Spumaretroviruses: Research and Applications
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Viruses".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2025 | Viewed by 460
Special Issue Editors
Interests: retrovirus biology and genomics; in vitro models for virus-host interactions; SIV monkey models; viral vaccines; high-throughput sequencing; bioinformatics; novel virus discovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: oncovirology; retrovirology; virus-host interactions; retrolement expression in cancer; HIV and cancer
Interests: virus—host interactions; molecular and cellular biology of retroviruses; development and application of retroviral vector systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: virus—host interactions; molecular and cellular biology of retroviruses in vitro and in vivo; foamy virus vector systems for gene delivery and antigen presentation; infection, inflammation, and cancer
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Spumaretroviruses (generally called foamy viruses (FVs)), belonging to the subfamily Spumaretrovirinae, are complex retroviruses with unique features in their replication that set them apart from the majority of the “conventional” members of the Orthoretrovirinae subfamily. Evolutionary studies have revealed that FVs are the most ancient retroviruses, with endogenous elements present in the five major classes of vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish). Exogenous FVs circulate and co-speciate with their mammalian hosts such as non-human primates, bovines, equines, and felines, and inter-species infections can occur. Furthermore, cross-species infections can occur in humans through exposure to infected non-human primates. The co-existence of FVs with their hosts and the potential of FVs as co-pathogens are topics of intense investigation, as are the interactions of FVs with innate immunity and immune recognition and evasion. The FV molecular biology is unique and provides exciting insights into the breadth of retrovirus replication strategies. Additionally, FVs are an excellent model organism for retroviruses in general; in fact, the first atomic structure of the intasome complex containing full-length retroviral integrase was from a prototype FV and serves as a blueprint for corresponding investigations in other retroelements. Due to their apparent lack of pathogenicity and other features such as their broad tropism, FVs are engineered as novel vectors for gene therapy, vaccine antigen expression, and targeted protein and RNA transfer.
This Special Issue aims to provide new insights and a comprehensive overview of all aspects of FV biology including molecular and cell biology, genomics, virus–host interactions, molecular evolution, epidemiology, structural biology, gene therapy vectors, and translational research. We cordially invite you to contribute original papers and review articles on these and related topics to highlight recent advances in spumaretrovirus research.
Dr. Arifa S. Khan
Dr. Marcelo A. Soares
Dr. Dirk Lindemann
Dr. Martin Löchelt
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- ancient retroviruses
- antivirals
- complex retroviruses
- endogenous elements
- foamy viruses
- foamy virus-host interactions
- foamy virus prevalence
- foamy virus vectors
- immune responses
- molecular biology and replication
- natural infections
- nonhuman primates and non-primates
- restriction factors spumaretroviruses
- structural biology
- taxonomy
- viral proteins
- virus detection assays
- zoonoses
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