Antiviral treatment of chikungunya virus infection.
Chikungunya virus is a typical emerging virus which has been responsible for several million cases of human infections since 2004. No antiviral treatment is currently available. The antimalarial chloroquine has been used in the past but recent studies suggest that it is not or poorly active in vivo. A number of tracks are currently under investigation (inhibition of viral enzymes, of virus entry or maturation, enhancement of immunological response) and new animal models have been made available, including a mouse model and a non-human primate model. We review here the main perspectives of chikungunya antiviral treatment.
de Lamballerie
Xavier
X
Unité des Virus Emergents, UMR190 IRD / Université de la Méditerranée / Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France. Xavier.de-lamballerie@univmed.fr
Ninove
Laetitia
L
Charrel
Rémi N
RN
D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin; D002738:Chloroquine; D007372:Interferons