The Interplay of Microbiota and Polyomaviruses in Human Health and Disease
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 103
Special Issue Editor
Interests: human polyomaviruses; Merkel cell polyomavirus; oncogenesis; microRNAs; DNA damage response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
It is currently recognized that viral infections and changes in the composition of microbiota can contribute to the development of human diseases. Human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) are small non-enveloped DNA viruses widely distributed among the population. Following initial asymptomatic infection, HPyVs establish a lifelong persistence as part of the body microbiota, with low levels of replication and shedding. However, in immunocompromised conditions, viral reactivation can occur, posing a significant pathogenic treat. JC, BK and Merkel Cell polyomaviruses (JCPyV, BKPyV, MCPyV) are well known to be disease-associated. In particular, MCPyV is the only one responsible for human cancer. It is significant to note that infections with these viruses do not necessarily lead to disease, but they can be one of many contributing factors to pathogenesis. Virus-associated diseases generally develop as part of persistent infection over many years. In this context, the dynamic interactions among latent/persistent HPyVs infection and other components of microbiota may be crucial for the onset of various human diseases. Understanding these relationships may contribute towards identifying diagnostic and prognostic markers or pathways to recognize or characterize virus-associated disorders early. In this Special Issue, we intend to explore some aspects to better understand the interplay within HPyVs and microbiota and its contribution to human diseases. Studies on cellular pathways altered by these interactions and potentially involved in disease progression are welcome.
Dr. Valeria Pietropaolo
Guest Editor
We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Sara Passerini of "Sapienza" University for her noteworthy contributions to the special issue.
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- human polyomaviruses (HPyVs)
- microbiota
- co-infection patterns
- cancer
- diagnostic markers
- cellular pathways
- immunosuppression
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
