Infectious diseases pose a major threat to human health and global public health security, and pharmacological therapy following pathogen identification is the main treatment strategy. However, pharmacotherapy faces three stumbling blocks: 1) difficulty in covering the entire process of the complex infection, 2) imprecise effect on sequelae of emerging new pathogens, and 3) drug resistance.
With the goal of higher therapeutic efficiency and fewer side effects, alternative non-pharmaceutical treatments have been valued and developed rapidly. Over the past decade, studies have continuously found that stem cells have excellent resistance to pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. Stem cell-based alternative treatments can utilize the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities to obtain sufficient therapeutic functions, while effectively reducing damage to normal cells, protecting and enhancing the normal functions of body tissues and organs. Meanwhile, nanotechnology derived from stem cell research has also received much attention in the field of infectious disease treatment. Nanoparticles have excellent biocompatibility, longer blood circulation time, and stronger targeting ability, which greatly improves drug delivery selectivity and avoids dose-depended side effects. Recently, studies on stem cell therapy for mycobacterium infection and COVID-19 sequelae, together with broad-spectrum applications of nanomaterials in antibacterial and antiviral fields, have demonstrated the potential of these alternative therapies in terms of efficacy and safety.
This Research Topic focuses on exploring the potential new patterns and strategies of stem cell-based alternative non-pharmacological therapy for pathogen infection and complications/sequelae treatment, and also pays attention to nanotechnology based on stem cell therapy or related mechanisms. We seek to integrate a series of signaling pathway/immune research and application reports to reveal the specific therapeutic mechanism of alternative non-pharmacological treatments based on stem cells and advance their applications in this field.
We welcome various article types, including Original Research, Reviews, Date reports, Opinion, and Perspective. The subtopics are as follows, but are not limited to:
• Development and evaluation of a novel stem cell therapy or nanomedicine based on stem cell derivatives for pathogen infections and sequelae;
• The specific mechanisms of stem cells or derivative nanomedicines resistance of a specific pathogen and alleviation of sequelae in vivo and in vitro, including specific immune and molecular pathways;
• Efficacy durability analysis of stem cell-based alternative non-pharmacological therapy for pathogenic infections, complications and sequelae;
• Broad-spectrum properties against co-infection of multiple pathogens or infection of some specific organs and tissues;
• Clinical research on the stem cell-based alternative non-pharmacological treatment of a specific pathogen infection or its sequelae;
Infectious diseases pose a major threat to human health and global public health security, and pharmacological therapy following pathogen identification is the main treatment strategy. However, pharmacotherapy faces three stumbling blocks: 1) difficulty in covering the entire process of the complex infection, 2) imprecise effect on sequelae of emerging new pathogens, and 3) drug resistance.
With the goal of higher therapeutic efficiency and fewer side effects, alternative non-pharmaceutical treatments have been valued and developed rapidly. Over the past decade, studies have continuously found that stem cells have excellent resistance to pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. Stem cell-based alternative treatments can utilize the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities to obtain sufficient therapeutic functions, while effectively reducing damage to normal cells, protecting and enhancing the normal functions of body tissues and organs. Meanwhile, nanotechnology derived from stem cell research has also received much attention in the field of infectious disease treatment. Nanoparticles have excellent biocompatibility, longer blood circulation time, and stronger targeting ability, which greatly improves drug delivery selectivity and avoids dose-depended side effects. Recently, studies on stem cell therapy for mycobacterium infection and COVID-19 sequelae, together with broad-spectrum applications of nanomaterials in antibacterial and antiviral fields, have demonstrated the potential of these alternative therapies in terms of efficacy and safety.
This Research Topic focuses on exploring the potential new patterns and strategies of stem cell-based alternative non-pharmacological therapy for pathogen infection and complications/sequelae treatment, and also pays attention to nanotechnology based on stem cell therapy or related mechanisms. We seek to integrate a series of signaling pathway/immune research and application reports to reveal the specific therapeutic mechanism of alternative non-pharmacological treatments based on stem cells and advance their applications in this field.
We welcome various article types, including Original Research, Reviews, Date reports, Opinion, and Perspective. The subtopics are as follows, but are not limited to:
• Development and evaluation of a novel stem cell therapy or nanomedicine based on stem cell derivatives for pathogen infections and sequelae;
• The specific mechanisms of stem cells or derivative nanomedicines resistance of a specific pathogen and alleviation of sequelae in vivo and in vitro, including specific immune and molecular pathways;
• Efficacy durability analysis of stem cell-based alternative non-pharmacological therapy for pathogenic infections, complications and sequelae;
• Broad-spectrum properties against co-infection of multiple pathogens or infection of some specific organs and tissues;
• Clinical research on the stem cell-based alternative non-pharmacological treatment of a specific pathogen infection or its sequelae;
