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Call for papers - HIV long-acting treatments: prophylactic and therapeutic

Guest Editors

Antonella Castagna, MD, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy
Stefano Rusconi, MD, DIBIC, University of Milan, Italy

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 31 July 2024
 

BMC Infectious Diseases is calling for submissions to our Collection on HIV long-acting treatments: prophylactic and therapeutic. In recent years, long-acting treatments have emerged as a promising frontier in HIV management, encompassing both prophylactic and therapeutic modalities. These innovative approaches hold the potential to revolutionize the landscape of HIV care, addressing not only the challenges of treatment adherence but also expanding the toolkit for prevention strategies. This Collection calls for novel research, spanning from laboratory-based investigations to clinical trials and public health studies, in order to shed light on the diverse aspects of long-acting treatments for HIV.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Antonella Castagna, MD, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy         

Dr Antonella Castagna, MD, is Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Full Professor at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, Italy. She was clinical group leader of the HIV Infection Management and Antiretroviral Therapy Unit at San Raffaele Scientific Institute. Her research focuses on the impact of long-term HIV comorbidities, the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies, including long-acting therapy, and the study of multidrug-resistant virus as well as the clinical implications associated with the occurrence of residual viremia. 

Stefano Rusconi, MD, DIBIC, University of Milan, Italy

Dr Stefano Rusconi, MD, is an associate professor in infectious diseases at the DIBIC, University of Milan, Italy, since February 2015. His post-graduate specialties are in allergy and clinical immunology and infectious diseases. Dr Rusconi is the Chief of the I.D. Unit, Legnano General Hospital, Italy, since February 2021.


About the Collection

BMC Infectious Diseases is calling for submissions to our Collection on HIV long-acting treatments: prophylactic and therapeutic. 

The field of HIV research has made remarkable strides since the identification of the virus in the early 1980s. Over the decades, advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have significantly improved the quality of life for people living with HIV and have played a pivotal role in reducing transmission rates. Yet, the quest for more effective, convenient, and accessible treatments continues.

In recent years, long-acting treatments have emerged as a promising frontier in HIV management, encompassing both prophylactic and therapeutic modalities. These innovative approaches hold the potential to revolutionize the landscape of HIV care, addressing not only the challenges of treatment adherence but also expanding the toolkit for prevention strategies.

This Collection calls for novel research, spanning from laboratory-based investigations to clinical trials and public health studies, in order to shed light on the diverse aspects of long-acting treatments for HIV.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Long-acting antiretroviral therapies: research exploring the development, mechanisms, and clinical applications of long-acting antiretroviral agents, including their efficacy, safety, and impact on treatment outcomes
  • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): investigations into long-acting PrEP modalities and their potential to enhance HIV prevention efforts, particularly among high-risk populations
  • Treatment and prevention integration: studies assessing the feasibility and impact of integrating long-acting treatments into comprehensive HIV care and prevention programs
  • Patient perspectives: research that examines patient experiences, preferences, and acceptability of long-acting therapies, addressing issues related to quality of life and treatment satisfaction
  • Public health implications: studies evaluating the public health impact and cost-effectiveness of implementing long-acting treatments as part of HIV prevention and treatment strategies
  • Mechanisms of action: investigations elucidating the mechanisms underlying the sustained action of long-acting treatments, including pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, and immunological responses
  • Resistance and adherence: research exploring the potential emergence of drug resistance and the impact of long-acting treatments on adherence behaviors


This collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.


Image credit: gamjai / stock.adobe.com

  1. Mother-to-child transmission is the primary cause of HIV cases among children. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) plays a critical role in preventing mother-to-child transmission and reducing HIV progression, morbid...

    Authors: Fatemeh Mehrabi, Mohammad Karamouzian, Behnam Farhoudi, Shahryar Moradi Falah Langeroodi, Soheil Mehmandoost, Samaneh Abbaszadeh, Shahrzad Motaghi, Ali Mirzazadeh, Behnam Sadeghirad and Hamid Sharifi
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:417
    Content type: Systematic Review Published on:

  2. In 2022, the WHO reported that 29.8 million people around the world were living with HIV (PLHIV) and receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), including 25‌ 375 people in Gabon (54% of all those living with HI...

    Authors: Guy Francis Nzengui-Nzengui, Gaël Mourembou, Hervé M’boyis-Kamdem, Ayawa Claudine Kombila-Koumavor and Angélique Ndjoyi-Mbiguino
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:316
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. This study aimed to assess weight gain associated with treatment switching to INSTI-based regimens in people living with HIV (PLWH) and to determine whether it is accompanied by worsening features of hypertens...

    Authors: Omer Maman, Wiessam Abu Ahmad, Ofer Perzon, Keren Mahlab-Guri, Daniel Elbirt and Hila Elinav
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:221
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. This study aimed to understand the basic situation of adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Meigu County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The information ...

    Authors: Li Yuan, Kaiyou Chen, Yuanfang Cai, Zhonghui Zhou, Ju Yang, Wuti Jiqu, Qirong Zhu, Hong Zhang, Shaowei Niu and Hui Sun
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:155
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Among people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART), the mortality of immunological non-responders (INRs) is higher than that of immunological responders (IRs). However, factors associated wit...

    Authors: Heping Zhao, Anping Feng, Dan Luo, Tanwei Yuan, Yi-Fan Lin, Xuemei Ling, Huolin Zhong, Junbin Li, Linghua Li and Huachun Zou
    Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2024 24:138
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "HIV long-acting treatments: prophylactic and therapeutic" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.