The molecular and cellular processes involved in the recognition, binding, uptake and defense against viruses by host cells and tissues.
Virus taxonomy: Study of virus classification and nomenclature.
Virus structure: Study of viral particle structural components, capsid, envelope, and their functions.
Virus replication cycles: Study of the steps of virus infection and replication within the host.
Mechanisms of viral entry: Study of how viruses access host cells and the different pathways.
Host immune response: Study of the immune system's response to viral infections, including innate and adaptive immunity.
Interferons: Study of these proteins that help protect against viral infections.
Cytokine signaling: Study of cytokine signaling and how it affects the immune response during viral infections.
Viral evasion mechanisms: Study of how viruses can evade the host immune response.
Viral latency: Study of viruses' ability to establish persistent infections and long-term latency.
Viral oncology: Study of the evolution and molecular mechanisms of viruses that can cause cancer.
Antiviral treatments: Study of the different types of antiviral drugs used to combat viral infections.
Emerging viruses: Study of viruses that recently appeared or mutated into novel strains with pandemic potential.
Zoonotic diseases: Study of diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Viral genomics: Study of genomic variations and the molecular evolution of viruses.
Systems virology: Study of host-virus interactions at the systems-level to understand the complex behavior of viruses during infection.
Lytic infection: In this type of interaction, the virus enters the host cell, replicates its genetic material, and destroys the host cell. This type of virus-host interaction is characterized by a rapid burst of viral progeny released from the infected cell.
Lysogenic infection: In this type of interaction, the virus integrates its genetic material into the host genome and is replicated along with the host DNA. During lysogenic infection, the virus remains latent until it is triggered to enter the lytic cycle.
Persistent infection: This type of virus-host interaction is characterized by the continuous production of low levels of viral progeny, which allows the host cell to survive while still producing virus.
Abortive infection: In this type of interaction, the virus enters the host cell, but is not able to complete its replication cycle. This results in the death of the infected cell and an inability for the virus to generate progeny.
Oncogenic infection: In this type of interaction, the virus can integrate its genetic material into the host genome and induce oncogenic transformation, leading to the development of tumors.
Latent infection: In this type of interaction, the virus enters the host cell, but does not produce viral progeny immediately. Instead, the virus remains dormant until it is reactivated by a specific stimulus.
Chronic infection: In this type of interaction, the virus persists in the host for an extended period of time, often resulting in chronic disease.
Acute infection: In this type of interaction, the virus replicates rapidly in the host, causing a rapid onset of disease symptoms, but generally clears within a short period of time.
Immunity evasion: Some viruses have mechanisms to evade the host immune response, allowing them to persist and continue to infect the host.
Co-infection: This interaction occurs when multiple viruses infect the same host cell and can lead to complex and unpredictable outcomes.
Interference: In this type of interaction, two viruses with similar replication mechanisms compete for host machinery to replicate, leading to either enhanced or reduced replication for either virus.
Superinfection: This is a type of interaction where a host already infected by one virus is then infected by another virus.
Latent integration: In this type of virus-host interaction, viral genome integration into the host DNA is not followed by proper transcription of the viral genes.
Interference with host signaling pathways: Some viruses modify host signaling pathways to facilitate their own replication, while other viruses suppress host signaling pathways to evade host defenses.
Modification of host epigenetics: Some viruses may modify host epigenetic markers, which can lead to altered host gene expression, immune response modulation, and other cellular effects.