The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally reshaped the paradigm of vaccinology, driving technological innovations across antigen design, delivery systems, adjuvants, and immune monitoring throughout the vaccine development process. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) have emerged as critical immune cells that determine the immunogenic efficacy not only of traditional vaccines but also of next-generation platforms such as mRNA vaccines, virus-like particles, and nanoparticle-based delivery systems. Furthermore, the phenomenon of "trained immunity" observed in innate immune cells has attracted considerable attention as a novel regulatory mechanism of vaccine-induced immunity, potentially contributing to the establishment of long-term immune memory via interactions with APCs.

This Research Topic aims to comprehensively cover the biological mechanisms of APCs and their applications in vaccine and immunotherapy development across both human and animal models. It addresses a wide array of antigen types (including inactivated-, attenuated-, protein-, peptide-, nucleic acid-, and viral vector-based antigens), adjuvants (including pattern recognition receptor agonists, inflammasome activators, etc.), antigen-delivery systems (such as MF-59, AS-series emulsions, ISCOMs, Matrix-M, liposomes, nanoparticles), and immunotherapies — including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapies, cytokine-based treatments, and immunomodulatory antibodies.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications on the following topics:
- Molecular regulation of antigen uptake, processing, and presentation
- Functional heterogeneity and plasticity of diverse APC subsets within various immune environments
- APC-based vaccine and immunotherapy strategies targeting infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders
- Interactions between innate immune cells and APCs mediating trained immunity and long-term immune regulation
- Effects of adjuvants and antigen delivery platforms on APC activation
- Translational approaches to animal vaccine and immunotherapy development through comparative immunology
- Roles of APCs in mucosal, cutaneous, and systemic immunity
- Cross-presentation by APCs and activation of CD8+ T cells

We seek to advance interdisciplinary research efforts that enable precise modulation of immune responses and the rational design of next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies grounded in the latest advances in APC biology.

We especially encourage studies employing systems immunology, systems vaccinology, and systems serology approaches to provide a holistic understanding of APC-mediated immune regulatory networks. Integrative methodologies such as single-cell transcriptomics, proteomics, multi-omics, deep phenotyping, and immune profiling offer crucial insights for predicting vaccine and immunotherapy responses and discovering novel immune biomarkers.

Moreover, research leveraging computational biology tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), structural biology, and deep learning, to predict and optimize antigen three-dimensional structures and immunogenic epitopes is highly valued. These approaches make transformative contributions to the precise characterization of antigen–antibody interactions and immune regulatory mechanisms, establishing essential technological foundations for next-generation vaccine and immunotherapy design.

Multidisciplinary research is also encouraged. Insights from viral structural physics, chemical modeling of antigen–antibody interactions, and bioinformatics-based immune network analyses provide critical technical bases for predicting and optimizing APC-driven immune regulation.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Antigen-Presenting Cells and Trained Immunity: Bridging Innate and Adaptive Memory for Innovative Vaccine and Immunotherapy Development