About this Research Topic

Background

This Research Topic is the second volume of the 'Community Series in Immunometabolic Mechanisms Underlying the Severity of COVID-19'. Please see the first volume here.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causal agent of the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). An important number of patients with COVID-19 are at higher risk of developing the most severe form of the disease that includes pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failure, and death. Fatal cases of COVID-19 are more prevalent in patients with preexisting comorbidities such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). These patients also experience a cytokine storm characterized by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL-) 1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), among others. However, the mechanisms by which comorbidities contribute to the cytokine storm, increasing the progression, severity, and mortality of COVID-19 are not yet fully understood. Metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities are characterized by the presence of immunometabolic agents such as excess glucose, free-fatty acids (FFA), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and uric acid that appear to act in synergy with immune cells to promote the inflammatory response through mechanisms still unknown in COVID-19.

Metabolic alterations also modify epigenetic programming in monocyte and macrophages that can pre-dispose patients to more severe COVID-19. Accumulating evidence indicates a highly variable scenario of the long-COVID syndrome with large individual combinations of organ failure. Further, the role of metabolic pathologies in long-COVID needs urgent investigation. In parallel, the COVID-19 outbreak is entering the post-pandemic era, and assessing the efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in people with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, T2D, or hypertension is imperative to reveal the number of vaccine booster shots able to increase long-term antibodies in these patients. Epidemiologic studies describing the contribution of comorbidities to persistent COVID-19 severity in vaccinated subjects will be crucial to develop novel therapeutic maneuvers to prevent disease worsening.

The main goal of this Research Topic is to congregate eminent contributors in the fields of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immune response, acute COVID-19, long-COVID syndrome, and vaccinology to help elucidate the mechanisms of the crosstalk between the metabolic and immunological pathways that have essential effects on the adaptive and innate immune responses. This includes T cell exhaustion, antibody deficiency, cytokine storm and long-term monocyte and macrophage pathological programming, complement activity and neutrophil trafficking in patients with preexisting comorbidities experiencing COVID-19. Furthermore, we invite submissions that characterize the cell signaling pathways mediating the effect of excess glucose, FFA, LDL, uric acid, and insulin, among others on T and B lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages, neutrophils, and basophils in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also welcome clinical trials and epidemiologic studies focused on studying the efficacy of vaccines and the number of booster shots to avoid COVID-19 progression in patients with pre-existing comorbidities.

In this Research Topic we welcome the submission of Original Research (basic and clinical studies as well as Clinical Trial) and Review articles addressing in vitro and in vivo studies focused on, but not limited to, the following potential topics:

1. Role of excess glucose, FFA, LDL, uric acid, and insulin, among others in immune cell activation and cytokine release in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection
2. Effect of immune-metabolic agents on chemokine production and neutrophil infiltration into airway epithelium, vascular endothelium, and pancreas of patients with COVID-19
3. Profiling of immune cell subpopulations in COVID-19 patients with cardio-metabolic disorders
4. Contribution of obesity, hypertension, T2D, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome to vascular inflammation in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection
5. Characterization of cell signaling pathways mediating the effect of immune-metabolic agents on immune cell activity in SARS-CoV-2 infection
6. Therapeutic targets based on inhibiting the action of immune-metabolic agents in COVID-19
7. Identification of resident cells for the long-term persistence of SARS-CoV2, and analysis of detrimental immune programs and responses in patients with in long-COVID syndrome
8. Mechanisms of pre-disposition of patients with metabolic abnormalities for the risk, severity and duration of long-COVID-19 syndrome
9. Evaluation of the efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to avoid COVID-19 progression in patients with comorbidities
10. Estimation of the accurate number of vaccine booster shots to prevent COVID-19 worsening in patients with metabolic disease

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, type 2 diabetes, obesity, immune cell, cytokine storm, inflammation

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.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a Research Topic?

  Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

  Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

• Why does Frontiers publish Research Topics? 

  The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

  Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

• Why are Research Topics important for journals?

  As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

  A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

• How do we ensure the quality of articles within Research Topics?

  Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and they fall under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

• What are the benefits of publishing my article in a Research Topic?

  Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

  As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

  Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

   
• What types of articles can be published in a Research Topic?

  Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

  Check available article types here 

• Can I suggest a new Research Topic? 

  Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

  Suggest your topic here 

• Who leads a Research Topic? 

  A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

  The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

• What is the role of a topic editor?

  As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

   

  You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

• What support will I receive when editing a new Research Topic? 

  As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

• As a junior researcher, can I be involved in editing a Research Topic? 

  If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

• Can I get a certificate for editing a Research Topic?

  Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

• Who will I collaborate with?

  Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

• How long does it take to publish a Research Topic?

  As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

  Find out more about our Research Topics

• What fee support is available to authors publishing in a Research Topic?

  Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

  Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

• Will there be a printed version of my RT?

  In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.