Decoding the Game: Cellular Mechanisms of Viral Immune Evasion and Precision Antiviral Interventions

The evolutionary relationship between viruses and their hosts is fundamentally a battle waged at the cellular level. After infection, the host deploys adaptive immune mechanisms to limit viral replication and transmission. In response, viruses evolve complex strategies to hijack cellular machinery, evade immune surveillance, and establish persistent infections. These evasion strategies range from modulating host-cell metabolism and disrupting post-translational modification pathways to directly inducing immune cell exhaustion. Although traditional antiviral drug development mainly focuses on targeting viral enzymes, this approach is often undermined by the rapid emergence of drug-resistant mutations. Therefore, the paradigm is shifting toward host-directed therapies and interventions targeting the virus-host interface. This ongoing struggle necessitates a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism between virus and host.A critical gap remains between our molecular understanding of viral immune evasion and the development of effective antiviral therapies. Traditional pathogen-targeted approaches are increasingly challenged by the high mutation rates of RNA viruses and the complexity of chronic infections, which frequently lead to therapeutic failure. This Research Topic aims to bridge this gap by promoting a multidisciplinary exploration of the virus-host relationship. We seek to assemble studies that not only analyze the molecular mechanisms by which viruses subvert cellular immunity, but also translate these findings into actionable strategies. The goal of this Research Topic is to reveal new directions in the virus life cycle and host immune dysfunction, and lay the foundation for the development of new intervention strategies, including host-directed therapy, small-molecule inhibitors, and immune modulators, to restore antiviral function.This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods, Perspective and Opinion addressing viral immune evasion mechanisms and the development of precision antiviral interventions. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: o Molecular Mechanisms of Immune Evasion: Studies on how viruses manipulate host post-translational modifications, autophagy, or inflammatory signaling to escape immune recognition. o Mechanisms of innate immune sensing disruption: Elucidating how viral proteins antagonize pattern recognition receptor (PRR) pathways, including RIG-I, MDA5, and cGAS-STING signaling cascades.o Interferon signaling blockade: targeting viral strategies that subvert JAK-STAT signaling and impair interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) induction.o Structural insights into immune evasion proteins: high-resolution structural characterization of viral immunomodulatory proteins that neutralize host immune effectors such as complement factors, cytokines, or antibodies.o High-throughput screening for immune evasion determinants: employing CRISPR, proteomic, or single-cell transcriptomic approaches to uncover novel viral genes and host interactions governing immune evasion. Topic editors: Changjie Lv, Chao Yang, Adelijiang Wusiman Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79077/decoding-the-game-cellular-mechanisms-of-viral-immune-evasion-and-precision-antiviral-interventions