IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Influenza-driven hematopoietic stem cell reprogramming accelerates atherosclerosis

Influenza-driven hematopoietic stem cell reprogramming accelerates atherosclerosis

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker described research on how influenza infection can worsen cardiovascular disease, especially atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. While influenza is known to cause acute heart risk within the first week after infection, the talk focused on longer-term effects that persist for months or years. Using mouse models of influenza plus high-cholesterol diet, the team found that even after the infection resolved, mice developed larger, more necrotic atherosclerotic plaques. Bone marrow transplant experiments showed that influenza “reprograms” the hematopoietic system, not just the artery wall. Single-cell and RNA sequencing revealed that stem/progenitor cells and plaque macrophages became transcriptionally altered, with increased inflammatory and metabolic pathways and greater CCR2-driven recruitment and proliferation. Type 1 interferon signaling was identified as a key mechanism, and blocking IFNAR prevented the plaque-accelerating effect. The overall conclusion was that influenza promotes both acute and chronic cardiovascular harm by reshaping bone marrow output and plaque biology.

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Date April 19, 2026 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM

Room 104 AB

Session Innate Defenses against Pathogens

Speaker Jeffrey Downey

Track Innate Immune Responses and Host Defense: Cellular Mechanisms (INC)

Year 2026

Keywords

influenza

cardiovascular disease

atherosclerosis

type 1 interferon

bone marrow reprogramming

April 19, 2026 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM

104 AB

Innate Defenses against Pathogens

Jeffrey Downey

Innate Immune Responses and Host Defense: Cellular Mechanisms (INC)

2026