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Viruses
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Roles of Macrophages in Viral Infections, 2nd Edition
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Roles of Macrophages in Viral Infections, 2nd Edition

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 August 2025 | Viewed by 444

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Stefano Aquaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: virus evolution; macrophages; HIV pathogenesis; antivirals; HIV chemotherapy; microbicides; viral resistance; neuroAIDS; mechanisms of virus entry; chemokines and chemokine receptors; role of astrocytes and neurons in HIV infection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue "Roles of Macrophages in Viral Infections 2nd Edition", which was launched last year (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses/special_issues/Macrophages), collected several interesting manuscripts regarding this topic. It is a great pleasure for me to continue a second volume of this Special Issue.

As one of the major components of the immune system, macrophages can activate both innate and adaptive immune responses, as they are professional antigen-presenting cells and serve as the first line of defense against invading pathogens, including viruses. The importance of macrophages in the control and pathogenesis of viral infections has been highlighted by their dual roles in viral infections, where, on the one hand, they participate in host antiviral immunity for the detection and control of virus infection, and, on the other hand, they can carry and spread the viruses or become a target for some of them, such as human immunodeficiency virus, human cytomegalovirus, and H5N1 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Evidently, the complicated roles of macrophages in the antiviral immunity and pathogenesis of viral infections require more studies to understand how macrophages interfere with viral infection/replication and regulate the inflammatory cytokines, which are crucial for identifying novel cellular targets in order to develop antiviral therapy. In this Special Issue, we will focus on the roles played by the macrophages of different tissues and organs (microglia, Kupffer cells, and Langherans cells) in viral infections. We welcome original research papers, communications, as well as review articles that report research work on macrophages and viral infections.

Prof. Dr. Stefano Aquaro
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

  • macrophage
  • microglia
  • Kupffer cells
  • viral infection
  • antiviral immunity
  • inflammatory cytokines
  • langerhans cell
  • antiviral drugs
  • viral pathogenesis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 5674 KiB  
Article
Berberine Suppresses Influenza A Virus-Triggered Pyroptosis in Macrophages via Intervening in the mtROS-MAVS-NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway
by Mengfan Zhao, Di Deng, Hui Liu, Rui Guo, Jun Wu, Yu Hao and Mingrui Yang
Viruses 2025, 17(4), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17040539 - 7 Apr 2025
Viewed by 209
Abstract
Infection with influenza A virus (IAV) may trigger excessive inflammatory responses, leading to severe viral pneumonia and accelerating disease progression. Therefore, controlling these excessive inflammatory responses is crucial for the prevention and treatment of pneumonia caused by IAV. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid [...] Read more.
Infection with influenza A virus (IAV) may trigger excessive inflammatory responses, leading to severe viral pneumonia and accelerating disease progression. Therefore, controlling these excessive inflammatory responses is crucial for the prevention and treatment of pneumonia caused by IAV. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from traditional Chinese medicine, possesses extensive pharmacological activities. However, its immunoregulatory effects and molecular mechanisms in the context of IAV infection require further investigation. This study explored the impact of BBR on macrophage pyroptosis and inflammatory responses induced by IAV infection. Our findings revealed that BBR effectively inhibits the release of IL-1β and TNF-α induced by IAV infection and suppresses gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated pyroptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Further research indicates that BBR alleviates macrophage pyroptosis and inflammatory responses in IAV-infected cells by reducing the release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), inhibiting mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) expression and blocking the activation of the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Experiments using siRNA to knockdown MAVS further confirmed the pivotal role of MAVS in BBR’s inhibition of IAV-induced macrophage pyroptosis. This study provides a scientific basis for the application of BBR as an anti-inflammatory drug in the treatment of inflammatory diseases caused by IAV infection and directs future research endeavors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Roles of Macrophages in Viral Infections, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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11 pages, 298 KiB  
Review
Human Microglia Models for NeuroHIV
by Priyanka Sarkar, Xu Wang, Wenhui Hu, Jian Zhu and Wen-Zhe Ho
Viruses 2025, 17(5), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17050641 (registering DOI) - 29 Apr 2025
Abstract
Microglia are the primary target and reservoir of HIV infection in the central nervous system (CNS), which contributes to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). However, studying HIV infection of microglia has been challenged by the limited availability of primary human microglial cells. To overcome [...] Read more.
Microglia are the primary target and reservoir of HIV infection in the central nervous system (CNS), which contributes to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). However, studying HIV infection of microglia has been challenged by the limited availability of primary human microglial cells. To overcome this issue, investigators have developed various microglial models for HIV studies, including immortalized human microglial cell lines, HIV latently infected microglial clones, peripheral blood monocyte-derived microglia (MMG), induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia (iMg), and microglia-containing cerebral organoids (MCOs) from iPSCs. Though these models have been used in many laboratories, the published data about their expression of the specific human microglia markers and the HIV entry receptors are conflicting. In addition, there is limited information about their feasibility and applicability as a suitable model for acute and/or latent HIV infection. This review provides a concise summary of the currently used human microglial models, with a focus on their suitability for NeuroHIV research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Roles of Macrophages in Viral Infections, 2nd Edition)
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