Viral immunosuppression: disabling the guards.

When facing an immune response, viruses can either attempt to elude them or confront them. A new report demonstrates that a lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain can suppress immune responses by targeting both development and activation of DCs. Ironically, type I IFN released in response to LCMV infection contributes to the blockade of DC development. The discovery of these immunosuppressive mechanisms provides new perspectives for the therapy of chronic infections associated with immunosuppression.