The polyomaviruses are small DNA viruses that can establish latency in the human host. The name polyomavirus is derived from the Greek roots poly-, which means “many,”� and -oma, which means “tumours.”� These viruses were originally isolated in mouse (mPyV) and in monkey (SV40). In 1971, the first human polyomaviruses BK and JC were isolated and subsequently demonstrated to be ubiquitous in the human population. From 2007 and 2012, at least eight other members of the Polyomaviridae family have been identified: KI polyomavirus (KIV), WU polyomavirus (WUV), Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), Human Polyomavirus 6 and 7 (HPyV6, HPyV7), the Trichodysplasia Spinulosa-associated Virus (TSPyV), the Human Polyomavirus 9 (HPyV9), and, finally, the MW polyomavirus (MWPyV). While some of them are playing an etiological role in known disorders and malignancies in immunosuppressed patients, no specific human diseases have been associated to the infections of the others.

The recent identification of many components of the Polyomaviridae family that are able to infect humans represents a strong incentive for the scientific community to improve and increase the research on the potentialities of these viruses. Moreover, the ubiquity and persistent nature of polyomaviruses make them very challenging in order to define the mechanisms of their pathogenicity.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will improve the knowledge about these viruses, their mechanisms of pathogenicity, their interaction with the host and with the immune system, the classical and the more innovative molecular diagnosis, and the therapeutic approach. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Elucidating the role of host factors in the development of cellular immunity
• Elucidating the role of host factors in the development of innate immunity
• Impact of immunosuppressive agents on virus-specific immune response
• Identifying key immune factors that differentiate the latent viral status from the lytic viral status
• Cellular and animal models to test the interaction between polyomaviruses and the host
• The influence of coinfection with other infectious agents, such as HIV-1, on polyomaviruses immunity
• Development of immunotherapeutic strategies to treat polyomaviruses infection
• Immunity of the polyomaviruses-associated tumors

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