Immunity in Persistent Viral Infection and AI Guided Antiviral Drug Design
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2027 | Viewed by 36
Special Issue Editor
Interests: persistent viral infection; viral immunology; virus–host interactions; innate immunity; host restriction factors; antiviral drug discovery; HIV–1; influenza virus; SARS–CoV–2; therapeutic development
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Persistent viral infections remain a major challenge in global health because they involve complex and dynamic interactions between viruses and the host immune system. Chronic infection, immune evasion, viral latency, sustained inflammation, and incomplete viral clearance can all contribute to long-term disease progression and limit the effectiveness of current therapeutic strategies. At the same time, rapid advances in virology, immunology, and antiviral development are opening new opportunities to better understand and intervene in these processes.
This Special Issue aims to highlight recent progress in the study of immunity during persistent viral infection, with particular emphasis on innate and adaptive immune responses, virus–host interactions, immune modulation, viral persistence mechanisms, and translational strategies for antiviral intervention. In addition, we are particularly interested in the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in guiding antiviral drug design. AI-driven approaches—including machine learning, deep learning, and structure-based modeling—offer powerful tools for predicting viral epitopes, optimizing lead compounds, accelerating drug repurposing, and designing novel antiviral agents that target both viral and host factors.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications covering molecular mechanisms, host restriction factors, immune signaling pathways, biomarkers of chronic infection, and novel antiviral or immune-based therapeutic approaches. Submissions that integrate AI-guided methodologies with immunological insights to combat persistent viral infections are especially encouraged.
Through this collection, we hope to provide an interdisciplinary platform for virologists, immunologists, and translational researchers to share new findings and perspectives that will advance both fundamental understanding and clinical innovation in the field.
We look forward to your valuable contributions.
Dr. Zhenlong Liu
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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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. Viruses 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 2600 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
- persistent viral infection
- viral immunology
- virus–host interaction
- innate immunity
- adaptive immunity
- immune evasion
- viral persistence
- host restriction factors
- chronic infection
- antiviral therapy
- HIV–1
- influenza virus
- SARS–CoV–2
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