Dissecting MPXV neurotropism and host antiviral signaling using human stem cell-based models

Abstract

Mpox is a zoonotic illness of international concern that can lead to severe disease including neurological sequelae. However, the neurotropism of monkeypox virus (MPXV) and the mechanisms regulating cell-intrinsic antiviral immunity within the central nervous system (CNS) remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the neurotropism of MPXV using astrocytes, cortical neurons, and microglia derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and ex vivo human brain tissue to demonstrate that MPXV infects and replicates more efficiently in astrocytes and microglia compared to cortical neurons. Upon MPXV exposure, glial cells, in contrast to cortical neurons, inhibit type I IFN antiviral programs potentially conferring differential susceptibility to MPXV. Furthermore, we demonstrate that treatment using either IFN-beta or tecovirimat inhibits MPXV infection. Together, our results suggest that MPXV has a broad tropism within the CNS and that differential type I IFN signaling underpins cell type-specific susceptibility to MPXV infection.