Antiherpesvirus drugs: a promising spectrum of new drugs and drug targets

Donald M Coen; Priscilla A Schaffer

doi:10.1038/nrd1065

Antiherpesvirus drugs: a promising spectrum of new drugs and drug targets

Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2003 Apr;2(4):278-88. doi: 10.1038/nrd1065.

Authors

Donald M Coen¹, Priscilla A Schaffer

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachussets 02115, USA. don_coen@hms.harvard.edu

PMID: 12669027
DOI: 10.1038/nrd1065

Abstract

In the absence of effective vaccines to control herpesvirus infections, nucleosidic antiviral drugs have been the mainstay of clinical treatment since their development in the late 1970s. However, given the drawbacks of these drugs, including the increasing emergence of drug-resistant clinical isolates, new strategies for treating herpesvirus infections are warranted. A range of promising new drugs with novel molecular targets has been developed, but will they cure latent infections?

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
Drug Resistance, Microbial
Herpesviridae / drug effects*
Herpesviridae / pathogenicity
Herpesviridae Infections / drug therapy*
Humans
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors