Pharmacological Advances and Therapeutic Strategies Against Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases

Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, spanning viral (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, dengue, Lassa fever), bacterial (e.g., drug-resistant tuberculosis, MRSA), and parasitic (e.g., malaria, leishmaniasis) infections, continue to challenge global health systems, especially in the context of drug resistance, climate change, urbanization, and zoonotic spillover events.

Despite significant advancements in vaccine development and antimicrobial discovery, therapeutic options remain limited for many pathogens. At the same time, global interconnectivity and environmental shifts are accelerating the spread and evolution of these infectious agents.

This Research Topic aims to explore pharmacological innovations in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases. We invite original research, reviews, and perspectives that shed light on novel drug targets, host-pathogen interactions, repurposed therapeutics, pharmacokinetics and dynamics, and preclinical or clinical data that advance the field.

Key Themes (but not limited to):

• Antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antifungal drug development
• Host-directed therapies and immunomodulators
• Mechanisms of drug resistance and pharmacological counterstrategies
• Natural products and phytochemicals with anti-infective potential
• Vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems
• In vitro and in vivo models for infectious disease pharmacology
• Computational modelling and in silico screening of therapeutic compounds
• Pharmacovigilance and safety assessment in infectious disease therapeutics
• Cross-cutting issues like one-health approaches and neglected tropical diseases

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... 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
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• 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: Infectious Diseases, Drug Resistance, Pharmacological Innovation, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Antimicrobial Development, Therapeutics, Vaccine Development, One Health, Zoonotic Spillover, Natural Products

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.