Emerging therapeutic options against filoviruses

St P. Reid, A. C. Shurtleff, Sina Bavari

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The highly pathogenic ebolaviruses and marburgviruses remain a significant human health concern since their discovery over 40 years ago. Sporadic outbreaks resulting in high fatality rates and the potential use of these viruses as bioweapons have prompted intense investigations aimed at identifying therapeutic countermeasures. While recent emphasis has been placed on the development of filovirus vaccine candidates, in particular, the use of replicating or non-replicating vaccine platforms, there has been significant progress made towards the discovery and development of small-molecule and nucleic acid-based therapeutics. A number of these advances have resulted from the identification of new viral or host cell targets. These targets are found through continued investigation and elucidation of the mechanisms underlying viral pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the progress of these novel small-molecule inhibitors, as well as recent advances in gene targeting against filoviruses. In addition, emerging data on cellular defense systems, such as the antioxidant response, will be addressed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)343-351
Number of pages9
JournalDrugs of the Future
Volume37
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antioxidants
  • Ebolavirus
  • Filoviruses
  • Marburgvirus
  • Small-molecule inhibitors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacology (medical)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Emerging therapeutic options against filoviruses'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this