of cancer and accelrated aging."
https://cbcd.net/latent-viruses-disease-treatment/

"Latency describes the phase when viruses remain within cells in an inactive state and there are no clinical symptoms in the individual harboring the viruses."
https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/biologics-research-projects/vaccine-safety-virus-detection-and-latency

"Latent viruses are those viruses that can incorporate their genetic material into the genetic material of the infected host cell. Because the viral genetic material can then be replicated along with the host material, the virus becomes effectively "silent" with respect to detection by the host"
https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/latent-viruses-and-diseases

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