Novel Antiviral Strategies: Direct-Acting and Host-Directed Antivirals
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027
Special Issue Editors
Interests: virus–host interactions; viral entry; host glycosylation; viral tropism; drug discovery
Interests: viral entry and antiviral entry; viral vaccines; filoviruses; retroviruses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The evolving global burden of infectious diseases highlights the need to move beyond predominantly reactive approaches toward more anticipatory antiviral strategies. This Special Issue, “Novel Antiviral Strategies: Direct-Acting and Host-Directed Antivirals,” aims to serve as a platform for recent advances in both small-molecule and biologic-based interventions. We welcome contributions that examine the molecular basis of Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs), including those targeting viral polymerases, proteases, and entry factors, as well as emerging Host-Directed Antivirals (HDAs) that intervene in host–pathogen interaction networks.
The scientific scope of this Special Issue encompasses the use of AI-assisted structural prediction to enable de novo drug discovery, the development of PROTAC-based approaches for targeted viral protein degradation, and studies of innate immune modulators that strengthen host cellular defenses. Submissions that engage with the One Health continuum are particularly encouraged, including work addressing both human therapeutic applications and veterinary biosecurity challenges (such as ASFV, FMDV, and avian viral pathogens). By bringing together structural virology and systems-level analyses, this Special Issue seeks to inform the development of next-generation broad-spectrum antivirals capable of limiting resistance emergence and reducing the risk posed by future zoonotic spillover.
Dr. Gael Martin
Dr. Shi-hua Xiang
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. 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
- direct-acting antivirals (DAA)
- host-directed antivirals (HDA)
- antiviral resistance evolution
- host–pathogen interactome
- broad-spectrum efficacy
- structure-based drug design
- targeted protein degradation
- one health therapeutics
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