Dancing with the enemy: the interplay of herpes simplex virus with dendritic cells

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) represents a smart pathogen, which displays both lytic and latent modes of interaction with its natural human host. In order to be optimally equipped for immune evasion and to reply to any attacks of the host during reactivation, HSV has developed a multitude of cleverly devised defence strategies. Dendritic cells (DC) as antigen-presenting cells located at the border zones of the body and the environment have been shown to play a crucial role as one of the first cells interacting with HSV beside epithelial cells, on one hand, and as important controllers of the viral spreading on the other hand. Here, we provide a research update about the interaction of HSV with DC and summarize the latest proceedings in this field.