HL
hongzhou lu
Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology
Shenzhen, China
About this Research Topic
Manuscript Extension Submission Deadline 30 October 2026
Background
Infectious diseases remain a significant threat to global public health, responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite notable progress in medical science, the persistent challenges include: (1) the development of pathogen drug resistance; (2) the recurrence of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (such as coronavirus and monkeypox virus); and (3) the limitations of existing technologies in achieving complete pathogen eradication. For instance, viruses such as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) affect millions of people and persist due to sophisticated mechanisms, including the maintenance of viral reservoirs, evasion of immune responses, and manipulation of host cellular pathways. Consequently, current therapeutic regimes, though often effective at suppressing disease, frequently fail to achieve full eradication, leading to chronic infection and long-term public health consequences. These challenges underscore the critical need to deepen our understanding of host-pathogen interactions, immune regulation mechanisms, and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
This Research Topic aims to bridge these critical gaps by fostering a systems-level exploration into the complex mechanisms underlying pathogen persistence and the host’s immune regulation in infectious diseases. The primary objective is to deepen our understanding of how pathogens manipulate host signaling, how the immune system responds and adapts, and how this knowledge can inform the development of therapeutic strategies. Insights that connect theoretical advances with translational and therapeutic innovations, addressing both molecular underpinnings and clinical interventions are especially encouraged.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review articles, and other article types on topics of interest, which include but are not limited to:
o Mechanisms of viral pathogenesis, host–pathogen interactions, pathogen evolution and adaptation, as well as antimicrobial resistance
o Host–pathogen interactions and dysregulation of immune responses
o Innovative therapeutic strategies including host-directed therapies, immunotherapies, vaccine design, phage therapies, and RNA-based therapeutics
o Novel insights into immune responses in chronic viral infections
o Integrated studies that connect pathogen mechanisms to clinical therapies and therapeutic innovation
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Brief Research Report
- Case Report
- Classification
- Clinical Trial
- Community Case Study
- Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
- Data Report
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Global burden of infectious diseases, Eradication of HIV latent repository, Molecular mechanisms of host–pathogen interactions, Dysregulation of innate immune responses, Translational potential of therapeutic innovation
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.
