About this Research Topic
T cells act as master players in eradicating infections and cancers. Specialized receptors on the Tcell surface recognize antigens of pathogens, cancer, and the environment and keep immunological memory of them. Researchers utilized this natural phenomenon and altered T-cells, genetically, with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) that bind to specific antigens expressed on infected cells and eventually kill them. After significant advancements in cancer immunotherapy, CAR-T cells were welcomed as live anti-viral drugs by scientists. Many chronic viral diseases have been targeted through CAR-T cell therapy including HIV, HCV, HBV, CMV, EBV, COVID and etc.
Thus, CAR-T cell-based immunotherapy is a promising approach in long-term protective medicines against deadly viruses. However further optimization to ensure the safety and efficacy of the treatment needs to be further explored to be focused.
Recent advancement in the treatment of Hepatitis C virus disease has introduced novel antiviral drugs that have been proven to be more effective. However, non or poor responders to the new drugs still exist. Also, relapsing, drug resistance mutation, narrow spectrum targets, and harmful side effects demand alternative strategies. Engineering T-cells using the CAR strategy to combat infections by viruses with latency, tumorigenesis, and systemic inflammation leading to multiple organ failure, is an advanced therapeutic approach. Here the objective is to design CAR T cells targeting HCV antigens on the surface of infected cells. In particular, CARs are specific to core and envelope proteins which are the most immunogenic and expressed abundantly over the infected cells. It would replicate the natural cell-mediated immune response which is circumvented due to T-cell exhaustion and self-tolerance due to persistent antigen expression. Another aim is to control its safety challenges, such as cytokine storm, cellular and neurotoxicity, and relapse.
In this Research Topic, all 5 generations of CAR T cells will be explored to extend the positive outcomes in terms of significant reduction of virally infected cells and also in the extracellularly present virions. The research should be carried out in both in vitro & in vivo models for a better understanding of underlying pathways of the treatment mechanism such as pro-inflammatory and antiviral cytokines induction. Antigens immunogenicity and conservancy must be determined prior to their selection to avoid viral escape from recognition.
We are open to accepting original research articles, literature reviews, and systematic reviews on the applications of CAR-T cells in eradicating HCV infection & its associated liver cancer. In the case of review articles, the scientific research included should fulfill the parameters described above.
Thus, CAR-T cell-based immunotherapy is a promising approach in long-term protective medicines against deadly viruses. However further optimization to ensure the safety and efficacy of the treatment needs to be further explored to be focused.
Recent advancement in the treatment of Hepatitis C virus disease has introduced novel antiviral drugs that have been proven to be more effective. However, non or poor responders to the new drugs still exist. Also, relapsing, drug resistance mutation, narrow spectrum targets, and harmful side effects demand alternative strategies. Engineering T-cells using the CAR strategy to combat infections by viruses with latency, tumorigenesis, and systemic inflammation leading to multiple organ failure, is an advanced therapeutic approach. Here the objective is to design CAR T cells targeting HCV antigens on the surface of infected cells. In particular, CARs are specific to core and envelope proteins which are the most immunogenic and expressed abundantly over the infected cells. It would replicate the natural cell-mediated immune response which is circumvented due to T-cell exhaustion and self-tolerance due to persistent antigen expression. Another aim is to control its safety challenges, such as cytokine storm, cellular and neurotoxicity, and relapse.
In this Research Topic, all 5 generations of CAR T cells will be explored to extend the positive outcomes in terms of significant reduction of virally infected cells and also in the extracellularly present virions. The research should be carried out in both in vitro & in vivo models for a better understanding of underlying pathways of the treatment mechanism such as pro-inflammatory and antiviral cytokines induction. Antigens immunogenicity and conservancy must be determined prior to their selection to avoid viral escape from recognition.
We are open to accepting original research articles, literature reviews, and systematic reviews on the applications of CAR-T cells in eradicating HCV infection & its associated liver cancer. In the case of review articles, the scientific research included should fulfill the parameters described above.
Keywords: Chimeric antigen receptors, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C virus, Hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus & Coronavirus 2 disease
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