ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbes and Innate Immunity
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1625517
This article is part of the Research TopicImmunomodulatory Strategies for Managing Viral Infections: Host Immune response and therapeutic targetsView all 3 articles
Lactobacillus rhamnosus D3189 modulates antiviral and inflammatory responses in primary nasal epithelial cells, reducing respiratory syncytial virus shedding
Provisionally accepted
Tejasri Yarlagadda1
Jacob Stedman1Diane Maresco-Pennisi2
Andrea Coleman2
Anders Ulf Cervin2
Kirsten M Spann1*- 1Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
- 2The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in the upper respiratory tract promotes disease progression and transmission, with excessive inflammation contributing to severe lower respiratory tract involvement. This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus D3189 on viral kinetics and innate immune responses in well-differentiated nasal epithelial cells (WD-NECs).Methods: WD-NECs from healthy adult donors (N = 8) were cultured in vitro, treated with L. rhamnosus D3189, and then infected with RSV (strain RS4) 24 hours later. Viral replication and shedding were assessed via RT-qPCR and plaque assays. Cytotoxicity and epithelial integrity were evaluated using LDH release and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Inflammatory and antiviral responses were investigated using multiplex immunoassays, AlphaLISA, and ELISA.Results: RSV infection induced robust viral replication and shedding, disrupted epithelial barrier integrity, and triggered the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I/III interferons. L. rhamnosus D3189 alone did not induce cytotoxicity or inflammation. While it had no effect on viral replication, TEER, LDH release, or IFN-λ1/3 levels, D3189 significantly enhanced IFN-β production, reduced viral shedding, and attenuated RSV-induced cytokine and chemokine responses.Discussion: L. rhamnosus D3189 modulates the epithelial immune response to RSV, reducing inflammation and viral shedding without compromising epithelial integrity. These findings support its potential as a novel strategy to limit RSV-associated infection and transmission.
Keywords: lactobacilli1, respiratory syncytial virus2, nasal epithelium3, innate immunity4, antiviral5, inflammation6
Received: 09 May 2025; Accepted: 18 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yarlagadda, Stedman, Maresco-Pennisi, Coleman, Cervin and Spann. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kirsten M Spann, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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