Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals
Open Access

Abstract

A Newly Discovered Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus and its Mechanisms in Evading Host Innate Immunity

Xu Chen and Limin Chen

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a newly found virus that causes severe fever and thrombocytopenia. There is no specific treatment for SFTSV infection, although researches have been focusing on studying the pathogenic mechanisms of SFTSV. It has been shown that TBK1/IKKε plays an important role in IFN induction. Interestingly, the S segment of SFTSV genome encodes nonstructural protein (NSs) that can induce inclusion bodies (IBs) formation to isolate the kinases from mitochondrial platform to evade host innate immunity. As a result, interactions between NSs of SFTSV and TBK1/IKKε pathway become a hot topic to pursue new antiviral drugs against this virus. Furthermore, glycoprotein Gn/Gc encoded by the M segment could meditate virus entry into host cells, which may become a target for neutralizing antibody