Immunothrombosis in Emerging Tropical Diseases: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Clinical Implications

Immunothrombosis is increasingly recognized as a key pathophysiological process in emerging tropical diseases, linking innate immune responses, endothelial injury, platelet activation, and coagulation disturbances. In infections such as dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, chikungunya, and other re-emerging tropical illnesses, hemostatic alterations extend beyond the classical view of hemorrhagic complications and instead reflect a complex continuum between bleeding and thrombosis. This bidirectional imbalance is driven by inflammatory cytokines, endothelial dysfunction, platelet–leukocyte interactions, neutrophil extracellular traps, and activation of the coagulation cascade, all of which may initially contribute to host defense but can also promote microvascular injury, organ dysfunction, and disease severity. Although growing evidence supports the central role of immunothrombosis in shaping clinical outcomes, important gaps remain in understanding its molecular mechanisms and identifying reliable, affordable biomarkers for early risk stratification, particularly in resource-limited endemic settings. Advancing knowledge in this field is essential for improving diagnosis and prognostication, and for developing targeted therapeutic strategies in tropical infectious diseases.Emerging and re-emerging tropical infectious diseases continue to pose a major global health challenge, particularly in endemic and resource-limited settings. Although hemostatic alterations have long been associated mainly with hemorrhagic manifestations, growing evidence indicates that these diseases involve a broader, more complex spectrum of dysregulation in which inflammation, endothelial injury, platelet activation, and coagulation converge to drive immunothrombosis. This Research Topic aims to advance current understanding of the mechanisms underlying immunothrombotic processes in tropical diseases such as dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, chikungunya, and other neglected or emerging infections, as well as their clinical consequences. To this end, we seek contributions spanning basic, translational, and clinical research that clarify the molecular and cellular pathways involved, identify robust and accessible biomarkers for early diagnosis and risk stratification, and evaluate potential therapeutic approaches targeting thromboinflammatory pathways. Special emphasis will be placed on studies relevant to low-resource settings, where disease burden is highest and access to diagnostic and therapeutic tools remains limited. By promoting a multidisciplinary and integrative perspective, this Topic aims to support the development of evidence-based strategies to improve prognostication, patient management, and clinical outcomes in tropical infectious diseases.This Research Topic will focus on the expanding concept of immunothrombosis as a central mechanism in the pathophysiology of emerging and re-emerging tropical infectious diseases. We aim to explore the full spectrum of hemostatic alterations, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between coagulation pathways, innate and adaptive immune responses, platelet activation, and endothelial dysfunction. Particular attention will be given to how these interconnected processes contribute to both protective host responses and pathological outcomes, including microvascular thrombosis, organ dysfunction, and hemorrhagic complications.We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Molecular and cellular mechanisms of immunothrombosis in tropical infections;• Platelet activation, platelet–immune cell interactions, and platelet dysfunction;• Endothelial activation, vascular permeability, and microvascular injury;• Role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and thromboinflammatory pathways;• Coagulopathy and dysregulation of fibrinolysis in infectious diseases;• Comparative hemostatic profiles across diseases such as dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, chikungunya, and other neglected or emerging pathogens;• Identification and validation of biomarkers for disease severity, prognosis, and risk stratification;• Development of accessible, point-of-care, and field-adapted diagnostic tools for resource-limited settings;• Clinical implications of hemostatic imbalance, including both thrombotic and hemorrhagic manifestations;• Therapeutic strategies targeting immunothrombosis and thromboinflammation;• Epidemiological and global health perspectives on coagulation disorders in tropical diseases.We encourage submissions spanning basic, translational, and clinical research. The types of manuscripts of interest include original research articles, systematic reviews, narrative reviews, and mini-reviews. Perspectives, commentaries, and hypothesis-driven articles proposing novel conceptual frameworks, methodological approaches, or therapeutic strategies are also highly encouraged. Contributions that integrate multidisciplinary approaches, such as immunology, hematology, infectious diseases, vascular biology, and global health, and that address challenges in endemic, resource-constrained settings will be particularly valued. Topic editors: María Teresa Hernández-Huerta, Hector A. Cabrera-Fuentes Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79988/immunothrombosis-in-emerging-tropical-diseases-mechanisms-biomarkers-and-clinical-implications