Strategies of immunoescape in Epstein-Barr virus persistence and pathogenesis

The establishment of persistent infections is a common feature of tumor-associated viruses. The capacity to maintain a long-term relationship with the host presupposes viral mechanisms for circumventing antiviral defenses. Recent findings have highlighted multiple strategies of immune evasion that allow the persistence of Epstein-Barr virus infected cells and promote the spread of the virus in immunocompetent hosts. These strategies are likely to play an important role in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated malignancies.