Keywords:
Airway epithelium, rhinovirus, infection, innate immunity
Abstract:
The airway epithelium remains the first line of defense against insult, since it lies at the interface between the external environment and the internal milieu. Although thought to play a simple barrier role in this capacity, it has now been recognized to respond to the external environment and infectious stimuli via mediator release that direct signals with immune and mesenchymal cells. Specifically, in response to viral has developed a multifaceted approach to trapping and eliminating virus. A compromised epithelial barrier in diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cystic fibrosis dramatically increases the risk of pathogenic infection. During infection, airway epithelial cells become the primary site of replication for respiratory viruses such as rhinovirus (RV) and initiate the hosts’ immune responses. This chapter will discuss the structure of the airway highlighting the now broad number of cell types that comprise it. It will discuss these in the context of health and inflammatory respiratory disease as well as their role in facilitating viral infection. In addition, this chapter will summarize the primary roles of the airway, including its mucociliary, barrier, and reparative functions in these settings. We will examine the interaction between the airway epithelium and RV, which promotes viral attachment, subsequent entry, and replication, and elaborate on the innate response of the airway to viral infection. Finally, we review the literature on interventional studies conducted to combat RV infection.