title: Artesunate as a potent antiviral agent in a patient with late drug-resistant cytomegalovirus infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Igor B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Sunwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Avidan U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Nell S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Lurain
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stamminger
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.forename: Niveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Efferth
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marschall
authors.forename: Dana G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; D017245:Foscarnet; D000077332:Artesunate