Interferon-Stimulated Genes in Antiviral Immunity

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 31

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
Interests: HIV; host restriction; CRISPR/Cas9; BST-2; IFITM; MxB
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to launch this Special Issue on interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that protect hosts against viral infections through a rich variety of molecular mechanisms. In recent decades, significant progress has been made in elucidating the antiviral functions of individual ISGs and in deciphering the molecular details of their actions, ranging from early studies of OAS/RNase L and Mx proteins to systematic screening for ISGs that inhibit different classes of viruses. Despite these efforts, the functions of many ISGs remain unexplored, and there is limited research on how they act in concert to protect cells against viral infections and mitigate viral diseases in vivo. It is expected that much more work will be conducted on these fast-evolving fronts. 

This Special Issue invites the submission of manuscripts describing the antiviral functions of ISGs as well as viral counter-attack mechanisms. We particularly welcome studies on ISGs that encode non-coding RNA and on their roles during viral infections, as well as those on ISGs from species such as bats, birds, pigs, and other natural reservoirs of viruses that are sporadically transmitted to humans and cause pandemics. We encourage the submission of studies on how ISGs modulate cellular environments such as the metabolic state to deter viral replication. We also welcome studies aimed at revealing the operation of the ISG network with the application of systems biology and deep learning tools.

Prof. Dr. Chen Liang
Guest Editor

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.

Keywords

  • interferon-stimulated genes
  • ISGs
  • non-coding RNA
  • viral replication
  • deep learning tools

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop