Host Responses to Virus Infection
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: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 1400
Special Issue Editors
Interests: interferon signaling; viral infection; T cell receptor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Virus infections, especially those caused by unknown pathogens, pose a significant threat to our society. Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, we aim to understand how to cope with emerging infectious diseases. This discussion focuses on the responses of host cells to viral infections, particularly the role of cytokines. While cytokines can have beneficial effects in preventing viral spread and expelling the virus, inappropriate responses can lead to devastating consequences for the host. Type I interferons (IFNs), such as IFN-alpha and IFN-beta, type II IFN (IFN-gamma), and other cytokines play crucial roles in activating the intracellular molecules that inhibit viral replication within the cells. Additionally, these cytokines are secreted extracellularly to recruit immune cells. Proper immunological responses to viruses are regulated not only by primary immune cells, such as dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells, but also by the local cytokine environment created by infected cells and immune cells. We will discuss how to harness host reactions to viral infections for effective vaccination and possible preventive measures against fatal cytokine storms.
This Special Issue seeks manuscripts that enhance our understanding of host reactions to viral infections and contribute to the development of efficacious vaccination methods and potential preventive measures against fatal cytokine storms.
Dr. Hideki Hayashi
Dr. Yoshinao Kubo
Guest Editors
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
- host reactions
- interferon alpha and beta
- interferon gamma
- cytokines
- vaccine
- cytokine storm
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.
