Nasal immunity in respiratory viral infection, transmission, and protection.

Nasal immunity involves coordinated epithelial and immune cell responses that may limit viral spread and transmission, with insights gained from advanced single-cell technologies.

• Why it matters: Understanding nasal immune responses is crucial for developing strategies to prevent respiratory viral infections and reduce transmission, especially highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• What they did: The review synthesizes current knowledge of nasal mucosa cell responses during viral infection in mice and humans, utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing and air-liquid interface models to identify protection correlates.
• The result: Findings suggest that intranasal vaccination and tissue-scale memory programming could enhance protection against disease and viral spread, informing future vaccine strategies.