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Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Microbiology and Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

The recent emergence of Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, in the Americas has shed light on the severe neurological diseases associated with infection, notably congenital microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Despite the recent focus on Zika virus, there are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies available to treat or prevent infection. In this study we established a competitive amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay (ALPHAscreen) to identify small molecule inhibitors targeting the envelope protein of Zika virus (Zika E). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 13;164:91-96. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, VIDRL, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia. Electronic address:

Baloxavir Marboxil (BXM) is an influenza polymerase inhibitor antiviral that binds to the endonuclease region in the PA subunit of influenza A and B viruses. To establish the baseline susceptibility of viruses circulating prior to licensure of BXM and to monitor for susceptibility post-BXM use, a cell culture-based focus reduction assay was developed to determine the susceptibility of 286 circulating seasonal influenza viruses, A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), B (Yamagata/Victoria) lineage viruses, including neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) resistant viruses, to Baloxavir Acid (BXA), the active metabolic form of BXM. BXA was effective against all influenza subtypes tested with mean EC values (minimum-maximum) of 0. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laval, Canada. Electronic address:

More than 290 million people have chronic HBV infection and are at risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV subviral particles are produced in large excess over virions in infected patients and are the primary source of HBsAg, which is postulated to be important in allowing HBV to chronically persist by interfering with immune function. Nucleic acid polymers (NAPs) have been shown to result in clearance of HBsAg from the blood in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 12;164:70-80. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Saint Louis University Liver Center, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address:

We recently developed a screening system capable of identifying and evaluating inhibitors of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) ribonuclease H (RNaseH), which is the only HBV enzyme not targeted by current anti-HBV therapies. Inhibiting the HBV RNaseH blocks synthesis of the positive-polarity DNA strand, causing early termination of negative-polarity DNA synthesis and accumulation of RNA:DNA heteroduplexes. We previously reported inhibition of HBV replication by N-hydroxyisoquinolinediones (HID) and N-hydroxypyridinediones (HPD) in human hepatoma cells. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 8;164:81-90. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. Electronic address:

In search of novel targets for influenza inhibitors, a site on PB1 was selected for its high conservation and probable interaction with a host protein, RanBP5, that is key to nuclear import of PB1, where it complexes with PB2, PA, and NP to transcribe viral RNA. Docking with libraries of drug-like compounds led to a selection of five candidates that bound tightly and with a pose likely to inhibit protein binding. These were purchased and tested in vitro, found to be active, and then one was synthetically expanded to explore the structure-activity relationship. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Center for Bio/molecular Science and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. Electronic address:

The alphaviral nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) cysteine proteases (EC 3.4.22. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 8;164:61-69. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Disease, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA.

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a new world alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family, causes periodic disease outbreaks in humans and equines with high associated mortality and morbidity. VEEV is highly infectious via the aerosol route and so has been developed as a biological weapon (Hawley and Eitzen, 2001). Despite its current classification as a category B select agent, there are no FDA approved vaccines or therapeutics to counter VEEV infections. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 8;164:52-60. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35121, Padua, Italy. Electronic address:

The identification and validation of new small molecules able to inhibit the replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) remains a priority to develop alternatives to the currently used DNA polymerase inhibitors, which are often burdened by long-term toxicity and emergence of cross-resistance. To contribute to this advancement, here we report on the characterization of the mechanism of action of a bioactive plant-derived alkaloid, berberine (BBR), selected in a previous drug repurposing screen expressly devised to identify early inhibitors of HCMV replication. Low micromolar concentrations of BBR were confirmed to suppress the replication of different HCMV strains, including clinical isolates and strains resistant to approved DNA polymerase inhibitors. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 6;164:12-22. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Virus-like particle (VLP) technology is an attractive platform for the development of seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines. Influenza VLPs can be obtained by the overexpression of HA, M1, NA, and/or M2 viral proteins in insect, mammalian, or plant cells. In this study, we reported to obtain highly immunogenic influenza VLPs by molecular incorporation with B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) or proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Jan 31;164:1-11. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Virología, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease and bronchiolitis in children worldwide. No vaccine or specific, effective treatment is currently available. β-escin is one of the main bioactive constituents of Aesculus hippocastanum L. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 31;163:185-192. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

RECAMO, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53, Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in a variety of fundamental cellular processes, including carcinogenesis. The potential utilization of aberrantly expressed miRNAs as novel biomarkers in cervical cancer diagnostics is growing. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 31;163:149-155. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Background & Aims: Chlorcyclizine HCl (CCZ) is a piperazine-class antihistamine with anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity in vitro and in vivo. In a first-in-humans study for HCV, we evaluated the antiviral effects and safety of CCZ±ribavirin (RBV), characterized pharmacokinetic (PK) and viral kinetic (VK) patterns, and provide insights into CCZs mode of action against HCV.

Methods: Chronic HCV patients were randomized to CCZ (75 mg twice daily) or CCZ+weight-based RBV (1000/1200 mg daily) for 28 days. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Jan 31;164:23-51. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an illness caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection which is often limited to a febrile illness, but may lead to very aggressive downstream neurological manifestations. The disease is prevalent in forested areas of Europe and northeastern Asia, and is typically caused by infection involving one of three TBEV subtypes, namely the European (TBEV-Eu), the Siberian (TBEV-Sib), or the Far Eastern (TBEV-FE) subtypes. In addition to the three main TBEV subtypes, two other subtypes; i. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 26;163:125-139. Epub 2019 Jan 26.

National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA. Electronic address:

The New World alphaviruses, Venezuelan, eastern and western equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV), are important human pathogens due to their ability to cause varying levels of morbidity and mortality in humans. There is also concern about VEEV and EEEV being used as bioweapons. Currently, a FDA-approved antiviral is lacking for New World alphaviruses. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 25;163:140-148. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, USA.

The Global Virus Network (GVN) was established in 2011 to strengthen research and responses to emerging viral causes of human disease and to prepare against new viral pandemics. There are now 45 GVN Centers of Excellence and 7 Affiliate laboratories in 29 countries. The 10th International GVN meeting was held from November 28-30, 2018 in Veyrier du Lac, France and was co-hosted by the two GVN Centers of Excellence, the Mérieux Foundation and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 25;163:91-105. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU of Quebec and Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. Electronic address:

The prevention and treatment of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections is based on the use of antiviral agents that currently target the viral DNA polymerase and that may cause serious side effects. The search for novel inhibitors against HCMV infection led to the discovery of new molecular targets, the viral terminase complex and the viral pUL97 kinase. The most advanced compounds consist of letermovir (LMV) and maribavir (MBV). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 23;163:75-81. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.

Background: Baloxavir marboxil (baloxavir) is an antiviral drug that inhibits the viral "cap-snatching" step in virus RNA transcription initiation. In Phase 2 study, baloxavir significantly shortend the time to alleviation of symptoms (TTAS) and showed significantly greater reduction in influenza virus titer compared with placebo. This provides additional outcomes including efficacy against virus types/subtypes and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 23;163:117-124. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia. Electronic address:

The phenoxazine scaffold is widely used to stabilize nucleic acid duplexes, as a part of fluorescent probes for the study of nucleic acid structure, recognition, and metabolism, etc. Here we present the synthesis of phenoxazine-based nucleoside derivatives and their antiviral activity against a panel of structurally diverse viruses: enveloped DNA herpesviruses varicella zoster virus (VZV) and human cytomegalovirus, enveloped RNA tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), and non-enveloped RNA enteroviruses. Studied compounds were effective against DNA and RNA viruses reproduction in cell culture. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 24;163:70-74. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA. Electronic address:

Effective antiviral treatments for MERS-CoV are urgently needed. LCA60 is a MERS-CoV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody isolated from a convalescent MERS patient. Previously, it was shown that treatment with LCA60 resulted in reduced disease and virus titers in mouse models of MERS-CoV infection. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 21;163:50-58. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

University College London, London, UK.

Background: Double-stranded (ds) DNA virus infections often occur concomitantly in immunocompromised patients. We performed a systematic search of published in vitro activity for nine approved and investigational antivirals to understand the spectrum of in vitro activity against dsDNA viruses.

Methods: A literature search was performed (PubMed and the WoS Core Collection) using keywords related to: 1) targeted approved/developmental antivirals (acyclovir, artesunate, brincidofovir, cidofovir, cyclopropavir (filociclovir), foscarnet, ganciclovir, letermovir, and maribavir); 2) pathogenic dsDNA viruses; 3) in vitro activity. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 19;163:82-90. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Microbiology & Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. Electronic address:

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) remains a major public health burden domestically and abroad. Current approved therapies, including ganciclovir, are only moderately efficacious, with many transplant patients suffering from a variety of side effects. A major impediment to the efficacy of current anti-HCMV drugs is their antiviral effects are restricted to the lytic stage of viral replication. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 19;163:106-116. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Junior Research Group Arenavirus Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany; Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT, USA. Electronic address:

Arenaviruses cause several viral hemorrhagic fevers endemic to Africa and South America. The respective causative agents are classified as biosafety level (BSL) 4 pathogens. Unlike for most other BSL4 agents, for the New World arenavirus Junín virus (JUNV) both a highly effective vaccination (Candid#1) and a post-exposure treatment, based on convalescent plasma transfer, are available. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 14;163:34-49. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Ruhr-University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Bochum, Germany. Electronic address:

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E in humans and is the leading cause of enterically-transmitted viral hepatitis worldwide. Increasing numbers of HEV infections, together with no available specific anti-HEV treatment, contributes to the pathogen's major health burden. A robust cell culture system is required for virologic studies and the development of new antiviral drugs. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 14;163:29-33. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Antiviral Research, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano Turin, Italy. Electronic address:

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging infectious viral pathogen associated with severe fetal cerebral anomalies and the paralytic Guillain-Barrè syndrome in adults. It was the cause of a recent global health crisis following its entrance into a naïve population in the Americas. Nowadays, no vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV is available. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 11;163:59-69. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, AFMB UMR 7257, Marseille, France; Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207-IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France. Electronic address:

Alphaviruses such as the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) are important human emerging pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes. They possess a unique viral mRNA capping mechanism catalyzed by the viral non-structural protein nsP1, which is essential for virus replication. The alphaviruses capping starts by the methylation of a GTP molecule by the N7-guanine methyltransferase (MTase) activity; nsP1 then forms a covalent link with mGMP releasing pyrophosphate (GT reaction) and the mGMP is next transferred onto the 5'-diphosphate end of the viral mRNA to form a cap-0 structure. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 11;163:11-18. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science & Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address:

Despite the utmost importance of cccDNA in HBV biology, the mechanism by which cccDNA synthesis is regulated is not completely understood. Here we explored HepG2-NTCP cell line and performed a time-course HBV infection experiment (up to 30 days) to follow the conversion of the input viral DNA into cccDNA. We found that a protein-free RC DNA (PF-RC DNA) become detectable as early as 12 h post infection (hpi) prior to the detection of cccDNA, which become evident only at 2-3 dpi. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 9;163:19-28. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Nucleoprotein is highly conserved among each type of influenza viruses (A and B) and has received significant attention as a good target for universal influenza vaccine. In this study, we determined whether a recombinant adenovirus encoding nucleoprotein of type B influenza virus (rAd/B-NP) confers protection against influenza virus infection in mice. We also identified a cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope in the nucleoprotein to determine B-NP-specific CD8 T-cell responses. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 6;162:151-162. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Electronic address:

The heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) inhibitor, VER-155008 (VER), was explored as a potential antiviral agent for two RNA viruses important to fish aquaculture, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV). Studies were done at a temperature of 14 °C, and with cell lines commonly used to propagate these viruses. These were respectively EPC from fathead minnow for VHSV and CHSE-214 from Chinook salmon embryo for IPNV. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 3;163:1-10. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address:

N-glycosylation on the crystallizable fragment (Fc) governs antibody-mediated immune responses. This study addressed the relevance of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-bisected IgG on the disease progression and treatment efficacy in the immune active phase of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Serum IgGN-glycan patterns from 166 HBV e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 3;163:179-184. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Oncovir, Inc., 3203 Cleveland Avenue, Washington, D.C, 20008, USA.

The potential protection of poly-ICLC (Hiltonol) a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) against EBOV infection was assessed with prophylactic and therapeutic administration to wild type and TLR3-negative mice, and in non-human primates (NHPs) by measuring EBOL serum titers, survival extension, and serum liver and kidney function markers. Various doses of aqueous and liposomal poly-ICLC monotherapy provided robust protection in otherwise lethal murine EBOV challenge models, when treatment is started on the day 0 or one day after virus challenge. There was no advantage of liposomal vs. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 31;162:130-135. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Rheumatology Division, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu 740, São Paulo, SP, 04023-062, Brazil.

Ribavirin (RBV) is a guanosine analogue triazole most commonly used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. Although its mechanism of action is a matter of debate, several possibilities have been proposed, including depletion of guanine nucleotides through inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). IMPDH has been shown to assemble into micron-scale rod- and ring-shaped structures (rods/rings or RR), also called "IMPDH filaments," both in vitro and in vivo. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 30;162:118-129. Epub 2018 Dec 30.

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelopes as well as empty subviral particles carry in their lipid membranes the small (S), middle (M), and large (L) surface proteins, collectively known as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Due to their common S domain all three proteins share a surface-exposed hydrophilic antigenic loop (AGL) with a complex disulfide bridge-dependent structure. The AGL is critical for HBV infectivity and virion secretion, and thus represents a major target for neutralizing antibodies. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 30;162:136-141. Epub 2018 Dec 30.

Inserm, U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hépato-digestif, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France. Electronic address:

Despite the development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major cause for liver disease and cancer worldwide. Entry inhibitors block virus host cell entry and, therefore, prevent establishment of chronic infection and liver disease. Due to their unique mechanism of action, entry inhibitors provide an attractive antiviral strategy in organ transplantation. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 28;162:142-150. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg - Lübeck - Borstel - Riems Site, Lübeck, Germany. Electronic address:

The Third Tofo Advanced Study Week on Emerging and Re-Emerging Viruses (3rd TASW) was held in Praia do Tofo, Mozambique, from September 02 to 06, 2018. It brought together 55 participants from 10 African countries as well as from Belgium, China, Germany, Singapore, and the USA. Meeting sessions covered aspects of the epidemiology, diagnosis, molecular and structural biology, vaccine development, and antiviral drug discovery for emerging RNA viruses that are current threats in Africa and included flaviviruses (dengue and Zika), alphaviruses (chikungunya), coronaviruses, filoviruses (Ebola), influenza viruses, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Rift Valley fever Virus, Lassa virus, and others. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Mar 29;163:156-178. Epub 2018 Dec 29.

Denka Life Innovation Research, 21 Biopolis Road, 03-21/22, Nucleos, Singapore, 138567, Singapore. Electronic address:

In the context of the only available vaccine (DENGVAXIA) that was marketed in several countries, but poses higher risks to unexposed individuals, the development of antivirals for dengue virus (DENV), whilst challenging, would bring significant benefits to public health. Here recent progress in the field of DENV drug discovery made in academic laboratories and industry is reviewed. Characteristics of an ideal DENV antiviral molecule, given the specific immunopathology provoked by this acute viral infection, are described. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 26;162:163-170. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Immunology Service, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the predictive capacity of T cell activation/senescence in subclinical atherosclerosis (SCA) in a group of HIV-infected patients. So, a cross-sectional analysis was performed on 91 long-term triple-ART therapy HIV-infected patients from an observational and prospective cohort. Carotid Intima Media Thickness (cIMT) was measured. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 23;162:110-117. Epub 2018 Dec 23.

Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SS544, 090542 Monserrato, Italy.

The 4th Summer School on Innovative Approaches for the Identification of Antiviral Agents (IAAASS) was held at the Sardegna Ricerche Research Park in Santa Margherita di Pula, Sardinia, Italy from September 24-28, 2018. The Summer School assembled 21 internationally recognized experts and 46 graduate and postgraduate students, with the goal of discussing advances in antiviral drug discovery from the perspective of high-throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, virology, molecular and structural biology. The meeting format involved three components: (a) morning sessions of plenary talks/overviews from invited speakers, (b) afternoon sessions of posters and short presentations from student participants, and (c) informal small-group discussions between students and participating faculty. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 21;162:101-109. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Department of AIDS Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. Electronic address:

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) against HIV-1 infection offers the promise of controlling disease progression and prolonging the survival of HIV-1-infected patients. However, even the most potent ART regimens available today cannot cure HIV-1. Because patients will be exposed to ART for many years, physicians and researchers must anticipate the emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1, potential adverse effects of the current drugs, and need for future drug development. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 20;162:178-185. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address:

The smallpox virus (variola) remains a bioterrorism threat since a majority of the human population has never been vaccinated. In the event of an outbreak, at least two drugs against different targets of variola are critical to circumvent potential viral mutants that acquire resistance. Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the model virus used in the laboratory for studying smallpox. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 14;162:79-89. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7257, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, 163 avenue de Luminy, 13288, Marseille, France. Electronic address:

Arenaviridae is a viral family whose members are associated with rodent-transmitted infections to humans responsible of severe diseases. The current lack of a vaccine and limited therapeutic options make the development of efficacious drugs of high priority. The cap-snatching mechanism of transcription of Arenavirus performed by the endonuclease domain of the L-protein is unique and essential, so we developed a drug design program targeting the endonuclease activity of the prototypic Lymphocytic ChorioMeningitis Virus. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 11;162:90-100. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Filoviruses, which include Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus, are negative-sense RNA viruses associated with sporadic outbreaks of severe viral hemorrhagic fever characterized by uncontrolled virus replication. The extreme virulence and emerging nature of these zoonotic pathogens make them a significant threat to human health. Replication of the filovirus genome and production of viral RNAs require the function of a complex of four viral proteins, the nucleoprotein (NP), viral protein 35 (VP35), viral protein 30 (VP30) and large protein (L). Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 12;162:54-60. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada; Microbiology & Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada. Electronic address:

Human parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are major causative agents of serious respiratory tract illness in newborns and infants. Maternal vaccination could be a promising approach to provide immediate protection against severe PIV3 and RSV infection in young infants. Previously, we demonstrated that maternal immunization with a subunit vaccine consisting of the RSV fusion (F) protein formulated with TriAdj, an adjuvant consisting of poly(I:C), immune defense regulatory peptide and polyphosphazene, protects newborn lambs from RSV. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 12;162:51-53. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address:

Parechoviruses A (HPeV, Picornaviridae) are neglected human pathogens that cause sepsis-like illness and severe neurological complications in infants. There are no antivirals available for the treatment of HPeV infections. We here report on cell-based assays that allow for medium-throughput antiviral screening of compound libraries against HPeV. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 11;162:44-50. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Introduction: Rhinovirus (RV) infection is a major cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung morbidity with limited therapeutic options. Various diseases involving chronic inflammatory response and infection are associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and subsequent activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive response to maintain cellular homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests impaired ER stress response in CF airway epithelial cells, this might be a reason for recurrent viral infection in CF. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 11;162:39-43. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address:

The summer of 2018 in Germany was the second hottest and driest on record. These generally extremely favorable climatic conditions most likely triggered the further expansion and the efficient propagation of the zoonotic arthropod-borne West Nile virus in many Southern/Southeastern and even Central European countries. WNV infections were detected for the first time in resident wild and aviary birds, such as common blackbirds, northern goshawks and great grey owls in Eastern and Southeastern Germany. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 10;162:30-38. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan. Electronic address:

Everolimus is an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and reduces the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in transplant recipients. Everolimus inhibits mTOR complex 1, which regulates factors involved in several crucial cellular functions and is required for CMV replication. However, it is not clear how everolimus regulates CMV replication and prevents and alleviates CMV infection. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 6;162:1-4. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Jinan Military Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 36 Wenhua Road East, Lixia District, Jinan, Shandong, China.

Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by infection with the yellow fever virus (YFV). A live-attenuated YFV vaccine strain, 17D (YFV-17D) is the only virus strain available for the production of the YFV vaccine. This study evaluated the immunogenicity and immune persistence of vaccination with YFV-17D and identified their influencing factors in Chinese peacekeepers deployed to Africa. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 6;162:71-78. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C, USA. Electronic address:

The dengue virus is considered to be a globally important human pathogen prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. According to a recent estimate, the disease burden due to DENV infections is ∼390 million infections per year globally in ∼100 countries including the southern US, Puerto Rico and Hawaii, resulting in nearly ∼25,000 deaths mostly among children. Despite the significant morbidity and mortality that results from DENV infections, there is currently no effective chemotherapeutic treatment for DENV infections. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 8;162:22-29. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital - Microbiology, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, I-40138, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address:

Parvovirus B19 (B19V), a single-stranded DNA virus in the family Parvoviridae, is a human pathogenic virus responsible for a wide range of clinical manifestations. Currently there is no approved antiviral therapy for parvovirus infection. The acyclic nucleoside phosphonate cidofovir (CDV) has been demonstrated to inhibit replication of B19V in vitro. Read More

Antiviral Res 2019 Feb 8;162:5-21. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address:

This is the second of two invited articles reviewing the development of nucleoside analogue antiviral drugs, written for a target audience of virologists and other non-chemists, as well as chemists who may not be familiar with the field. As with the first paper, rather than providing a chronological account, we have chosen to examine particular examples of structural modifications made to nucleoside analogues that have proven fruitful as various antiviral, anticancer, and other therapeutics. The first review covered the more common, and in most cases, single modifications to the sugar and base moieties of the nucleoside scaffold. Read More