Coronaviruses (CoVs) have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of respiratory illnesses in humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, and most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Mucosal surfaces such as the respiratory tract are the primary site of entry for coronaviruses, and effective mucosal immunity is essential for controlling virus transmission. The emergence of coronavirus outbreaks has highlighted the importance of developing effective vaccines and therapeutics that target the mucosal immune system.

The first line of defense against CoVs are the upper respiratory tract (URT) epithelial cells of the airway, which comprise several immunological components, including dendritic cells (DCs), tissue-resident macrophages, and pulmonary epithelial cells. These cells express pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that can recognize pathogens, such as CoVs, through their receptors, which include pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage or danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). The nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) plays a crucial role in the production of the innate and acquired immune responses of the mucosal immune system, by accelerating the induction of Th-1 and Th-2 polarized lymphocytes, and stimulating a high number of different immunoglobulins. The adaptive immune cells, predominantly T cells (CD4+ helper T cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells) and B cells (plasma cells and antibody), are able to destroy virally infected cells. The regulation of mucosal immune responses usually involves myeloid cells (MCs), that perform specialized functions to control infectious pathogens. These include macrophages, monocyte-derived dendritic cells, conventional dendritic cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

Given the critical role of mucosal immunity in defending against CoVs, a deeper understanding of the specific immune responses and immunological mechanisms during infection is of the utmost importance. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of mucosal immunity in combating CoVs and to highlight potential avenues for the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics. We aim to explore various aspects of mucosal immunity to CoVs, including the immune responses following vaccination, the immune mechanisms of mucosal immunity in defending against CoVs at respiratory sites, and the immune evasion strategies of these viruses at the mucosal immune system.

We welcome the submission of all accepted article types that cover, but are not limited to, the following sub-topics:

• Describing the infection mechanisms and immune responses of the viruses, systemically and mucosally.
• Compare and contrast the licensed mucosally delivered vaccines and those under clinical trials.
• Illustration of mucosal vaccine design and main differences with other vaccines.
• In vitro cell culture and animal models to investigate mucosal immunity to CoVs and candidate vaccines.
• Investigation of the longevity of immune responses derived from mucosal vaccines and the need for booster doses in comparison with other vaccines.
• Investigating the immune evasion strategies of the viruses at mucosal sites.

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Frontiers in Immunology

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