3D Models in Viral Pathogenesis

Dear Colleagues,

For many years, animal models have been instrumental in investigating host-pathogen interactions. Although the importance of animal models remains fundamental, they cannot fully replicate viral pathogenesis in humans due to differences in the cellular micro-environments, physiological processes, and differences in genetic make-up between species. All of these factors significantly impact disease progression and clinical outcomes, and complicate accurate predictions of viral infections in humans.

The modeling of interactions between human viruses and their host has been hindered by a lack of appropriate culture systems, which in many cases, have been limited to two-dimensional (2D) in vitro systems using cells with properties that often differ dramatically from their in vivo analogs. In the last several years, these limitations have been at least partially overcome with the advent of 3D culture models. These models provide more physiologically relevant and anatomically accurate systems that more faithfully mimic in vivo tissue architecture, cellular interactions and functions, thus improving the accuracy of disease modeling.

The aim of this Special Issue is to focus on research using organoid/multi-cell type co-culture models to study virus-host interactions in 3D. We highlight advances in these culture systems that have advanced our mechanistic understanding of host-environment interactions and uncover important molecular insights not accessible in 2D cultures.

Prof. Dr. David C. Bloom
Dr. Leonardo D'Aiuto
Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Fortunato
Guest Editors

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