Intracellular Host-Bacteria Dynamics: Unraveling the Molecular Basis
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editor
Interests: pathogenic bacteria; drug resistance; vaccine; molecular genetics and biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Intracellular bacterial pathogens have evolved diverse strategies to survive and replicate within host cells, shaping immune responses and driving complex disease outcomes. These pathogens can exploit phagosomes, escape into the cytosol, manipulate host cell signaling, and, in some cases, induce organized immune structures such as granulomas. Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of these interactions is critical for developing targeted therapies and vaccines.
This Special Issue welcomes studies that investigate the diverse intracellular lifestyles of bacterial pathogens and the corresponding host responses. We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications focusing on the following topics:
- Bacterial invasion, intracellular trafficking, and replication strategies;
- Host cell responses to intracellular pathogens, including cytokine signaling, autophagy, and immune evasion;
- Formation and regulation of granulomas and other tissue-level immune structures;
- Comparative studies of intracellular pathogenesis across species (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Francisella, Brucella, Listeria, Coxiella);
- Innovative in vitro models (e.g., organoids, 3D cultures, immune co-cultures) and animal models;
- Transcriptomic, proteomic, and imaging-based analyses of host–pathogen interactions;
- Strategies for therapeutic or vaccine targeting of intracellular pathogens.
This collection aims to provide a comprehensive and integrated view of how bacterial pathogens survive inside host cells and how the host responds to contain or eliminate them.
Dr. Apichai Tuanyok
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- intracellular bacteria
- granuloma
- immune invasion
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Burkholderia pseudomallei
- Francisella
- Brucella
- Listeria
- Coxiella
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