A previous study revealed that toll-like receptor (TLR)7 and TLR9 may play a key role in the inflammation caused in the thymus by infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), thus suggesting that the EBV-induced expression of TLR7/9 may participate in the onset and maintenance of the immune response during the-intra thymic pathogenesis of MG38. The gene discussed is TLR7; the disease is infection.