Pathogen-Integrated Non-Coding Sequences: Regulatory Roles in Infection, Immune Response, and Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Pathogens can integrate their genetic material into the host genome, giving rise to non-coding sequences that regulate host immune responses and influence disease progression. These integrated non-coding sequences, originating from viruses, transposons, or other horizontally transferred elements, can modulate both pathogen and host gene expression, affecting immune evasion, chronic infection, and cancer development. This Special Issue explores the role of pathogen-integrated non-coding sequences in shaping immune responses, with a focus on how these elements influence immune cell profiles (e.g., lymphocyte subpopulations) and contribute to the diagnosis or differentiation of diseases such as tuberculosis and HPV-related cancers (e.g., cervical cancer). We welcome studies that investigate how these sequences impact host–pathogen interactions, immune system modulation, and their potential as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets in infectious diseases and pathogen-associated cancers.

Prof. Dr. Xiao-Ou Zhang
Guest Editor

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