The innate-to-adaptive transition during viral infection

The transition from early innate sensing to effective adaptive immunity determines whether viral infection is controlled, becomes persistent, or causes immunopathology. Dendritic cell maturation and licensing, antigen transport, cytokine and chemokine environments, costimulation, and tissue migration collectively shape T-cell priming and differentiation. Recent single-cell and spatial studies have begun to resolve the cellular interactions that connect infected tissues with lymphoid organs, while work on trained immunity suggests that prior innate stimulation can influence later adaptive responses. Despite these advances, the timing, location, and molecular basis of the innate-to-adaptive handoff remain incompletely understood. Research that treats these systems as parallel rather than connected processes does not fully explain the development of protective immunity.This Research Topic aims to define the mechanisms linking innate detection of viruses with the initiation, polarisation, and quality of adaptive immune responses. It will focus on direct transition and feedback mechanisms, including dendritic cell licensing, cytokine-mediated T-cell programming, antigen presentation, innate memory, and tissue-specific communication. Studies using temporal, single-cell, spatial, multi-omic, or functional approaches are particularly encouraged when they resolve how innate events determine subsequent adaptive outcomes.To gather further insights in the interface between innate and adaptive antiviral immunity, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Dendritic cell activation, licensing, and antigen presentationo Cytokine and chemokine control of T-cell primingo Innate shaping of humoral (B-cell/antibody) responses o Antigen transport from infected tissues to lymphoid organso Feedback between innate and adaptive immune compartmentso Trained immunity and subsequent adaptive responseso Spatial organisation of immune handoff mechanismso Temporal studies of early infection and adaptive initiationo Single-cell and multi-omic analysis of immune transitionso Mechanisms linking innate signalling to durable immune memoryo NK cells (memory)/ILCs as innate-adaptive bridges, alongside dendritic cells Topic editors: Wildeman Zapata-Builes, Hashaam Akhtar Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84931/the-innate-to-adaptive-transition-during-viral-infection