How Infectious Agents Evade the Immune Response

Immune evasion is a significant focus in the field of infectious diseases, as it sheds light on how pathogens circumvent the host's immune defenses. Infectious agents have honed a plethora of strategies to elude immune detection, leading to persistent infections and other pathological conditions. These strategies include antigenic variation, downregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC), immunosuppression, molecular masking, and molecular mimicry. Each of these mechanisms plays a critical role in weakening the immune response, allowing pathogens to survive and proliferate within their hosts. Despite advances in understanding these tactics, much remains unexplored about their full implications on immune functionality and disease propagation.



This Research Topic aims to delve into the dual aspects of immune evasion by infectious agents and their broader implications for host health. Specifically, it explores how such evasion tactics contribute to significant disruptions in immune functions, potentially leading to severe pathological outcomes, including tumorigenesis and chronic infection. By elucidating these mechanisms, the research seeks to improve our understanding of infection persistence and disease progression, which may inform the development of more targeted and effective therapeutic interventions.



To gather further insights into this critical area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- The role of antigenic variation in immune evasion

- Impact of MHC manipulation by infectious agents on antigen presentation

- Biological pathways affected by pathogen-induced immunosuppression

- Investigation of molecular masking and its effects on immune detection

- Analysis of molecular mimicry and its implications for pathogen survival and host response

- Studies on how immune evasion influences disease progression and treatment outcomes.



We invite submissions that address these themes and further our understanding of these complex interactions.