Host–Parasite Interactions and Vaccines
A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathogens-Host Immune Boundaries".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: the regulation of pathogen infection and immune recognition; development of molecular vaccines; gene adjuvants; anti-parasitic drugs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: the interaction mechanism between parasites and hosts; prevention and control strategies for parasitic diseases including parasite vaccines and drugs
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Parasitic diseases pose a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of people and animals around the world. The complex and dynamic relationships between hosts and parasites—including immune evasion, metabolic adaptation, and long-term coevolution—create substantial obstacles to disease control and eradication. Vaccination is one of the most effective strategies for preventing parasitic infections, yet developing safe, durable, and broadly protective vaccines is often difficult due to these intricate biological and immunological host–parasite interactions.
This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality research and review articles that enhance our understanding of the molecular, cellular, and immunological mechanisms underlying host–parasite relationships, and how this knowledge can guide vaccine design. We welcome studies on human, veterinary, and zoonotic parasites and encourage submissions that integrate multi-omics approaches to identify novel antigen targets, adjuvant strategies, and delivery systems to demonstrate vaccine protection.
Topics of interest include the following:
- Immune responses to parasitic infections and correlates of protection;
- Mechanisms of parasite immune evasion and their implications for vaccines;
- Discovery of novel antigens and evaluation of vaccine candidates;
- Development of adjuvants and delivery platforms for parasitic vaccines;
- Trials of vaccines against protozoan, helminth, and ectoparasitic infections;
- Vaccinology in anti-parasitic vaccine development.
We look forward to your valuable contributions.
Prof. Dr. Huaiyu Zhou
Prof. Dr. Hua Cong
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Vaccines 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 2700 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
- host–parasite interactions
- vaccines
- parasite vaccines
- prevention strategy
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.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
