Peroxisomes are cellular organelles that are crucial for metabolism, stress response and healthy aging. They have recently come to be considered as important mediators of the immune response during viral infections.

Consequently, various viruses target peroxisomes for the purpose of hijacking either their biogenesis or their functions, as a means of replicating efficiently, making this a compelling research area. Despite their known connections with mitochondria, which have been the object of considerable research on account of their role in the innate immune response, much less is known about peroxisomes in this context. This review explores the evolving understanding of the role of peroxisomes, highlighting recent findings on how they are exploited by viruses in order to modulate their replication cycle.