Viral Infections and Host Immune Responses

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, emerging viral epidemics, climate change, and population migration have resulted in greater vulnerability to the transmission of old, new, and re-emerging infectious diseases. Although humans are constantly exposed to numerous viruses, the consequences of infection vary among individuals. In order to respond effectively to viral infections, the immune system must assess the threat posed by each pathogen by analyzing its molecular components and comparing them to those of the host. In viral infections, the host’s innate immune system is designed to act as the first line of defence to prevent viral invasion or replication before the adaptive immune system generates a more rapid and robust protective response. Some viruses, such as the influenza virus, are capable of stimulating immediate antibody production and an effective immune response in the host. As a result, in most cases, these pathogens are definitively eradicated from the organism after an acute phase of the illness. This is not the case with other viruses, such as HCV and HIV, responsible for hepatitis C and AIDS, respectively, which often lead to chronic viral diseases.

Understanding the precise mechanisms by which viruses and the immune system interact is not only an intriguing challenge but also crucial for the development of more targeted therapeutic strategies.

This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of recent advances in the field of “Viral Infections and Host Immune Responses”. We invite you to contribute in the form of original research articles, reviews, or short communications. Topics of interest include the innate immune response to viral infection and the cellular factors involved; the adaptive T and B cell immune response; as well as the immune response in acute and chronic infections and in co-infections.

Dr. Barbara Ridolfi
Dr. Maria Teresa Maggiorella
Guest Editors

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