Interaction between virus and host cell: How do viruses cause cellular dysregulation?

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the scientific community has put a major focus on viral research to combat severe infections and high mortality rates in vulnerable patient groups. The scientific evidence obtained in the relevant studies indicates that viral pathogenicity is not limited to the direct effects of viral replication and the resultant cell lysis, and that the interactions between a virus and its host cell play an important role in the progression and severity of diseases. Alterations in cellular transcription and protein translation, as well as dysregulation of cell signaling, can lead to the development of organ damage and even loss of overall organ function, with precarious consequences for patients. For COVID-19, myocarditis and long-COVID syndrome have been described, which severely affect patients` quality of life. It is likely that other viruses interact with their hosts in a similar way, but those interactions are still not sufficiently researched in the scientific community, leaving many questions open concerning the severity and long-term consequences for infected patients.

The objective of this topic is to raise awareness of the long-term effects of viral infections in patients and to re-evaluate the way viral infections are treated and described. Traditional virus research is primarily focused on the direct mechanisms of viral infection, viral replication and the host immune response. Changes in cellular trafficking, cellular activity and metabolism have not yet been sufficiently researched due to technical limitations and the lack of well-established model systems. Recent developments, for instance the development of novel viral expression systems, new fluorophores for specific organelle labelling and novel monitoring approaches for cell characterization, open the field for new experimental approaches to characterize virus-cell interactions in more detail. These new approaches and findings should be addressed in this research topic.

This research topic welcomes contributions addressing the below listed themes. We welcome all kinds of submissions including Original Research Articles, Reviews, Opinions and Communications.

• Virus-induced changes in cellular trafficking
• Modulation in receptor and channel activity
• Metabolic modulation
• Rearrangement of cellular structures
• Modulation of apoptosis, necrosis and inflammation
• Virus-induced changes in cellular gene expression and protein production