Viral diseases pose a severe threat to public health globally with many pathogenic viruses circulating, and many more might be yet to emerge. Viral infections have become an inevitable event in our daily lives however people may not know much about their causal pathogens. The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) raises another alarm that our fight against viral pathogens is far from ending, and our understanding of the complex interactions between the viral invaders and the human host remains limited.
Insightful genomic and genetics studies on human viral diseases are required to better understand the co-evolution of the virus and host during viral infection(s). Such studies may focus on human genetics to explore the genetic determinants of host immune responses against viral infection or viral evaluation and genetic diversity that contribute to viral fitness, virulence, or immune evasion. Of course, many studies may encompass both host and virus perspectives. All such studies shed light on the improved understanding of the human-virus interplay and the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies against the relevant viral diseases. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies and the recent advances in bioinformatics significantly boosted genetic and genomic studies in recent years.
With this research topic, we welcome the submissions of original research, systematic reviews, reviews, mini-reviews, methods, brief research reports, general commentary, and perspectives with primary focuses on genetics and genomics involving human viral diseases. Some areas of particular interest include but are not limited to:
o Evolutionary genetics in addressing viral evolution
o Genome analysis and comparative genomics of human viruses
o Genetic associates or determinants for human susceptibility to various viral infection
o Influence of host genetics on vaccination response.
o Viral genetics related to infectivity, tropism, immune evasion, and antiviral resistance
o New methodologies to resolve the viral genetic diversity and explore the role of such diversity in viral pathogenesis
Viral diseases pose a severe threat to public health globally with many pathogenic viruses circulating, and many more might be yet to emerge. Viral infections have become an inevitable event in our daily lives however people may not know much about their causal pathogens. The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) raises another alarm that our fight against viral pathogens is far from ending, and our understanding of the complex interactions between the viral invaders and the human host remains limited.
Insightful genomic and genetics studies on human viral diseases are required to better understand the co-evolution of the virus and host during viral infection(s). Such studies may focus on human genetics to explore the genetic determinants of host immune responses against viral infection or viral evaluation and genetic diversity that contribute to viral fitness, virulence, or immune evasion. Of course, many studies may encompass both host and virus perspectives. All such studies shed light on the improved understanding of the human-virus interplay and the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies against the relevant viral diseases. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies and the recent advances in bioinformatics significantly boosted genetic and genomic studies in recent years.
With this research topic, we welcome the submissions of original research, systematic reviews, reviews, mini-reviews, methods, brief research reports, general commentary, and perspectives with primary focuses on genetics and genomics involving human viral diseases. Some areas of particular interest include but are not limited to:
o Evolutionary genetics in addressing viral evolution
o Genome analysis and comparative genomics of human viruses
o Genetic associates or determinants for human susceptibility to various viral infection
o Influence of host genetics on vaccination response.
o Viral genetics related to infectivity, tropism, immune evasion, and antiviral resistance
o New methodologies to resolve the viral genetic diversity and explore the role of such diversity in viral pathogenesis