2. Academic Validation
  3. mTORC2-dependent autophagy inhibition regulates the replication of HSV-1 and adenovirus in viral keratitis & conjunctivitis

mTORC2-dependent autophagy inhibition regulates the replication of HSV-1 and adenovirus in viral keratitis & conjunctivitis

  • Microb Pathog. 2026 Apr:213:108349. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2026.108349.
Yu Xiao 1,  Se-Jie Yu 2,  Jun Meng 3,  Lai-Ming Mo 4,  Si-Yang Yu 4,  Liang Ming 4,  Xiao-Yan Dou 2,  Xiao-Lu Shi 5,  Zhao-Fan Luo 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, 518055, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2 Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
  • 3 Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, 518055, China.
  • 4 Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
  • 5 Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, 518055, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41628839 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2026.108349
Abstract

Viral keratitis & conjunctivitis result in multiple ophthalmic symptoms and even progress to vision loss without timely intervention. Although multitudinous pathogens can cause ocular infections, the regulatory mechanisms underlying virus-host interactions remain incompletely defined. Our clinical and mechanistic investigations identify the co-infection of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and adenovirus as a predominant etiology of viral keratoconjunctivitis in Shenzhen, China (2024). The viral co-infection causes both severe symptoms and inflammations in clinical cases and in vitro. Mechanistically, mTORC2-regulated Autophagy plays a pivotal role in viral replication, with mTOR-targeted intervention demonstrating superior Antiviral and anti-inflammatory efficacy in corneal epithelial cells. This study elucidates a novel regulatory mechanism of mTORC2 in HSV-1 and adenovirus Infection, thereby providing novel targets for the development of drugs against viral keratitis & conjunctivitis.

Keywords

Adenovirus; Autophagy; HSV-1; Viral keratitis & conjunctivitis; mTORC2.

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