Thursday 25 June 2026 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Heart and Lung Research Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Papworth Road, Trumpington, Cambridge, CB2 0BB
About
The aorta as a viral reservoir: linking alphavirus persistence to cardiovascular disease
Maria Gabriela Noval from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death worldwide, yet traditional risk factors do not fully explain disease incidence and progression. Increasing epidemiological evidence links acute viral infections to elevated long-term cardiovascular risk. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus responsible for large global outbreaks and millions of infections, has been associated with increased risk of mortality from ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease for up to three months following acute infection. Clinical studies further link CHIKV infection to coronary artery dilation in neonates and acute coronary syndromes in individuals with chronic CHIKV-associated arthritis. Despite these associations, the mechanisms by which viral infections contribute to cardiovascular pathology remain poorly understood.
Our prior work demonstrated that CHIKV can directly infect cardiovascular tissues and mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS)-dependent antiviral signaling is required for viral clearance from the heart. This failure in viral clearance results in myocarditis and chronic inflammation of the aorta, pulmonary, and coronary arteries, characterized by the accumulation of CD3+ and CD11b+ immune cells within the vessel wall for up to 60 days post-infection (dpi) and correlated with persistent CHIKV RNA in the aorta. These findings suggest that the arterial wall may function as an unrecognized viral reservoir that contributes to chronic vascular inflammation.
In this seminar, I will present our work demonstrating that the aorta is an active site of alphavirus replication in both murine and human systems. I will present data showing that vascular stromal cells, particularly vascular smooth muscle cells, support alphavirus infection and act as long-lived reservoirs of viral RNA persistence for months. Viral genome sequencing further reveals the presence of full-length viral RNA and evidence of intra-host viral evolution within aortic tissue during persistent infection. Together, these findings identify the aorta as a previously unrecognized vascular niche for alphavirus persistence and suggest a potential mechanism linking viral infection of the arterial wall to long-term cardiovascular pathology.
Maria Gabriela Noval will be available before or after her presentation. Please contact Helle F Jorgensen if you would like to arrange a meeting with the speaker.
A light lunch will be provided from 12.30 pm
it would be great to see you in-person, but if you need to attend remotely, please contact Sarah Gibbings to receive a Teams link.