Role of HSV-1 and Host Immune Response on Neurodegenerative Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Most neurodegenerative diseases are multifactorial pathologies in which the combination of different factors plays a pivotal role. Chronic bacterial and viral infections are considered as risk factors for neurodegenerative conditions, although it is still controversial as to how they contribute to the development and progression of these devastating diseases. The possibility that HSV-1 could be involved in the pathogenesis of AD was originally hypothesized 40 years ago, and, in the last ten years, many studies have explored this possibility, focusing also on the role of HSV-1-specific host immune responses in this scenario. Notably, other data have suggested a relationship between HSV-1 infection and other neurological pathologies, including Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. If a role for HSV-1 in these diseases is confirmed, antiviral drugs and vaccines could become extremely promising novel therapeutic strategies against chronic neurodegenerative conditions.

However, the observations that (1) a large number of individuals are HSV-1 infected without developing dementia or neurological diseases and that (2) HSV-1 DNA can be found in the brains of AD patients as well as in the brains of individuals who died because of traumatic events without any apparent form of neurological disorder raise doubts on the possible role of HSV-1 infection in the pathogenesis of these conditions.

For this Special Issue, we invite contributions (original reports or reviews) that explore these areas of research, especially focusing on:

- Viral and host factors contributing to the outcome of HSV-1 infection and their association with neurodegenerative diseases;

- Molecular mechanisms involved in HSV-1 reactivation and their possible role in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases;

- Epidemiologic study on the association between HSV-1 infection and neurodegenerative diseases;

- Possible development of vaccines against HSV-1.

Dr. Simone Agostini
Dr. Roberta Mancuso
Guest Editors

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