Role of Bone Marrow in Pathogenesis of Viral Infections.

Bone marrow suppression is a well-recognized clinical observation documented in virus-induced human diseases [1,2]. Despite the exquisite details that have been uncovered about viruses and illness, it is unknown how the bone marrow becomes engaged and contributes to pathogenesis. It is pertinent that we understand the role of this compartment during infection because it is the root of all hematopoietic cells circulating in the peripheral blood [3]. Historically, the importance of the bone marrow in orchestrating immune cell production has been well-documented and fully-established [4]. But due to its difficulty to access, isolate and culture, peripheral blood components have overtaken the stage of investigations on the causative development of diseases. Even though peripheral hematopoietic cells and their activities are resultant of the compartment from which they derive, investigating these cells cannot tell us what is happening in the bone marrow. The interaction between the pathogen and the bone marrow compartment and how this contributes to patient symptoms is still an enigma. In the advent of escalating success in treating conditions, such as sickle cell anemia, with cells originating from the bone marrow [5], we should feel prompted to pay extra attention to the physiology of the bone marrow cells. Questions, such as, does bone marrow play a role in the pathogenic causes of viral disease? If yes, to what extent? Furthermore, how is it involved in the process? Investigating these topics will allow us to begin to dissect the role of the bone marrow in the physiological maintenance during infection and the manifestation of disease.