Stromal cell responses in infection

Abstract

Stromal cells and the immune functions that they regulate underpin multiple aspects of host defence, but the study of stromal cells as targets of infection and as regulators of anti-infective immunity is in its infancy and still limited to a few well-worked examples. In this review, the role of stromal cells at each sequential stage of infection is discussed, with examples drawn from across the spectrum of infectious agents, from prions to the parasitic helminths. Gaps in knowledge are identified, the challenges in studying stromal cell biology in the context of infection are highlighted, and the potential for stromal cell-targeted therapeutics is briefly discussed.