title: Chikungunya virus: an update on antiviral development and challenges.
abstract: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has re-emerged as a significant public health threat since the 2005 chikungunya fever epidemic in La Réunion. Driven by the medical importance of this virus, as well as the lack of approved antivirals, research into the field of CHIKV antivirals has recently intensified. Potential therapeutics that have been reported to show anti-CHIKV activity in vitro range from known broad-spectrum antivirals like chloroquine to novel strategies involving RNA silencing technology. Although most of the earlier efforts focused on compounds that target host components, some recent studies have reported viral targets such as nonstructural proteins. This article examines the reported in vitro and in vivo efficacies, as well as the therapeutic potential of these antiviral compounds.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular RNA Virology and Antiviral Strategies, Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, MD4, Level 5, 5 Science Drive 2, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Parveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Justin Jang Hann
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065632:Chikungunya Fever; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents