Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a significant focus in virology and oncology, having been first identified in 1964 in Burkitt lymphoma. It is now known to be associated with various lymphomas, such as Hodgkin lymphoma and NK/T cell lymphoma, as well as carcinomas like nasopharyngeal carcinoma and certain gastric cancers. EBV primarily infects individuals during infancy in developing countries, while in more industrialized regions, infection may occur later in young adulthood. The virus persists in a latent state within the memory B cells of the peripheral blood, occasionally entering a lytic phase that results in the production of new virions. Despite infecting over 95% of the adult population globally, EBV is responsible for approximately 200,000 new cancer cases and over 142,000 deaths annually. Current research is focused on understanding how EBV evades the host immune system, a critical step in comprehending EBV-associated diseases. However, there remains a gap in fully elucidating the mechanisms of immune evasion, necessitating further investigation.This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding of the strategies employed by EBV to escape the immune response. The primary objectives include identifying and characterizing the mechanisms by which EBV minimizes the expression of viral proteins and employs various molecular strategies to evade detection and counteract antiviral immunity. By addressing these questions, the research seeks to uncover potential therapeutic targets and improve the management of EBV-associated diseases.To gather further insights into the complex interactions between EBV and the host immune system, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Mechanisms of EBV latency and reactivation- Molecular pathways involved in immune evasion by EBV- Host immune responses to EBV infection- Role of viral proteins in modulating host immunity- Therapeutic strategies targeting EBV immune evasion- Comparative studies of EBV-associated malignancies- Validation studies complementing bioinformatics analysesManuscripts consisting only of bioinformatics or computational analysis of publicly available databases need to be further accompanied by mechanistic and/or validation studies to be in the scope of the topic.Topic Editor Rita Khoueiry is identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, she is responsible for her views and contribution and she does not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a significant focus in virology and oncology, having been first identified in 1964 in Burkitt lymphoma. It is now known to be associated with various lymphomas, such as Hodgkin lymphoma and NK/T cell lymphoma, as well as carcinomas like nasopharyngeal carcinoma and certain gastric cancers. EBV primarily infects individuals during infancy in developing countries, while in more industrialized regions, infection may occur later in young adulthood. The virus persists in a latent state within the memory B cells of the peripheral blood, occasionally entering a lytic phase that results in the production of new virions. Despite infecting over 95% of the adult population globally, EBV is responsible for approximately 200,000 new cancer cases and over 142,000 deaths annually. Current research is focused on understanding how EBV evades the host immune system, a critical step in comprehending EBV-associated diseases. However, there remains a gap in fully elucidating the mechanisms of immune evasion, necessitating further investigation.This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding of the strategies employed by EBV to escape the immune response. The primary objectives include identifying and characterizing the mechanisms by which EBV minimizes the expression of viral proteins and employs various molecular strategies to evade detection and counteract antiviral immunity. By addressing these questions, the research seeks to uncover potential therapeutic targets and improve the management of EBV-associated diseases.To gather further insights into the complex interactions between EBV and the host immune system, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Mechanisms of EBV latency and reactivation- Molecular pathways involved in immune evasion by EBV- Host immune responses to EBV infection- Role of viral proteins in modulating host immunity- Therapeutic strategies targeting EBV immune evasion- Comparative studies of EBV-associated malignancies- Validation studies complementing bioinformatics analysesManuscripts consisting only of bioinformatics or computational analysis of publicly available databases need to be further accompanied by mechanistic and/or validation studies to be in the scope of the topic.Topic Editor Rita Khoueiry is identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, she is responsible for her views and contribution and she does not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.