Viral Biology: Infection and Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 30
Special Issue Editor
2. Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: emerging viruses; vaccine design; antivirals; plant molecular farming; recombinant proteins; plant biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Viruses remain among the most challenging pathogens to understand and control, given their genetic diversity, rapid evolution, and ability to hijack host cellular machinery. Recent research has provided deep insights into viral life cycles, host–virus interactions, and immune evasion strategies, which are critical for developing targeted diagnostics and therapies. Advances in molecular virology, high-throughput sequencing, and systems biology have accelerated our understanding of viral pathogenesis and epidemiology. However, major challenges remain, including the emergence of novel and re-emerging viruses, the persistence of latent or chronic infections, and the limited efficacy or accessibility of antiviral drugs and vaccines. Current diagnostic approaches, while increasingly sensitive and rapid, still face barriers in early detection, point-of-care applicability, and differentiation of co-infections.
Looking forward, future research will likely focus on integrating omics technologies, artificial intelligence, and nanomedicine for next-generation diagnostic tools and personalized therapeutic strategies. Particular attention is expected toward host-directed therapies, pan-viral antivirals, and vaccine platforms capable of addressing viral variability. Importantly, since zoonotic viruses frequently cross the human–animal–environment interface, this Special Issue particularly welcomes studies incorporating a One Health perspective. Contributions exploring viral ecology, molecular epidemiology, and interdisciplinary approaches that bridge human and veterinary medicine are strongly encouraged, as they are essential for understanding and controlling zoonotic viral threats.
This Special Issue of IJMS aims to bring together cutting-edge original research and comprehensive reviews that advance our understanding of viral infection biology, host–virus interactions, and the molecular basis of viral pathogenesis.
Dr. Gergana Zahmanova
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
- viral infection
- viral pathogenesis
- diagnostics
- antiviral therapy
- host–virus interactions
- emerging viruses
- zoonotic viruses
- one health
- vaccine development
- CRISPR antivirals
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