About this Research Topic
Influenza outbreaks frequently happen over the past century, including four pandemics with the 1918 Spanish flu being the worst. The past two decades have also witnessed several deadly influenza outbreaks, such as high pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infections in humans in 1997, the wide spread of H1N1 from the American continent since the 2009 pandemic and the novel H7N9 avian virus in 2013, causing more than 1500 infections, with a fatality rate as high as 40%. Although with annual vaccination in practice, seasonal influenza still remains a threat to our health.
Innate immune system is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Influenza infection triggers various cellular antiviral responses such as the production of type-I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines and execution of cell death. Each of these responses is initiated by designated sensors and executed by downstream machinery. Genetical or pharmacological manipulations of these pathways impact the anti-viral response and inform better therapeutical interventions for influenza infections.
Although an array of cellular antiviral responses can be engaged in the presence of influenza virus, which is essential to control the replication and dissemination, leading to successful viral elimination. The virus has also evolved with types of machinery to antagonize many of these. Furthermore, a number of studies have proposed that influenza virus could hijack host factors to promote its replication and inhibit the host innate immune response to evade immune surveillance and eradication. The interplay between host innate immune system and influenza virus is an emerging area of research with great significance and interest.
This Research Topic explores host innate immune response to influenza virus infection in animals and humans, with a focus on identifying the host factors involved in regulating the innate immune response against viruses, which will provide potential therapeutic strategies by manipulating the cellular antivirus response.
We seek Original Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Brief Research Reports and Perspectives that discuss the latest developments in host innate immune response to infection with influenza virus in animals and humans. More specifically, topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Identification of host proteins that regulate influenza virus replication and cell-influenza virus interaction.
2. Molecular and cellular innate immune response to influenza virus
3. Advances in flu vaccines and anti-influenza agents
Innate immune system is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Influenza infection triggers various cellular antiviral responses such as the production of type-I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines and execution of cell death. Each of these responses is initiated by designated sensors and executed by downstream machinery. Genetical or pharmacological manipulations of these pathways impact the anti-viral response and inform better therapeutical interventions for influenza infections.
Although an array of cellular antiviral responses can be engaged in the presence of influenza virus, which is essential to control the replication and dissemination, leading to successful viral elimination. The virus has also evolved with types of machinery to antagonize many of these. Furthermore, a number of studies have proposed that influenza virus could hijack host factors to promote its replication and inhibit the host innate immune response to evade immune surveillance and eradication. The interplay between host innate immune system and influenza virus is an emerging area of research with great significance and interest.
This Research Topic explores host innate immune response to influenza virus infection in animals and humans, with a focus on identifying the host factors involved in regulating the innate immune response against viruses, which will provide potential therapeutic strategies by manipulating the cellular antivirus response.
We seek Original Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Brief Research Reports and Perspectives that discuss the latest developments in host innate immune response to infection with influenza virus in animals and humans. More specifically, topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Identification of host proteins that regulate influenza virus replication and cell-influenza virus interaction.
2. Molecular and cellular innate immune response to influenza virus
3. Advances in flu vaccines and anti-influenza agents
Keywords: influenza virus, innate immunity, anti-viral response, host-pathogen interaction
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
