Dear Colleagues,

Innate immune responses play a critical role in controlling the spread of viral infections prior to the development of adaptive responses. Host cells use molecular sensors (pattern recognition receptors, PRRs) to sense different viruses, resulting in subsequent induction and secretion of interferons (IFNs). Following binding of interferons to appropriate cell surface receptors, intracellular signaling pathways lead to transcription of hundreds of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), some of which are known to mediate antiviral activity. Intracellular host proteins with antiviral activity are described as ‘restriction factors’ and can act to inhibit one or more steps in the replication cycle of different viruses. In addition to ISG proteins, other host proteins not regulated by IFNs can also block virus replication and are therefore also classified as ‘restriction factors’.

While it has been known for many years that secreted IFNs can induce an ‘antiviral state’ in surrounding cells and that certain intracellular proteins, such as Mx proteins, induced by IFNs mediate potent antiviral activity against particular viruses, the concept of antiviral ‘restriction factors’ came into focus more recently with the discovery of classic antiretroviral proteins such as Trim5a, and APOBEC3g. Moreover, while it is known that hundreds to thousands of ISGs are induced in response to viral infections, the antiviral activity of many ISG proteins are yet to be defined. In this rapidly developing field, novel mechanisms of viral sensing by PRRs have been reported and new restriction factors have been identified and shown to inhibit certain viruses. It has also become clear that the interplay between cell intrinsic responses and viral infections are complex, and that viruses have developed strategies to evade detection and/or responses elicited following host cell infection.

Recent developments in advanced molecular techniques, such as the use of CRISPR-based libraries and single-cell sequencing, have allowed us to further probe the initial responses of host cells to virus infection. In this Special Issue, we hope to capture the latest developments in all aspects of cell intrinsic innate responses to viral infections, including viral sensing by PRRs, transcriptional responses of host cells to virus infections, induction and regulation of interferons during viral infections, the antiviral activities of ISG proteins and other intracellular restriction factors, and viral evasion of cell intrinsic immunity. 

Prof. Dr. Patrick Reading
Dr. Farrukee Rubaiyea
Guest Editors

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• cell intrinsic immunity
• restriction factors
• interferon-stimulated genes
• pattern-recognition receptors
• viral evasion