Early ART Initiation: Impacts on Viral Dynamics and Clinical Outcomes
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 October 2026 | Viewed by 89
Special Issue Editors
Interests: HIV; antiretroviral therapy; virology; COVID-19; STIs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: HIV; AI; antiretroviral treatment; resistance; STIs; prevention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: HIV/AIDS; coinfections; HIV/HBV; immunocompromised patients
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Scope and Rationale:
The early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) represents one of the most transformative advances in HIV management. Initiating ART during acute or early infection profoundly influences viral dynamics, reservoir size, and immune recovery, while reducing inflammation and the risk of AIDS and non-AIDS events. Despite these benefits, delayed HIV diagnosis remains a major barrier to timely treatment initiation. Late presenters—those diagnosed when immunosuppression or comorbidities are already present—continue to represent a substantial proportion of new HIV cases worldwide. This diagnostic delay limits the potential for early viral containment, hampers immune restoration, and contributes to ongoing transmission.
This Special Issue will explore the multifaceted impact of early ART initiation—from molecular mechanisms to real-world clinical and public health outcomes—while also addressing the consequences of late diagnosis and delayed treatment. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives focusing on the following topics:
- Viral reservoir dynamics and immune activation under early versus delayed ART;
- Long-term virological and clinical outcomes based on the timing of ART initiation;
- Determinants and prevention in late HIV diagnosis;
- Immune restoration and inflammation control after early therapy;
- Implementation science and health-system strategies to expand early testing and ART access.
Article types: Original research, systematic or narrative reviews, brief reports, perspectives, and commentaries are welcome.
Dr. Alessandra Vergori
Dr. Andrea De Vito
Dr. Vincenzo Malagnino
Guest Editors
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-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
- early antiretroviral therapy
- HIV viral dynamics
- immune recovery
- viral reservoir
- clinical outcomes
- HIV transmission
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