Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.1
4.9
Journals
IJMS
Special Issues
Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines
ijms-logo
Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2025) | Viewed by 7538

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zhifang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: vaccine; virus; molecule biology; expression system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development and transformation of human civilization, the threat of pathogenic viruses on human and animal health and even survival has become increasingly severe. Various region-specific spreading viruses have shown the trend of global transmission, and new pathogenic viruses are constantly being discovered. In order to enhance the ability of humans and animals to fight against pathogenic viruses, the inherent driving mechanism of the changes in the protective immune response during different types of virus infections or upon the administration of vaccines needs to be analyzed. Moreover, it is necessary to further develop novel vaccines that can provide higher immunoprotection efficacy. Particularly after the global outbreak of COVID-19, the pattern and tools concerning virus–host interaction studies have become more standardized and advanced, further promoting the rapid progress of research relevant to acquired immune responses. This Special Issue plans to track research progress on the in-depth exploration of virus infections and vaccine-induced host immune response transition patterns and intrinsic mechanisms, as well as the development of various new vaccines.

Dr. Zhifang Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.

Keywords

  • pathogenic virus
  • zoonotic virus
  • vaccine
  • immune response
  • virus–host interaction

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 5740 KiB  
Article
Adenoviral-Vectored Multivalent Vaccine Provides Durable Protection Against Influenza B Viruses from Victoria-like and Yamagata-like Lineages
by Matthew J. Pekarek, Adthakorn Madapong, Joshua Wiggins and Eric A. Weaver
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(4), 1538; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041538 - 12 Feb 2025
Viewed by 803
Abstract
Despite annual vaccines, Influenza B viruses (IBVs) continue to cause severe infections and have a significant impact and burden on the healthcare system. Improving IBV vaccine effectiveness is a key focus, with various strategies under investigation. In this research, we used a computational [...] Read more.
Despite annual vaccines, Influenza B viruses (IBVs) continue to cause severe infections and have a significant impact and burden on the healthcare system. Improving IBV vaccine effectiveness is a key focus, with various strategies under investigation. In this research, we used a computational design to select wildtype sequences for a multivalent viral-vectored vaccine (rAd-Tri-Vic) targeting the Victoria-like (Vic) hemagglutinin (HA) protein. In mouse models, the vaccine induced strong antibody and T cell responses, providing complete protection against both lineage-specific and cross-lineage (Yamagata-like) lethal challenges. The immune responses remained robust for up to six months, which demonstrated sustained protection. These results highlight the potential of HA-targeted multivalent vaccines to enhance the IBV efficacy and address protection against antigenically diverse IBV strains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3107 KiB  
Article
Recombinant Subunit Vaccine Candidate against the Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus
by Verónica Avello, Santiago Salazar, Eddy E. González, Paula Campos, Viana Manríque, Christian Mathieu, Florence Hugues, Ignacio Cabezas, Paula Gädicke, Natalie C. Parra, Jannel Acosta, Oliberto Sánchez, Alaín González and Raquel Montesino
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(16), 8734; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168734 - 10 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1675
Abstract
Multivalent live-attenuated or inactivated vaccines are often used to control the bovine viral diarrhea disease (BVD). Still, they retain inherent disadvantages and do not provide the expected protection. This study developed a new vaccine prototype, including the external segment of the E2 viral [...] Read more.
Multivalent live-attenuated or inactivated vaccines are often used to control the bovine viral diarrhea disease (BVD). Still, they retain inherent disadvantages and do not provide the expected protection. This study developed a new vaccine prototype, including the external segment of the E2 viral protein from five different subgenotypes selected after a massive screening. The E2 proteins of every subgenotype (1aE2, 1bE2, 1cE2, 1dE2, and 1eE2) were produced in mammalian cells and purified by IMAC. An equimolar mixture of E2 proteins formulated in an oil-in-water adjuvant made up the vaccine candidate, inducing a high humoral response at 50, 100, and 150 µg doses in sheep. A similar immune response was observed in bovines at 50 µg. The cellular response showed a significant increase in the transcript levels of relevant Th1 cytokines, while those corresponding to the Th2 cytokine IL-4 and the negative control were similar. High levels of neutralizing antibodies against the subgenotype BVDV1a demonstrated the effectiveness of our vaccine candidate, similar to that observed in the sera of animals vaccinated with the commercial vaccine. These results suggest that our vaccine prototype could become an effective recombinant vaccine against the BVD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 601 KiB  
Article
The Influence of HLA Polymorphisms on the Severity of COVID-19 in the Romanian Population
by Mihaela Laura Vică, Minodora Dobreanu, Ghenadie Curocichin, Horea Vladi Matei, Ștefana Bâlici, Mihaela Elvira Vușcan, Alin Dan Chiorean, Gheorghe Zsolt Nicula, Daniela Cristina Pavel Mironescu, Daniel Corneliu Leucuța, Cosmin Adrian Teodoru and Costel Vasile Siserman
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021326 - 22 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1551
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether specific HLA alleles found in patients from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection and its associated mortality. We analyzed the HLA alleles at the -A, -B, -C, [...] Read more.
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether specific HLA alleles found in patients from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection and its associated mortality. We analyzed the HLA alleles at the -A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 loci in a cohort of 130 individuals with severe and extremely severe forms of COVID-19, including 44 individuals who died. We compared these findings to a control group consisting of individuals who had either not been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had experienced mild forms of the disease. Using multivariate logistic regression models, we discovered that the B*27 and B*50 alleles were associated with an increased susceptibility to developing a severe form of COVID-19. The A*33 and C*15 alleles showed potential for offering protection against the disease. Furthermore, we identified two protective alleles (A*03 and DQB1*02) against the development of extremely severe forms of COVID-19. By utilizing score statistics, we established a statistically significant association between haplotypes and disease severity (p = 0.021). In summary, this study provides evidence that HLA genotype plays a role in influencing the clinical outcome of COVID-19 infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4047 KiB  
Article
Apoptotic Cell Death in an Animal Model of Virus-Induced Acute Liver Failure—Observations during Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 Infection
by Dominika Bębnowska, Rafał Hrynkiewicz, Sylwia Rzeszotek, Marika Freus, Agata Poniewierska-Baran and Paulina Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020798 - 8 Jan 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1651
Abstract
Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 causes severe and highly fatal Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD). Because of its characteristics, this infection is used as an animal model for acute liver failure (ALF). Apoptosis is one of the key processes underlying ALF and has been described as [...] Read more.
Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 causes severe and highly fatal Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD). Because of its characteristics, this infection is used as an animal model for acute liver failure (ALF). Apoptosis is one of the key processes underlying ALF and has been described as one of the mechanisms of RHD pathogenesis. Apoptotic cell death has been quite well characterized in infection with different variants of GI.1 strains, but so far, the GI.2 genotype has not been widely studied. In this study, we performed an evaluation of apoptotic cell death in hepatocytes of rabbits infected with Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2. We analyzed the expression of genes involved in apoptotic cell death by real-time PCR and performed immunohistochemical (IHC) assays. We showed a significant increase in the expression of caspase-3 and the proapoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 in infected animals. In addition, we recorded increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratios. IHC analyses showed the presence of morphological signs of apoptosis in the hepatocytes of infected rabbits. Our results indicate that caspase-3 and proteins from the Bcl-2 families play a key role in apoptosis induced by Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 3356 KiB  
Review
Bioinformatic Tools for Studying the Cellular Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2, Vaccine Efficacy, and Future Pandemics at the Global Population Level
by Daniel López and Javier Zumárraga
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13477; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413477 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1009
Abstract
Antigen recognition by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction is critical for an adequate antiviral response in both natural infection and vaccination. However, the overwhelming polymorphism of HLA, with nearly 40,000 alleles identified, is an important limitation for the global analysis of cellular immune [...] Read more.
Antigen recognition by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction is critical for an adequate antiviral response in both natural infection and vaccination. However, the overwhelming polymorphism of HLA, with nearly 40,000 alleles identified, is an important limitation for the global analysis of cellular immune responses and vaccine efficacy. In this narrative review, we included several immunoinformatics studies performed in our laboratory to circumvent this limitation. These analyses focused on studying the cellular immune responses restricted by the most common HLA alleles, and their role in vaccine efficacy. Computational studies validated experimentally, such as our laboratory has carried out, represent a useful, rapid, and cost-effective strategy to combat future pandemics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protective Immune Response to Virus Infection and Vaccines)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop