Fig. 1.

The immune response following MPXV infection and the immune evasion strategies employed by MPXV. Briefly, MPXV triggers widespread expansion of both innate and adaptive immune cells. In the initial stages post-infection, the proliferation of monocytes, granulocytes, and NK cells is significantly increased. Moreover, MPXV employs multiple strategies to evade the host immune response. It suppresses the activation of monocytes, granulocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells, inhibiting their apoptosis and allowing them to be used as vectors for their spread. Additionally, MPXV can inactivate the TCR on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, hindering their activation. Furthermore, it integrates host-cell membrane proteins to shield itself from neutralizing antibodies. This process also causes damage to multiple immune organs. MPXV: Mpox virus; NK cells: natural killer cells; IMV, intracellular mature virion; EEV: extracellular enveloped virion; TCR: T-cell receptor; bNAbs: broadly neutralizing antibodies.