Host response to Chikungunya virus and perspectives for immune-based therapies

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a dormant 'old world' alphavirus, has warranted worldwide research attention due to the explosive nature of its outbreak events during 2004-2008. Despite being around for more than 50 years, CHIKV still remains elusive compared with other members of the alphavirus family. In light of the potential threat that CHIKV poses, encouraging efforts are taking place to understand CHIKV from different perspectives. This review summarizes our current clinical, pathological and immunological knowledge of CHIKV and examines how we can utilize our understanding of host response for therapeutic strategies.