title: Natural Products as Promising Therapeutics for Treatment of Influenza Disease.
abstract: The influenza virus represents a permanent global health threat because it circulates not only within but also between numerous host populations, thereby frequently causing unexpected outbreaks in animals and humans with a generally unpredictable course of disease and epidemiology. Conventional influenza therapy is directed against the viral neuraminidase protein, which promotes virus release from infected cells, and the viral ion channel M2, which facilitates viral uncoating. However, these drugs, albeit effective, have a major drawback: their targets are of a highly variable sequence. As a consequence, the virus can readily acquire resistance by mutating the drug targets. Indeed, most seasonal A/H1N1 viruses and the 2009 H1N1 virus are resistant to M2 inhibitors, and a significant proportion of the seasonal A/H1N1 viruses are resistant to the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir. Development of new effective drugs for treatment of disease during the regular influenza seasons and the possible influenza pandemic represents an important goal. The results presented here point out natural products as a promising source of low toxic and widely accessible drug candidates for treatment of the influenza disease. Natural products combined with new therapeutic targets and drug repurposing techniques, which accelerate development of new drugs, serve as an important platform for development of new influenza therapeutics.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sencanski
authors.forename: Draginja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radosevic
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perovic
authors.forename: Branislava
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gemovic
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanojevic
authors.forename: Nevena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veljkovic
authors.affiliation: Center for Multidisciplinary Research, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia. sanja@vinca.rs.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glisic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D007252:Influenza Vaccines