Viruses and Virus-Like Particles as Nanoplatforms for Vaccines, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Nanomedicine

Dear Colleagues,

Nearly 10³⁰ various viruses co-exist around us. Today, they remain a public health concern. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic being over, SARS-CoV-2 continues to persist and to infect new hosts. However, the available knowledge allows us to use the already isolated viruses and virus-like particles in vaccinology and clinical diagnostics, and for targeted drug delivery.

Rapid progress in virus detection and identification, phylogenetic analysis of full-length genomes, multiplex determination of viral and bacterial pathogens, and fabrication of protein and lipid nanoparticles raises new fundamental questions. Further research into molecular evolution and rearrangements of quasi-species of RNA- and DNA-containing viruses, the possible integration of viral genomic DNA into cellular chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA, innate and adaptive immune responses during natural infection and after vaccination, the interaction of viral factors with the host immune system and cellular proteins, and the evaluation of currently available vaccines against new viral threats is necessary for possible implementation in bio-nanotechnology, vaccinology, drug design, and the development of diagnostic systems for acute and chronic infections with low viral loads of attenuated persistent viruses. Currently, viruses are the best tool for the targeted delivery of drugs in permissive cells with specific surface receptors.

This Special Issue, “Viruses and Virus-Like Particles as Nanoplatforms for Vaccines, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Nanomedicine”, will include selected research and review articles devoted to new approaches for vaccine design, the estimation of possible risks of mRNA vaccines and vector vaccines, describing criteria to select viral antigens for multiplex immunoassays, mechanisms of virus adaptation to their hosts, factors of innate and adaptive immunity, and the possible implementation of attenuated viruses in the packaging and delivery of drugs.

Dr. Olga V. Morozova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• bionanotechnology
• virology
• immunology