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Antiviral drug resistance.
1Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Antiviral drug resistance is a growing concern in AIDS, affecting HIV and opportunistic viruses like CMV. Understanding resistance mechanisms aids in developing new drugs and predicting clinical outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Antiviral drug resistance is a significant challenge in managing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- Resistance impacts not only Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) but also opportunistic pathogens like Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the molecular basis of antiviral drug resistance in viruses relevant to AIDS.
- To highlight the utility of studying drug resistance for understanding viral mechanisms and identifying novel drug targets.
Main Methods:
- Biochemical and genetic analyses of drug-resistant viral strains.
- Sequencing of drug-resistance mutations to identify altered drug target regions.
- Analysis of viral populations from laboratory and clinical settings.
Main Results:
- Drug-resistance mutations arise frequently due to viral polymerase infidelity.
- Novel drug targets, such as a CMV gene product in ganciclovir phosphorylation, can be identified through mutation analysis.
- Drug resistance involves a wide range of viral alterations and highlights the role of viral heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- Studying antiviral drug resistance provides insights into drug mechanisms and targets.
- Analysis of resistance mutations aids in predicting clinical resistance patterns.
- Understanding viral heterogeneity is crucial for addressing drug resistance and pathogenesis in AIDS.