About this Research Topic
Cells of the innate immune system are key players at initiating and regulating adaptive immune responses, impacting the outcome of the control of the infection and the later memory against pathogens. Although classically these cells were thought to be involved in early immune response to infection, it has been described that they can play roles beyond their mainly described effector functions, by modulating the activation and differentiation of the cells responsible for the establishment of adaptive immune response - T cells and B cells. Due to their rapid action and the great influence they can exert in the outcome of an anti-pathogen immune response, innate immune cells such as dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and innate lymphocytes such as innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), natural killer (NK) cells, and natural killer T (NKT) cells, are attractive immunotherapeutic targets to boost immunity against pathogens, as well as to improve vaccine quality.
The role that innate cells play in different infections can also be responsible for an exacerbated immune response that can lead to detrimental inflammation to the host, along with poor or no elimination of the pathogen. In a world currently facing the worst pandemic of the century to date, with no clear treatments or vaccine yet available, furthering our understanding of the innate immune response has gained a lot of attention with the hope of providing further insights into the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches against pathogenic infections.
In this Research Topic, we seek Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, Brief Research Reports and Original Research articles that discuss the latest developments in deciphering the role that innate lymphocytes play in the initial control of bacterial pathogen infections; their influence over the adaptive immune response against pathogens; their participation in pathogen immune-evasion mechanisms; and their detrimental potential in pathogen-caused diseases. We are also interested in articles discussing therapeutic approaches using innate immune cells as targets.
Welcomed topics include but are not limited to:
• Innate lymphocytes responses to intracellular bacterial infection
• Modulation of B cell and T cell function by innate lymphocytes during infection
• Innate lymphocytes and immune evasion
• Markers for intracellular bacteria-caused diseases associated with innate lymphocytes
• Innate lymphocytes-based immunotherapies for intracellular bacteria
The role that innate cells play in different infections can also be responsible for an exacerbated immune response that can lead to detrimental inflammation to the host, along with poor or no elimination of the pathogen. In a world currently facing the worst pandemic of the century to date, with no clear treatments or vaccine yet available, furthering our understanding of the innate immune response has gained a lot of attention with the hope of providing further insights into the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches against pathogenic infections.
In this Research Topic, we seek Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, Brief Research Reports and Original Research articles that discuss the latest developments in deciphering the role that innate lymphocytes play in the initial control of bacterial pathogen infections; their influence over the adaptive immune response against pathogens; their participation in pathogen immune-evasion mechanisms; and their detrimental potential in pathogen-caused diseases. We are also interested in articles discussing therapeutic approaches using innate immune cells as targets.
Welcomed topics include but are not limited to:
• Innate lymphocytes responses to intracellular bacterial infection
• Modulation of B cell and T cell function by innate lymphocytes during infection
• Innate lymphocytes and immune evasion
• Markers for intracellular bacteria-caused diseases associated with innate lymphocytes
• Innate lymphocytes-based immunotherapies for intracellular bacteria
Keywords: Innate Lymphocytes, Pathogen Immunity, Immune Evasion, Inflammation, Immunotherapy, Intracellular Bacteria, Macrophages, Neutrophils
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.
