Viral Vaccines and Antivirals

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathogens-host Immune Interface".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 7908

Special Issue Editors

Dept of Pathology Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Interests: antivirals; vaccines; host–pathogen interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dept of Pathology Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Interests: drug discovery; vaccines; anti-infective animal models; pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD); immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Time and again, the COVID-19 pandemic has proved the recurrent nature of a viral pandemic. Viral disease has become a constant threat to human society because of climate change, deforestation, the increased international movement of man and materials, and the continuous evolution of viral genomes. Vaccines are the greatest achievement of modern science for the prophylactic control of emerging and re-emerging viral diseases. Despite considerable advancements in understanding the immune response to different viral pathogens, for a comprehensive picture of the correlates of protection and improvements in novel vaccine strategies, we still lack effective universal vaccines against several global pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, and rhinovirus. In addition to these global pathogens, we do not have licensed vaccines for highly pathogenic viruses such as Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, hemorrhagic filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg), Lassa virus, Nipah virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. Furthermore, several arboviruses are (re-) emerging, including Dengue, Zika, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses, and global warming is likely to further expand the presence of these arboviruses beyond their current borders.

The obstacles to developing vaccines against these viruses are the high mutation rate of HIV, antigenic drift in the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins of influenza virus, high genetic diversity in rhinoviruses, and the antibody-dependent enhancement, as well as four different serotypes, in Dengue virus. Besides these factors, genetic diversity in humans, a growing aged population, compromised immune states, and an incomplete understanding of the immune mechanisms of protection render many currently available vaccines ineffective or less effective.

Antiviral drugs (AVDs) are the counterpart of vaccines; most importantly, AVDs can be used where vaccines fail to prevent disease or licensed vaccines are unavailable. Genetic engineering techniques to generate reporter viruses and high-throughput automated systems have enabled scientists to rapidly screen thousands of compounds against various viruses. In silico modeling and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PB-PK) approaches have accelerated the speed of the drug screening process. Recent developments in pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) studies in humanized mouse models have increased the probability of animal-to-human translations. Despite these technological advancements, AVDs are not available against many pathogenic viruses. Several challenges at the preclinical and clinical trial stages have made the drug discovery and development process unaffordable. To protect the human race from the endless cycle of drug resistance, the continuous discovery and development of new drugs is a must.

This Special Issue of Vaccines will address key questions to improve our understanding and help us to produce better vaccines and antivirals. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • DNA/RNA/protein-based vaccines;
  • Correlates of immune protection;
  • Novel vaccination strategies;
  • Structure-based vaccine design;
  • Vaccine formulations with an emphasis on nanoformulation;
  • Small molecules and therapeutic antibodies;
  • High-throughput screening platforms;
  • Antiviral drug targets and mechanisms of action;
  • Drug screening assays;
  • Pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic studies of antivirals.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Pharmaceutics.

Dr. Chandru Subramani
Dr. Tarani Kanta Barman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • correlates of protection
  • vaccines
  • adjuvants
  • virus-like particles
  • animal models
  • high-throughput assays
  • antiviral drugs
  • drug discovery
  • small molecules
  • therapeutic antibodies

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

18 pages, 365 KiB  
Review
Bioprocessing and the Production of Antiviral Biologics in the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infectious Disease
by Elaine Meade, Neil Rowan and Mary Garvey
Vaccines 2023, 11(5), 992; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11050992 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2150
Abstract
Emerging, re-emerging and zoonotic viral pathogens represent a serious threat to human health, resulting in morbidity, mortality and potentially economic instability at a global scale. Certainly, the recent emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (and its variants) highlighted the impact of such pathogens, [...] Read more.
Emerging, re-emerging and zoonotic viral pathogens represent a serious threat to human health, resulting in morbidity, mortality and potentially economic instability at a global scale. Certainly, the recent emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (and its variants) highlighted the impact of such pathogens, with the pandemic creating unprecedented and continued demands for the accelerated production of antiviral therapeutics. With limited effective small molecule therapies available for metaphylaxis, vaccination programs have been the mainstay against virulent viral species. Traditional vaccines remain highly effective at providing high antibody titres, but are, however, slow to manufacture in times of emergency. The limitations of traditional vaccine modalities may be overcome by novel strategies, as outlined herein. To prevent future disease outbreaks, paradigm shift changes in manufacturing and distribution are necessary to advance the production of vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines and other antiviral therapies. Accelerated paths for antivirals have been made possible due to advances in bioprocessing, leading to the production of novel antiviral agents. This review outlines the role of bioprocessing in the production of biologics and advances in mitigating viral infectious disease. In an era of emerging viral diseases and the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance, this review provides insight into a significant method of antiviral agent production which is key to protecting public health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Vaccines and Antivirals)
25 pages, 2348 KiB  
Review
Japanese Encephalitis Virus: An Update on the Potential Antivirals and Vaccines
by Kumar Saurabh Srivastava, Vandana Jeswani, Nabanita Pal, Babita Bohra, Vaishali Vishwakarma, Atharva Ashish Bapat, Yamini Prashanti Patnaik, Navin Khanna and Rahul Shukla
Vaccines 2023, 11(4), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11040742 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5347
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the causal agent behind Japanese encephalitis (JE), a potentially severe brain infection that spreads through mosquito bites. JE is predominant over the Asia-Pacific Region and has the potential to spread globally with a higher rate of morbidity and [...] Read more.
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the causal agent behind Japanese encephalitis (JE), a potentially severe brain infection that spreads through mosquito bites. JE is predominant over the Asia-Pacific Region and has the potential to spread globally with a higher rate of morbidity and mortality. Efforts have been made to identify and select various target molecules essential in JEV’s progression, but until now, no licensed anti-JEV drug has been available. From a prophylactic point of view, a few licensed JE vaccines are available, but various factors, viz., the high cost and different side effects imposed by them, has narrowed their global use. With an average occurrence of >67,000 cases of JE annually, there is an urgent need to find a suitable antiviral drug to treat patients at the acute phase, as presently only supportive care is available to mitigate infection. This systematic review highlights the current status of efforts put in to develop antivirals against JE and the available vaccines, along with their effectiveness. It also summarizes epidemiology, structure, pathogenesis, and potential drug targets that can be explored to develop a new range of anti-JEV drugs to combat JEV infection globally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Vaccines and Antivirals)
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