Vaccines based on trained immunity to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses one of the greatest threats to global public health, with excessive antibiotic use driving the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens and disrupting the human microbiome. Trained immunity, an epigenetic reprogramming of innate immune cells like monocytes and macrophages, offers a paradigm shift by enhancing non-specific antimicrobial responses through heterologous memory independent of adaptive immunity. Recent advances in vaccine development, including BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) and novel adjuvants, demonstrate how trained immunity can reduce infection rates and antibiotic needs, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children and immunocompromised patients. This Research Topic explores the intersection of innate immune training with AMR challenges, bridging basic immunology, clinical trials, and public health strategies to foster sustainable solutions beyond traditional antibiotics.This Research Topic addresses the urgent crisis of AMR by investigating vaccines and immunomodulatory strategies leveraging trained immunity to curtail antibiotic reliance and enhance infection control. Key problems include overuse of antibiotics in pediatric viral infections, diminished vaccine efficacy in immunocompromised hosts, and the need for broad-spectrum alternatives that reprogram innate immunity for long-term protection. Recent breakthroughs, such as beta-glucan and mRNA-based trained immunity inducers, alongside clinical data from BCG revaccination trials, show promise in reducing bacterial burden and sepsis mortality. By integrating multidisciplinary approaches—from mechanistic studies on epigenetic modifications (e.g., H3K4me3) to real-world policy impacts—this collection aims to accelerate translation into novel diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that synergize innate and adaptive arms, ultimately informing global health policies for AMR mitigation.This Research Topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and clinical case reports examining trained immunity-based vaccines as countermeasures to AMR. Contributions should address the interplay between innate/adaptive immunity and innovative therapeutic alternatives, with emphasis on clinical translation and policy implications. Specific themes include:• Novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, including immunomodulatory and vaccine-based approaches targeting trained immunity.• The immune system's role in reducing antibiotic use and improving infection control, particularly via heterologous vaccine effects.• Consequences of excessive antibiotic use in pediatric viral infections on the developing microbiome and immunological alternatives.• Reduced vaccine efficacy in immunocompromised patients and new platforms stimulating trained innate immunity (e.g., BCG, beta-glucans).• Integration of patient perspectives, healthcare systems, and international organizations in AMR policy and vaccine deployment.Submissions from diverse viewpoints—basic, clinical, epidemiological, and policy-oriented—are encouraged to advance sustainable immunological solutions.Please note that Topic Editor Silvia Sánchez-Ramón is PI Clinical trial of Immunotek and has received speaker fees with Inmunotek; Topic Editor Oscar Palomares has received research grants from MINECO, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Inmunotek S.L., Novartis, and AstraZeneca and fees for giving scientific lectures or participation in Advisory Boards from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Inmunotek S.L, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme and Regeneron. Topic editors: Silvia Sánchez-Ramón, Oscar Palomares, Yvelise Barrios Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76973/vaccines-based-on-trained-immunity-to-combat-antimicrobial-resistance-amr