Host-Directed Immunotherapies for COVID-19
A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 2241
Special Issue Editors
Interests: human pathogenic viruses; antiviral immune responses
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The significant morbidities and rapid surge in death toll associated with COVID-19 pandemic led to the prompt development of effective vaccines, re-evaluation of existing therapeutics (repurpose trials) and identification of novel treatment strategies. Among these, immunomodulatory drugs (e.g., anti-IL-6 agents) were extensively evaluated and used particularly during the pre-vaccine era, spurred by clinical data suggesting the immune dysregulation associated with severe COVID-19 pathology. It is now well established that immunological factors such as inflammatory cell infiltration and overzealous production of inflammatory cytokines, among others, are the contributing factors for “cytokine storm”, the hallmark of COVID-19 associated pathology and disease severity. This provides strong rationale for the therapeutic use of immunomodulatory drugs in ameliorating COVID-19 pathology. While such immunotherapies against COVID-19 are evolving and improving, there are several challenges (e.g., timing of introduction, immunotherapy-related toxicities) for such therapies to meet adequate therapeutic benefit. On the other hand, host immunity plays a vital role in viral clearance in mild to non-severe COVID-19 patients who recover from the disease. As such, counterproductive role of immunomodulatory drugs when introduced particularly during the early stage of COVID-19 disease course should not be undermined.
In this Special Issue, we invite the authors to contribute a research paper or review to highlight promise and application of host-directed immunotherapies that modulates innate and/or adaptive immune responses associated with COVID-19 pathology. Studies focusing on host-directed immunotherapies that enhance antiviral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., interferon based therapeutics) and novel immunotherapeutic approaches against COVID-19 are also welcome. We do not encourage the authors to submit manuscripts in the field of therapeutic vaccines (active and passive) in this issue.
Dr. Dhiraj Acharya
Dr. Shyam Prakash Dumre
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- immunotherapies
- SARS-CoV-2 infection
- immune response
- immunomodulators
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