Pathogens MDPI

17/12/2024

📢 Call for Papers: Special Issue on "Advanced Research in Influenza Vaccines and Therapies" 📢
⭐ Guest Editor: Dr. Sonia Jangra, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA

🎯 Topics of Interest:

Innovative vaccine platforms and adjuvants
Advances in antiviral therapies
Host-pathogen immune interactions
Innate immunity and interferon responses
Mechanisms of viral immune evasion

Influenza remains a global public health challenge, with seasonal epidemics and the looming threat of pandemic strains. This Special Issue explores cutting-edge strategies to improve vaccine efficacy and therapeutic approaches against evolving influenza viruses. 🧬🔬

📝 Now Accepting Submissions: Deadline August 31st, 2025
🌐 Let’s work together to advance solutions that protect against influenza!

📅 Submit your work today!
🔗 https://brnw.ch/21wPtuv

17/12/2024

Fantastic AAV Gene Therapy Vectors and How to Find Them—Random Diversification, Rational Design and Machine Learning

🔗 https://brnw.ch/21wPtjP

Parvoviruses are a diverse family of small, non-enveloped DNA viruses that infect a wide variety of species, tissues and cell types. For over half a century, their intriguing biology and pathophysiology has fueled intensive research aimed at dissecting the underlying viral and cellular mechanisms.

Concurrently, their broad host specificity (tropism) has motivated efforts to develop parvoviruses as gene delivery vectors for human cancer or gene therapy applications. While the sum of preclinical and clinical data consistently demonstrates the great potential of these vectors, these findings also illustrate the importance of enhancing and restricting in vivo transgene expression in desired cell types.

To this end, major progress has been made especially with vectors based on Adeno-associated virus (AAV), whose capsid is highly amenable to bioengineering, repurposing and expansion of its natural tropism. Here, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art approaches to create new AAV variants with higher specificity and efficiency of gene transfer in on-target cells.

We first review traditional and novel directed evolution approaches, including high-throughput screening of AAV capsid libraries. Next, we discuss programmable receptor-mediated targeting with a focus on two recent technologies that utilize high-affinity binders.

Finally, we highlight one of the latest stratagems for rational AAV vector characterization and optimization, namely, machine learning, which promises to facilitate and accelerate the identification of next-generation, safe and precise gene delivery vehicles.

Parvoviruses are a diverse family of small, non-enveloped DNA viruses that infect a wide variety of species, tissues and cell types. For over half a century, their intriguing biology and pathophysiology has fueled intensive research aimed at dissecting the underlying viral and cellular mechanisms. C...

17/12/2024

📌 Pediatric Tuberculosis: A Review of Evidence-Based Best Practices for Clinicians and Health Care Providers

🧠 This widely accessed review highlights the latest advances in pediatric TB care while addressing ongoing challenges in low-resource, high-burden settings.

Key Focus:
✅ Translating evidence into clinical action
✅ Improving TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in children
✅ Equipping clinicians with tools to navigate TB's complexities

💡 Discover how decades of advocacy, operational research, and innovation are reshaping pediatric TB management worldwide.

📈 Join the global effort to prevent, find, and cure TB in children!

🔍 Read now: https://brnw.ch/21wPtfC

Advances in pediatric TB care are promising, the result of decades of advocacy, operational and clinical trials research, and political will by national and local TB programs in high-burden countries. However, implementation challenges remain in linking policy to practice and scaling up innovations ...

12/12/2024

🌍 Special Issue Announcement! 🌍
Pathogens invites you to contribute to the "HIV/AIDS Epidemiology, Prevention, and Diagnostics: Current State of Research" Special Issue.

🔬 Scope:
This Special Issue explores the advancements in:
✔️ Global HIV epidemiology
✔️ Innovative prevention strategies
✔️ Cutting-edge diagnostic tools

🧑‍⚕️ Guest Editors:

Dr. Lars Henning, JCU: James Cook University, Australia
Dr. Maria Castellanos, JCU: James Cook University, Australia

📅 Submission Deadline: 20 May 2025
📖 Open Access: Articles will be freely available worldwide for maximum reach and impact.

🔗 Submit Your Manuscript Today: https://brnw.ch/21wPmuW

Let’s shape the future of HIV research together!

11/12/2024

Feral Swine: Sentinels and Potential Vectors for Anthrax Spores 🐗

Anthrax is a global concern affecting wildlife, livestock, and humans—but could feral swine play a pivotal role in its surveillance and spread?

Learn how these resilient animals could help us track and mitigate this deadly pathogen.

📊 Read the full study to explore groundbreaking findings on feral swine, anthrax surveillance, and environmental health.

Anthrax is a disease that affects livestock, wildlife, and humans worldwide; however, its relative impacts on these populations remain underappreciated. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are relatively resistant to developing anthrax, and past serosurveys have alluded to their utility as sentinels, yet empir...

11/12/2024

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, occurring in both community and healthcare settings.

Although the clinical symptoms of UTIs are heterogeneous and range from uncomplicated (uUTIs) to complicated (cUTIs), most UTIs are usually treated empirically.

Bacteria are the main causative agents of these infections, although more rarely, other microorganisms, such as fungi and some viruses, have been reported to be responsible for UTIs. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causative agent for both uUTIs and cUTIs, followed by other pathogenic microorganisms, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus spp.

In addition, the incidence of UTIs caused by multidrug resistance (MDR) is increasing, resulting in a significant increase in the spread of antibiotic resistance and the economic burden of these infections.

Here, we discuss the various factors associated with UTIs, including the mechanisms of pathogenicity related to the bacteria that cause UTIs and the emergence of increasing resistance in UTI pathogens.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, occurring in both community and healthcare settings. Although the clinical symptoms of UTIs are heterogeneous and range from uncomplicated (uUTIs) to complicated (cUTIs), most UTIs are usually treated empirical...

10/12/2024

🦠 Art of the Kill: Designing Inactivation Protocols for High-Containment Pathogens 🔬

This study evaluates methods to safely inactivate highly pathogenic RNA viruses like Ebola, Nipah, and Lassa, ensuring compliance with BSL-4 and Select Agent regulations. Three approaches—chemical inactivation, aldehyde fixation, and heat treatment—were assessed for reliability. The study highlights challenges like defining heat inactivation parameters and provides templates for documentation and SOP development. This research offers valuable guidance for high-containment labs managing dangerous pathogens.

👉 Dive into the full study now: https://brnw.ch/21wPmvx

The study of highly pathogenic viruses handled under BSL-4 conditions and classified as Select Agents frequently involves the transfer of inactivated materials to lower containment levels for downstream analyses. Adhering to Select Agent and BSL-4 safety regulations requires validation or verificati...

10/12/2024

🌍 One Health: A Unified Approach to Tackling Zoonoses 🩺🐾

Zoonotic infections, which have caused numerous outbreaks and pandemics, are a major focus of the One Health concept, which links human, animal, and environmental health. With the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent example, zoonoses not only impact public health but also society and the economy. One Health has played a crucial role in improving preparedness, surveillance, and mitigation of zoonotic diseases, benefiting humans, animals, and the environment.

🌟 Learn how this approach safeguards global health.

👉 Read the full review here: https://brnw.ch/21wPkf3

One Health fundamentally acknowledges that human health is linked to animal health and the environment. One of the pillars One Health is built on is zoonoses. Through the years, zoonotic infections have caused numerous outbreaks and pandemics, as well as millions of fatalities, with the COVID-19 pan...

10/12/2024

🌟 Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Lung Disease (NTM-LD): A Decade of Insights from Northern Poland 🌟

A study from the Regional Center of Pulmonology in Bydgoszcz analyzed 81,985 clinical specimens collected between 2013–2022 to evaluate NTM species and their clinical relevance. The most common species identified were M. kansasii and M. avium complex. Patients typically presented with symptoms such as cough, hemoptysis, and fever. Many were smokers, with conditions like COPD and diabetes being common comorbidities. Treatment usually included isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampicin, and ofloxacin. This research underscores the importance of diagnosing and managing NTM-LD in patients with predisposing conditions.

👉 Read more in our latest article: https://brnw.ch/21wPmvG

08/12/2024

🌟 A Novel Jeilongvirus Discovered in Florida

Researchers identified Gainesville rodent jeilong virus 1 (GRJV1) in a rodent from North-Central Florida. This virus shows broad host tropism, including human and primate cells, highlighting its potential for spillover.

🔬 Early detection efforts are vital for preventing outbreaks!

📖 Full study here: https://brnw.ch/21wPh9Y

08/12/2024

🎉 Welcome Prof. Dr. Deborah M. Anderson!

We’re thrilled to announce that Prof. Dr. Anderson has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief for “Bacterial Pathogens” in Pathogens.

Her groundbreaking research on Yersinia pestis and bacterial pathogenesis brings unparalleled expertise to the role.

📘 Read her Q&A on her vision for the journal and bacterial research here: https://brnw.ch/21wPh2N

07/12/2024

📢 New Issue Alert!

Pathogens, Volume 13, Issue 11 (November 2024) is out now!

🌟 Featured Article: Investigation of the Antimicrobial Resistance of Important Pathogens Isolated from Poultry (2015–2023) 🐓

Discover trends in antimicrobial resistance in pathogens like Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni across the U.S. poultry industry.

📖 Explore all articles: https://brnw.ch/21wPggf

07/12/2024

🐬 Brucella ceti Infections in Striped Dolphins

This study examines Brucella ceti infections in stranded dolphins along the Italian coast (2012–2021). Neurobrucellosis was a prominent finding, with co-infections, such as Cetacean Morbillivirus, also detected. Genetic analysis revealed four distinct clades, offering insights into this emerging pathogen's evolution.

🌊 Dive into the details:

Brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. In this study, we analyzed all cases of B. ceti infection detected in striped dolphins stranded along the Italian coastline between 2012 and 2021 (N = 24). We focused on the pathogenic role of B. ceti through detailed pathologica...

07/12/2024

🌍 Joining Forces Against Antibiotic Resistance: The One Health Solution 💊

Antibiotic resistance threatens human, animal, and environmental health. The One Health approach emphasizes collaboration across these sectors to combat resistant bacteria and protect medical and veterinary treatments.

🛡️ Explore strategies to reduce antibiotic misuse and ensure a healthier future.

📘 Read the article here:

Antibiotic resistance is a significant global health concern that affects both human and animal populations. The One Health approach acknowledges the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the environment. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration and coordination across these se...

06/12/2024

🦠 Understanding Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV)

RVFV is a mosquito-borne virus that impacts both humans and ruminants, causing febrile and hemorrhagic illnesses. The study explores how viral mutations influence immune responses, including antibody and T cell production, and highlights promising vaccine candidates.

💉 A step closer to controlling RVFV infections in humans and animals!

🔗 Full details here:

Rift Valley Fever Virus is a mosquito-borne phlebovirus causing febrile or haemorrhagic illness in ruminants and humans. The virus can prevent the induction of the antiviral interferon response through its NSs proteins. Mutations in the NSs gene may allow the induction of innate proinflammatory immu...

06/12/2024

💡 The Role of B Cells in Chronic Hepatitis B and C 🧬

Chronic hepatitis B and C cause over a million deaths annually. While T cells often take the spotlight, emerging research reveals a key role for B cells in disease progression. This review explores altered B cell responses, their activation and exhaustion, and how these dynamics affect antibody responses in these infections.

🔬 Discover how new technologies can advance our understanding of B cell involvement.

📖 Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21wPhOy

06/12/2024

📢 Epidemiology and Transmission of Theileria orientalis in Australasia 🌏

🐄 Oriental theileriosis, caused by the hemoprotozoan parasite Theileria orientalis, is a growing concern for cattle in Australasia. With clinical outbreaks rising since 2006, the review highlights the pathogenic genotypes Ikeda and Chitose and their transmission through vectors like the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. Learn more about how alternative transmission routes, such as insects and vertical transmission, play a role in this disease's spread.

👉 Read the full review here:

Oriental theileriosis, a disease primarily impacting cattle is caused by an apicomplexan hemoprotozoan parasite, Theileria orientalis. It has now become established in the Australasia region. The organism was long considered a benign cause of persistent infections; however, an increase in clinical o...

04/12/2024

Welcome Dr. Wei Liu as Section Editor-in-Chief

We are excited to announce that Dr. Wei Liu has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the "Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases" section in Pathogens.

Dr. Liu has over 20 years of research experience in emerging infectious diseases, focusing on zoonotic and tick-borne diseases. Her work has identified over ten emerging zoonotic pathogens and contributed significantly to understanding their epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical features.

Congratulations, Dr. Liu, and welcome aboard!

🌐 Learn more about her achievements: https://brnw.ch/21wPbnD