Immunoregulatory Cells: Balancing Immune Responses During Pathogen Infections

The field of immunology has long been focused on understanding the complex interactions between the immune system and pathogens. The ultimate goal of the human immune system is to eliminate external or internal threats to the host while causing minimal damage to the self. To achieve this objective, the immune system has evolved various innate and adaptive effector mechanisms that target pathogens or anomalous cells. At the same time, it has also generated several immunoregulatory circuits with the critical function of controlling the effector immune response. These regulatory cells and components ensure tolerance towards harmless antigens, beneficial microbiota, and healthy self-components, thereby guaranteeing overall health and well-being. In this scenario, every time the effector immune response is elicited to face a threat, activation of the regulatory counterpart is necessary to ensure a balanced response. Evidence supporting the critical role played by the regulatory arm of the immune system has come from almost any process in which the immune system is involved, including not only pathological but also physiological settings. In the case of infections, much knowledge has been obtained regarding the effector mechanisms responsible for the successful eradication of many pathogens. However, infections caused by several viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi show variable outcomes and complex interactions between the effector response and immunoregulatory cells such as Foxp3+ Regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and tolerogenic dendritic cells, among others. Since mortality and morbidity remain high during infection by some complex pathogens, acquiring more knowledge about the involvement of the regulatory arm of the immune system could significantly contribute to understanding host-pathogen interactions and designing more successful prophylactic or therapeutic approaches.

This research topic aims to collect articles that shed light on the involvement of immunoregulatory cells during pathogen infections. The main objectives include understanding the role of these cells in modulating immune responses during infections, exploring their impact on the outcomes of infections, and investigating their potential in therapeutic and prophylactic strategies. Specific questions to be addressed include how immunoregulatory cells influence the balance between immune activation and suppression, and what mechanisms they employ to modulate immune responses during pathogen encounters.

To gather further insights into the involvement of immunoregulatory cells during pathogen infections, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Immunoregulatory cells in pathogen infections
- Immunoregulatory cells in vaccines against pathogen infections
- Immunoregulatory cells in therapeutic approaches against pathogens