Human host cell

A **human host cell** is any cell of the human body that can be invaded or utilized by a foreign microorganism (such as a virus, bacterium, or parasite) for its own life cycle, replication, or survival[5][3][6]. Host cells provide required biosynthetic machinery and often nutrients that pathogens lack; viruses, for example, are obligate intracellular parasites that depend entirely on the host cell’s translation and replication systems for reproduction[5][6]. Specificity of invasion is determined by molecular features such as surface receptors or cellular permissiveness, and not all human cells are equally susceptible to any given pathogen[5]. Although “host cell” is widely used in infectious disease and molecular biology, it is not a specific therapeutic target, but a functional context for the action of drugs or molecular interventions. General targeting of human host cells poses major therapeutic challenges due to their essential biological roles and high potential for toxicity[6].

Other names

host cellhuman cellular hostmammalian host cell