Antiviral immunotherapy is an innovative approach aimed at bolstering the body’s immune response against viral pathogens. By leveraging agents that stimulate or modulate the immune system, this therapy aims to target and eliminate viruses more effectively than traditional treatments. Several strategies are currently being practiced, and they are particularly showing promise in managing chronic viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, and herpes, where traditional therapies may fall short or be reduced in effectiveness due to issues like drug resistance.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate and discuss the latest advancements and the therapeutic potential of antiviral immunotherapy. The goal is to better understand and expand on the efficacies of various immunotherapeutic methods, as well as to evaluate their roles and impacts in clinical outcomes. This involves exploring innovative strategies that have shown promise in preclinical and clinical settings, and it also includes addressing the challenges of translating these into effective treatments. Ultimately, we hope to provide a valuable resource for scientists, clinicians, and policymakers involved in the fight against viral infections.

To foster a deeper understanding in this rapidly evolving area, we are focused on collecting a wide range of discussions and analyses. We particularly encourage contributions on topics including but not limited to:

o Monoclonal antibodies: Engineered molecules that mimic the immune system's ability to combat harmful pathogens, specifically binding to viral particles to neutralize them.

o Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Drugs that unblock the immune system, enabling it to attack virus-infected cells by inhibiting specific proteins that restrict immune responses.

o Cytokine therapy: Utilizing cytokines, such as interferons, to boost the immune response against viruses by modulating the behaviour of immune cells.

o Adoptive Cell Transfer: Extracting, modifying, or expanding patient-derived immune cells in the lab before reintroducing them to enhance antiviral activity.

o Therapeutic Vaccines: Developing vaccines not just for prevention, but also for treating existing infections by stimulating a targeted immune response.

o Trained immunity: Enhancing broad-spectrum innate immune defense mechanism, as induced by beta-glucan or BCG vaccination, against viral infection.

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Frontiers in Virology

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