Lessons from the host defences of bats, a unique viral reservoir

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 589; no. 7842; pp. 363 - 370
• Main Authors: Irving, Aaron T., Ahn, Matae, Goh, Geraldine, Anderson, Danielle E., Wang, Lin-Fa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 21.01.2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13; 13/1; 13/106; 13/109; 13/31; 45; 45/90; 45/91; 631/181/2474; 631/250/2499; 631/326/596; 631/326/596/4130; Adaptation (Physiology); Adaptive systems; Analysis; Animals; Asymptomatic Diseases; Bats; Body size; Chiroptera; Chiroptera - immunology; Chiroptera - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease Reservoirs - veterinary; Disease Reservoirs - virology; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Host-virus relationships; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunological tolerance; Life span; Mammals; Middle East respiratory syndrome; multidisciplinary; Outbreaks; Pandemics; Perspective; Physiological aspects; Public health; Respiratory diseases; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Tumorigenesis; Varieties; Viral diseases; Viral Zoonoses - immunology; Viral Zoonoses - transmission; Viral Zoonoses - virology; Viruses; Zoonoses; Singapore; Middle East
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03128-0

There have been several major outbreaks of emerging viral diseases, including Hendra, Nipah, Marburg and Ebola virus diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)—as well as the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Notably, all of these outbreaks have been linked to suspected zoonotic transmission of bat-borne viruses. Bats—the only flying mammal—display several additional features that are unique among mammals, such as a long lifespan relative to body size, a low rate of tumorigenesis and an exceptional ability to host viruses without presenting clinical disease. Here we discuss the mechanisms that underpin the host defence system and immune tolerance of bats, and their ramifications for human health and disease. Recent studies suggest that 64 million years of adaptive evolution have shaped the host defence system of bats to balance defence and tolerance, which has resulted in a unique ability to act as an ideal reservoir host for viruses. Lessons from the effective host defence of bats would help us to better understand viral evolution and to better predict, prevent and control future viral spillovers. Studying the mechanisms of immune tolerance in bats could lead to new approaches to improving human health. We strongly believe that it is time to focus on bats in research for the benefit of both bats and humankind. Unique biological traits of bats and adaptive evolution associated with flight confer immunotolerance of viral infection that may help to make bats special reservoir hosts for viruses.