Circulating Exosomes from Human Lung Transplant Recipients Having Respiratory Viral Infections Contain Nucleic Acids and Activate Signaling Pathways CGAS/STING and RIG-1

摘要

Exosomes are membrane bound vesicles are released by cells into body fluids. Our laboratory demonstrated the presence of circulating exosomes with lung self-antigens (Collagen-V and K-α Tubulin) and donor HLA in lung transplant recipients (LTxRs) undergoing rejection. Since respiratory viral infections (RVI) is a risk factor for development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) post lung transplant, we postulated that RVI can lead to induction of exosomes with self-antigens containing viral DNA/RNA capable of activating innate immune signaling via cGAS/STING and RIG1 pathways, a mechanism leading to immune activation resulting in CLAD.