Coronavirus Therapy: Antiviral Drugs and Anti-Inflammatory Immunopharmacology
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Coronaviruses".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 2012
Special Issue Editors
Interests: research on anti-infective agents and development of pharmacological evaluation frameworks; development of viral protease inhibitors, PROTACs, and molecular glues; discovery of small-molecule kinase inhibitors; functions and regulation of inflammatory pathways in infectious diseases; therapeutic strategies for infection-induced cytokine storm and hyperinflammation
Interests: drug development against pan-coronavirus infections; new strategies to combat bacterial antimicrobial resistance; drug design and optimization informed by computational chemistry and structural biology; mechanistic studies of targeted degradation pathways for druggable targets
Interests: development of therapeutic strategies grounded in medicinal chemistry; design and development of antivirals and agents targeting multidrug-resistant bacteria; development of synthetic methodologies and elucidation of reaction/formation mechanisms
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Even as the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, coronaviruses remain a global health challenge with evolving variants and sporadic outbreaks. Direct-acting antivirals have delivered substantial benefits, and controlling the excessive inflammation of severe illness is equally vital. These antiviral and immunomodulatory strategies have saved many lives, yet important questions persist regarding breadth of activity, resistance, access, and durability. The emergence of new variants and limitations of current options underscore the need for next-generation antivirals and immunopharmacological tools that are effective against current and future coronaviruses.
To advance this field, Viruses invites multidisciplinary contributions. We welcome papers on novel antiviral agents and targets, including discovery, and development of small molecules, peptides, and biologics against coronaviruses. We encourage studies of viral and host targets and broad-spectrum strategies. We are interested in innovative platforms that include mRNA- or siRNA-based antivirals, gene therapies, and nanoparticle delivery systems that enhance targeted delivery and the efficacy of antiviral or immunomodulatory treatments. We also welcome AI-driven discovery and repurposing that identify new therapeutics, optimize design, and repurpose existing drugs.
This Special Issue highlights new technologies and multidisciplinary perspectives that will shape the future of coronavirus therapy. We encourage experimental and clinical studies and SotA literature reviews that synthesize recent advances. By assembling diverse insights on antiviral drugs and anti-inflammatory immunopharmacology, we aim to foster dialogue that accelerates development of effective treatments for current and emerging threats. We warmly invite researchers from all relevant fields to contribute their work to this Special Issue of Viruses.
Dr. Chengyuan Liang
Dr. Lei Tian
Dr. Mengzhou Wang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- coronavirus therapeutics
- antiviral target
- host-directed antivirals
- immunomodulation
- diagnostics
- prevention
- antiviral resistance
- AI-driven drug discovery
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