Recent advances in the field of immunology suggest that innate immune cells (e.g. dendritic cells, NK cells, phagocytes) are capable of displaying a form of memory against pathogens they have encountered previously, defined as innate immune memory. Unlike the long-lasting adaptive immune memory, this innate form of memory remains limited in time and could be considered as a “short time memory”. With adaptive immune memory, T and B cells recognize pathogens via their immune cell receptors, T and B cell receptors (TCR and BCR), undergo clonal expansion following recognition and stimulation, and a fraction of these cells will remain for a long period of time (sometimes for several years) in key tissues of the immune system (bone marrow, lymph nodes). Following a second encounter, the clones of T and B cells specific to the pathogen can be rapidly recruited since they harbor the right receptors. The molecular mechanisms enabling such memory in innate immune cells, especially their ability for specific pathogen recognition and subsequent re-activation during repeat encounters, remain unclear and less studied compared to adaptive immune responses.
This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of the molecular and genomic underpinnings that govern and enable the establishment and functionality of innate immune memory. We are particularly interested in identifying and characterizing the molecular actors that are pivotal in shaping this form of immune memory and comparing them to those well-established in adaptive immunity. The goal is to uncover potential distinctive molecular pathways and signatures that confer memory characteristics to innate immune cells, facilitating a more sophisticated and targeted immune response upon subsequent pathogen challenges.
To gather further insights into these molecular and genomic dimensions of innate immune memory, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Species genomic analysis identification of molecules involved in innate immune response and immune training/priming
• Species proteome analysis and identification of molecules of the innate immune response and immune training/priming
• RNAseq/DNAseq/CHIPseq analysis or re-analysis shedding light on potential molecules involved in innate immune memory
• Comparison of molecules involved in innate vs adaptive immune responses and memory.
This Research Topic accepts Original Research and reviews that can take the form of Systematic Review, Methods, Review and Mini-Review, Hypothesis & Theory, Classification, Technology and Code, Study Protocol, Perspective, Conceptual Analysis, Brief Research Report, Data Report, General Commentary. Original research needs to report significant new discoveries, and reviews should have significant insights and new synthesis.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Case Report
Classification
Clinical Trial
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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.
