Studies in Immune Evasion and Membrane Fusion of Virus
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Membranes".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 28
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cell membranes are not just passive barriers—they are highly dynamic structures that organize the cell's inner workings, coordinate communication, and help cells respond to their environment. Viruses have evolved to take advantage of this flexibility, using host membranes as gateways for entry and shields to escape immune detection. HIV, SARS-CoV-2, and influenza, for example, rely on viral glycoproteins like the HIV envelope, the SARS-CoV-2 spike, and influenza hemagglutinin (HA) to fuse with host membranes and evade immune responses. These events depend on precise membrane interactions, proteolytic processing, and conformational shifts in the glycoproteins. Yet, factors like glycan shielding, frequent viral mutations, and the influence of host proteins add complexity that hinders the development of broadly effective treatments and vaccines.
This Special Issue welcomes original research and reviews that explore the intersection of viral membrane fusion and immune evasion. We are particularly interested in work that sheds light on fusion mechanisms, structure-guided inhibitor design using cryo-EM or AI-driven modeling, and the molecular basis of immune escape (such as glycan masking or glycoprotein mutations). We also invite studies on host factors that influence viral fusion or immune evasion, like IFITM proteins, proteases, or cytokines, as well as vaccine strategies targeting conserved fusion peptides or broadly acting glycan shield disruptors. Approaches such as deep mutational scanning to anticipate antibody escape are also encouraged.
We invite contributions that offer new insights into viral entry, structural models, or translational strategies that connect in vitro findings with the complexity of living systems. By bringing together membrane biology, virology, immunology, and structural science, this issue aims to highlight how viruses manipulate membranes and how we can turn that knowledge into broadly protective antivirals and vaccines.
Dr. Panke Qu
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. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 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.
Keywords
- immune evasion
- membrane fusion
- emerging viruses
- glycoproteins
- host factors
- fusion-peptide
- glycan
- structure
- vaccines
- antivirals
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.
