title: Highlights in antiviral drug research: antivirals at the horizon.
abstract: This review highlights ten "hot topics" in current antiviral research: (i) new nucleoside derivatives (i.e., PSI-352938) showing high potential as a direct antiviral against hepatitis C virus (HCV); (ii) cyclopropavir, which should be further pursued for treatment of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections; (iii) North-methanocarbathymidine (N-MCT), with a N-locked conformation, showing promising activity against both α- and γ-herpesviruses; (iv) CMX001, an orally bioavailable prodrug of cidofovir with broad-spectrum activity against DNA viruses, including polyoma, adeno, herpes, and pox; (v) favipiravir, which is primarily pursued for the treatment of influenza virus infections, but also inhibits the replication of other RNA viruses, particularly (-)RNA viruses such as arena, bunya, and hanta; (vi) newly emerging antiarenaviral compounds which should be more effective (and less toxic) than the ubiquitously used ribavirin; (vii) antipicornavirus agents in clinical development (pleconaril, BTA-798, and V-073); (viii) natural products receiving increased attention as potential antiviral drugs; (ix) antivirals such as U0126 targeted at specific cellular kinase pathways [i.e., mitogen extracellular kinase (MEK)], showing activity against influenza and other viruses; and (x) two structurally unrelated compounds (i.e., LJ-001 and dUY11) with broad-spectrum activity against virtually all enveloped RNA and DNA viruses.
authors.affiliation: Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium. erik.declercq@rega.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Clercq
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D053586:Virus Internalization / Q000187:drug effects; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001688:Biological Products