Hijack and exploitation of host SOCS proteins: An immunosuppressive deception of the viruses

Abstract

The suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) are a cytoplasmic protein family that completes a negative feedback loop to attenuate signal transduction from cytokines through the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway. They work as a natural precaution to pre-vent excessive immune responses that could cause collateral damage to body tissues. But viruses use SOCS proteins to suppress the proportionate immune response also so that a vulnerable environment can be developed in host body to let them grow freely. In several cases, an increased expression of SOCS proteins has been reported in virus infected individuals, which is believed to be induced by the viruses to inhibit the anti-proliferative and antiviral activity of cytokines (Interferon) of host body. Viruses including HIV hijack the expression of SOCS proteins and manipulate them in a way where they support the onset of antigens in host body by suppressing the cell sig-nalling of immune response. Detailed mechanism of the same and an alter-native way to stop viral infection by restoring the normal SOCS expression is discussed in the present review.