Building on the success of "HTLV-1 and EBV-related disorders: pathogenesis and clinical advances", we are pleased to launch this Volume II.
Chronic viral infections caused by Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) represent a major global health challenge due to their association with severe malignant, inflammatory, and infectious complications. HTLV-1, a deltaretrovirus endemic in various geographic regions such as Japan, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and Australo-Melanesia, primarily targets CD4+ T-cells and contributes to the onset of oncogenic and neuroinflammatory diseases, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, infective dermatitis, and opportunistic infections such as disseminated strongyloidiasis.
In parallel, EBV — a nearly ubiquitous herpesvirus that mainly infects B-cells — has been linked to a spectrum of lymphoproliferative and epithelial malignancies such as Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, alongside chronic active EBV disease and other inflammatory conditions. As infectious agents that establish lifelong persistence and drive disease through sustained host-pathogen interaction, both viruses sit firmly within the remit of infectious disease pathogenesis and therapy. Although significant progress has been made in identifying viral-host interactions and immune responses, gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms underpinning disease transition, host susceptibility, and effective therapeutic control.
This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of the infectious pathogenesis and clinical spectrum of HTLV-1 and EBV by elucidating their immunological, molecular, and epidemiological dimensions. It seeks to highlight current knowledge of viral persistence, latency, and reactivation, examine cross-viral and host-immune interactions, and assess emerging anti-viral, immune-based, and preventive therapeutic strategies. The ultimate objective is to foster translational insights that may lead to improved diagnosis, risk stratification, infection control, and treatment outcomes in patients affected by these chronic infections.
In line with the scope of the Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy section of Frontiers in Medicine, this effort intends to bridge clinical infectious disease practice with virology and immunopathology to improve the comprehension, management, and therapeutic targeting of HTLV-1 and EBV-associated disorders.
To gather further insights into the interplay between viral infection, immune regulation, and clinical outcome, we welcome submissions addressing—but not limited to—the following themes:
• Epidemiology and geographic distribution of HTLV-1 and EBV-related infectious diseases • Mechanisms of viral transmission, latency, persistence, and reactivation • Molecular and cellular pathways in viral oncogenesis, neuroinflammation, and immune dysregulation • Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of HTLV-1 and EBV infections and their complications • Opportunistic and co-infections associated with HTLV-1 and EBV-driven immune impairment • Host genetic and environmental susceptibility factors • Innovative approaches in prevention, vaccine development, antiviral and immune-based therapies • Public health strategies, infection control, and cost-effectiveness analyses in endemic and non-endemic settings
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.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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.
