Editorial: Viral Impact on the CNS -Mechanisms of Immune Dysfunction and Cognitive Decline

Thomas A Angelovich^1,2,3Sonia Mediouni⁴Robyn Klein⁵Jacob D Estes⁶Bruce James Brew^7,8Melissa Jayne Churchill^1,9*

• ¹RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
• ²The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
• ³Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
• ⁴The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, Jupiter, United States
• ⁵Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
• ⁶Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, United States
• ⁷St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst, Australia
• ⁸University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
• ⁹Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Recently, the contribution of viruses to neuropathology and cognitive decline has garnered significant 26 interest with viral infection at least in part, with pathogenesis of dementia, multiple 27 sclerosis and virus-specific cognitive impairment (1)(2)(3)(4). Neuropathology can occur during acute, 28 chronic and latent infection and, in some cases, even in the presence of antiviral therapy. However, the 29 precise mechanisms by which specific viruses induce neuropathology and cognitive dysfunction 30 remain unclear. This underscores the need to elucidate the underlying processes in order to develop 31 effective therapeutic strategies. In this Research Topic, we have collated a series of manuscripts that 32 assess the contribution of various viruses including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), SARS-33CoV-2, and others, to neuroinflammation, neuropathology and cognitive disorders. 34As mentioned above, the role of viruses in neuroinflammation and neuropathology has gained 36 significant attention in recent years.