Novel Drugs and Therapeutic Strategies for Herpesviruses
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2027
Editor
Interests: cytomegalovirus; herpesviruses; infection; molecular virology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Herpesviruses remain a major clinical challenge, causing significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts, transplant recipients, and neonates. Congenital cytomegalovirus infection alone is a leading cause of nonhereditary hearing loss, while herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and Epstein–Barr virus contribute substantially to the disease burden worldwide. Animal herpesviruses are also gaining attention, as porcine cytomegalovirus has been associated with graft failure in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Current antivirals are limited by toxicity, a narrow spectrum of activity, and the emergence of drug resistance, underscoring the need for new therapeutic approaches.
This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research on novel drugs and therapeutic strategies targeting human and animal herpesviruses. We welcome submissions addressing small-molecule antivirals, novel virus–host-directed targets, mechanisms of drug resistance, immunotherapies and vaccines, and drug repurposing. Studies spanning target identification, medicinal chemistry, preclinical models, and translational development are encouraged. This Special Issue will serve as a resource for virologists, medicinal chemists, and clinicians advancing the next generation of anti-herpesvirus therapies.
Prof. Dr. Ravit Arav-Boger
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 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-anonymized 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
- herpesviruses
- antiviral drug discovery
- small-molecule antivirals
- host-directed therapy
- drug resistance mechanisms
- immunotherapies and vaccines
- drug repurposing
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