Viral defective interfering particles (DIPs) were intensely studied several decades ago but research waned leaving open many critical questions. New technologies and other advances led to a resurgence in DIP studies for negative-strand RNA viruses. While DIPs have long been recognized, their exact contribution to the outcome of acute or persistent viral infections has remained elusive. Recent studies have identified defective viral genomes (DVGs) in human infections, including respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, and growing evidence indicates that DVGs influence disease severity and may contribute to viral persistence. Further, several studies have advanced our understanding of key viral and host factors that regulate DIP formation and activity. Here we review these discoveries and highlight key questions moving forward.

几十年前，人们对病毒缺陷干扰颗粒（DIP）进行了深入研究，但研究逐渐衰落，留下了许多关键问题。新技术和其他进步导致负链 RNA 病毒的 DIP 研究重新兴起。虽然 DIP 早已被认识到，但它们对急性或持续性病毒感染结果的确切贡献仍然难以捉摸。最近的研究发现，包括呼吸道合胞病毒和流感在内的人类感染中存在缺陷病毒基因组 (DVG)，越来越多的证据表明，DVG 会影响疾病的严重程度，并可能导致病毒持续存在。此外，多项研究加深了我们对调节 DIP 形成和活性的关键病毒和宿主因素的理解。在这里，我们回顾这些发现并强调未来的关键问题。