Cellular responses to cytosolic double-stranded RNA-the role of the infammasome

Sensing the presence of a pathogen is an evolutionarily ancient trait, especially for cells of the innate immune system. Te innate immune response against pathogens, such as viruses, begins with recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by specifc pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). Cytosolic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is emerging as a critical PAMP in the detection of viral infections. Tis recognition results in the production of antiviral and proinfammatory cytokines and, often, the death of the virus-infected cell. Tis review focuses on the current developments in the role of infammasomes in response to the presence of cytosolic dsRNA in host cells. More importantly, it highlights important unanswered questions that if addressed will help us better understand the ways in which host cells respond to viral infection, in particular RNA viruses.