Oncogenic Infections and Cancer: Clinical Insights and Emerging Therapeutics

Dear Colleagues,

Oncogenic infections play a significant role in cancer development, influencing tumor progression, immune responses, and treatment outcomes. While human papillomavirus (HPV) is a well-established driver of cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers, other oncogenic infections—including Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV), Hepatitis B and C Viruses (HBV, HCV), Human T-lymphotropic Virus (HTLV-1), Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV), and Helicobacter pylori—are major contributors to global cancer incidence. Understanding the complex interactions between these infectious agents and cancer progression is critical for improving early detection, prevention, and treatment strategies.

This Special Issue, entitled "Oncogenic Infections and Cancer: Clinical Insights and Emerging Therapeutics", aims to provide a comprehensive platform to explore the clinical landscape of infection-driven cancers, focusing on molecular mechanisms, diagnostic biomarkers, and emerging therapeutic strategies. We invite contributions covering a wide array of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

• HPV-Associated Cancers: Investigations into HPV integration, immunotherapy resistance, and natural or synthetic therapeutic agents targeting HPV-driven tumors;
• EBV and KSHV in Cancer Development: Insights into their role in lymphomas, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, and novel antiviral or immunotherapeutic approaches;
• Hepatitis Viruses and Liver Cancer: Advances in targeting viral persistence in hepatocellular carcinoma, addressing HBV reactivation and developing immunotherapy-based treatments;
• Bacterial Oncogenesis and Gastric Cancer: Exploring Helicobacter pylori’s impact on gastric tumorigenesis, antibiotic resistance, and the role of gut microbiota in treatment response;
• Translational Advances in Virus-Associated Cancers: The role of viral oncogenes in tumor microenvironment modulation, CRISPR-based strategies, and targeted drug discovery;
• Immunotherapy and Vaccine Developments: Innovations in prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and strategies to overcome resistance in virally induced malignancies.

We welcome contributions from researchers, clinicians, and experts in the field to foster a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying oncogenic infections and their impact on cancer. This Special Issue will serve as a valuable resource for advancing novel therapeutic approaches and improving clinical outcomes for infection-driven cancers. Muharrem Okan Cakir will provide valuable support to the co-Editor and Editors by participating in manuscript reviews, facilitating effective communication with reviewers, ensuring the maintenance of quality standards, and collating reviewer comments. Additionally, he will be involved in communicating the final decision to the corresponding authors. Together, we aim to contribute to advancements in the understanding and management of infection-driven malignancies.

Dr. G. Hossein Ashrafi
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ozdogan
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 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. 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.

• oncogenesis
• viral oncology
• bacterial oncogenesis
• human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)
• Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)
• hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• hepatitis C virus (HCV)
• human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1)
• Helicobacter pylori
• infection-driven cancers
• molecular mechanisms
• tumor microenvironment
• immunotherapy
• viral persistence
• antiviral therapies
• CRISPR-based treatments
• cancer prevention
• vaccine development
• immune checkpoint inhibitors
• diagnostic biomarkers
• personalized medicine
• translational oncology
• therapeutic resistance
• emerging therapeutics

• Papillomavirus-Induced Oncogenesis: Current Insights and Future Directions in Viruses (12 articles)