Key result
Seven classes of antiviral agents offer potential prophylactic and therapeutic options for emerging viral infections.
Why the study?
The development and discovery of antiviral agents have been stimulated by viral epidemics and pandemics, necessitating a review of existing and novel antiviral classes.
This review summarizes seven classes of antiviral agents, highlighting the broad-spectrum potential of interferons and certain small molecules for emerging viral infections.
May support evaluation of broad-spectrum agents in outbreaks; leaves open prospective trials before clinical adoption.
The viral epidemics and pandemics have stimulated the development of known and the discovery of novel antiviral agents. About a hundred mono- and combination antiviral drugs have been already approved, whereas thousands are in development. Here, we briefly reviewed 7 classes of antiviral agents: neutralizing antibodies, neutralizing recombinant soluble human receptors, antiviral CRISPR/Cas systems, interferons, antiviral peptides, antiviral nucleic acid polymers, and antiviral small molecules. Interferons and some small molecules alone or in combinations possess broad-spectrum antiviral activity, which could be beneficial for treatment of emerging and re-emerging viral infections.
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Ianevski et al. (2022) conducted a review in Viral infections. Antiviral agents was evaluated. Seven classes of antiviral agents, including broad-spectrum antivirals and their combinations, offer potential prophylactic and therapeutic options for managing emerging and re-emerging viral infections.
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