Antiviral Prevention and Therapy in the Era of Emerging and Endemic Viral Threats

The global burden of viral infections extends beyond episodic pandemics, encompassing a spectrum of acute and chronic diseases—ranging from emerging respiratory pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and influenza viruses, to long-standing endemic and chronic infections like hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The convergence of viral evolution, vaccine hesitancy, antiviral resistance, and global mobility necessitates a comprehensive and integrated approach to both prevention and treatment.

This Research Topic aims to explore the full continuum of antiviral strategies—pharmacological and immunological—across viral threats that are either emerging, re-emerging, or persistently endemic.

We welcome contributions that advance knowledge and innovation in the following thematic areas:

Preventive Antiviral Strategies
• Development and evaluation of vaccines and long-acting prophylactic agents (e.g., monoclonal antibodies) across acute and chronic viral infections.
• Insights into vaccine effectiveness and durability from both clinical trials and real-world deployment, including in immunocompromised and high-risk populations.
• Public health and epidemiological considerations shaping vaccination campaigns and antiviral prophylaxis policies.

Therapeutic Antiviral Approaches
• Discovery and optimization of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and host-targeted therapies for diverse viral pathogens.
• Real-world application of existing drugs, including data on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, effectiveness, safety, and resistance.
• Outcomes from ongoing and completed clinical trials, including challenges in trial design during outbreaks and in resource-limited settings.

Real-World and Epidemiological Perspectives
• Integration of real-life treatment data into clinical guidelines and pandemic preparedness plans.
• Regional and global epidemiological trends that guide prioritization of antiviral development and deployment.
• Modeling antiviral impact on transmission dynamics, resistance emergence, and healthcare burden.

Translational Science and Implementation
• Biomarker development, host-pathogen interaction mapping, and computational modeling for accelerated therapeutic discovery.
• Strategies to bridge bench-to-bedside gaps, including regulatory and ethical pathways for emergency use authorizations and global access.
• Implementation science approaches to improve uptake, equity, and sustainability of antiviral interventions.

Prof Robert Flisiak declares advisory board (Moderna, Nova Nordisk, AbbVie, Gilead and Pfizer) and research grants, honoraria lectures (AbbVie, Gilead and Pfizer), and Prof Piotr Rzymski declares advisory board (Moderna and Pfizer) and research grants, honoraria lectures (Pfizer). All other Topic Editors declare no Conflicts of Interest.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• ... View all formats

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:

• Brief Research Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Antiviral Drug Development, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Host-Directed Therapies, antiviral therapy, antiviral prevention, emerging viruses, antiviral resistance, vaccine strategies, viral epidemiology

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.