The role of virally encoded chemokines and chemokine inhibitors in health and disease

Chemokines regulate immune cell migration and play essential roles in development, angiogenesis, and hematopoiesis. Several viruses exploit this system by encoding chemokine mimics or inhibitors to enhance infection and immune evasion. This dissertation examines two such viral proteins. First, we show that rhesus rhadinovirus (RRV) encodes a functional chemokine homolog, vMIP, which induces migration of THP‑1 cells in vitro and recruits CD14⁺ cells in vivo. Because CD14⁺ cells are permissive to RRV, vMIP may promote viral dissemination. Second, we characterize the monkeypox virus chemokine inhibitor vCCI, demonstrating that it binds rhesus MIP‑1α, blocks chemotaxis in vitro, reduces CD14⁺ recruitment in vivo, and suppresses both acute and relapsing phases of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. These findings highlight opposing viral strategies of chemokine mimicry and inhibition and identify vCCI as a potential therapeutic agent for chemokine‑driven inflammatory diseases.