About this Research Topic
Fatal infections are related to virulence factors and resistance which are crucial for pathogenesis. Recently, we learn more about virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and protozoa, and the intrinsic/acquired resistance mechanisms. Currently we observe growing problem related to the expanding group of immunocompromised patients, with basic diseases as AIDS, cancer, metabolic diseases and after transplantations that predispose for opportunistic infections. Recent global estimates found approximately 10 mln, 3 mln, 1 mln, 700,000, 500,000 and 100,000 cases, respectively of tuberculosis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, invasive candidiasis, pneumocystosis and histoplasmosis. We have a modest arsenal of weapons to fight with pathogens and the search for the Holy Grail in treatment of infections is justified. This is evidenced by growing percentage of resistant strains and observed side effects associated with drugs. This is an urgent problem for mycoses and tuberculosis, of which the latter mentioned were related with over 180,000 infections caused by resistant strains.
This Research Topic aims to gather research on microbial virulence factors, especially those which offer an update on virulence traits and/or resistance phenotypes which have significant impact on the initiation and course of infection. Moreover, we believe that for potential Readers it will be equally important to learn about new findings on the molecular level related to the expression, evolution, and distribution of virulence factors and resistance mechanisms within the different taxa of pathogenic microorganisms. Last but not least, there are desirable manuscripts dealing with new or alternative therapies and strategies of overcoming antimicrobial resistance as well as those describing new cellular targets for potential drugs. We are interested in multiple article types (original research articles, methods articles, review articles, hypothesis and theory articles or perspective articles) to maximize Author`s options for disseminating their work.
Papers on but not limited to the following sub-topics are encouraged:
- Morphological transformation as strategy promoting pathogenesis and infection persistence;
- The occurrence of virulence factors/determinants within different microbial taxa and their evolution among more or less phylogenetically related members of the same taxon;
- Known and new, as yet undescribed phenotypes of resistance to individual antimicrobials, their molecular basis and the ways to overcome them;
- Interaction strategies with host immune cells and the ways to avoid the immune response and spreading the pathogen's cells (Trojan horse tactic, vomocytosis, transcytosis, etc.);
- Novel and innovative therapies and therapeutic strategies, Troygenics, chemosensitizers, nanoparticles, cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs), extracellular vesicles and other drug carriers and vectors/systems for the delivery of drugs; capsule components as vaccine targets.
This Research Topic aims to gather research on microbial virulence factors, especially those which offer an update on virulence traits and/or resistance phenotypes which have significant impact on the initiation and course of infection. Moreover, we believe that for potential Readers it will be equally important to learn about new findings on the molecular level related to the expression, evolution, and distribution of virulence factors and resistance mechanisms within the different taxa of pathogenic microorganisms. Last but not least, there are desirable manuscripts dealing with new or alternative therapies and strategies of overcoming antimicrobial resistance as well as those describing new cellular targets for potential drugs. We are interested in multiple article types (original research articles, methods articles, review articles, hypothesis and theory articles or perspective articles) to maximize Author`s options for disseminating their work.
Papers on but not limited to the following sub-topics are encouraged:
- Morphological transformation as strategy promoting pathogenesis and infection persistence;
- The occurrence of virulence factors/determinants within different microbial taxa and their evolution among more or less phylogenetically related members of the same taxon;
- Known and new, as yet undescribed phenotypes of resistance to individual antimicrobials, their molecular basis and the ways to overcome them;
- Interaction strategies with host immune cells and the ways to avoid the immune response and spreading the pathogen's cells (Trojan horse tactic, vomocytosis, transcytosis, etc.);
- Novel and innovative therapies and therapeutic strategies, Troygenics, chemosensitizers, nanoparticles, cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs), extracellular vesicles and other drug carriers and vectors/systems for the delivery of drugs; capsule components as vaccine targets.
Keywords: virulence factors, resistance, therapeutic strategies, infectious disease, Microbial pathogens, pathogenesis, resistance mechanisms, virulence traits, novel drug targets
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.
