Artesunate as a potent antiviral agent in a patient with late drug-resistant cytomegalovirus infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
This is the first report of treatment of cytomegalovirus infection with artesunate, for a stem cell transplant recipient with a newly identified foscarnet-resistant and ganciclovir-resistant DNA polymerase L776M mutation. Artesunate treatment resulted in a 1.7-2.1-log reduction in viral load by treatment day 7, with a viral half-life of 0.9-1.9 days, indicating a highly effective block in viral replication.
Shapira
Michael Y
MY
Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Resnick
Igor B
IB
Chou
Sunwen
S
Neumann
Avidan U
AU
Lurain
Nell S
NS
Stamminger
Thomas
T
Caplan
Orit
O
Saleh
Niveen
N
Efferth
Thomas
T
Marschall
Manfred
M
Wolf
Dana G
DG
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077332:Artesunate; D002648:Child; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D017245:Foscarnet / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; D017245:Foscarnet; D000077332:Artesunate