Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds
08:54

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds

Published on: February 14, 2018

Antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents in the cinema

Jose Elias García-Sánchez1, E García-Sánchez, M L Merino Marcos

  • 1Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Salud Pública y Microbiología Médica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. joegas@usal.es

Revista Espanola De Quimioterapia : Publicacion Oficial De La Sociedad Espanola De Quimioterapia
|May 29, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Antibacterials are the most common antimicrobial drugs in movies, but antivirals like antiretrovirals and antiprotozoals also appear. This review tracks their historical film appearances, excluding fictional treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Film and Media Studies
  • Pharmacology
  • Medical History

Background:

  • Antimicrobial agents, including antibacterials, antivirals, and antifungals, are frequently referenced in commercial films.
  • While antibacterials are most common, other classes like antiretrovirals and antiprotozoals are also depicted.

Observation:

  • This review analyzes the presence and role of antiviral and antifungal agents in various films.
  • The study examines instances where these agents are mentioned in passing or play a significant plot role.

Findings:

  • Antibacterial agents are the most frequently depicted antimicrobial class in cinematographic plots.
  • Antiviral agents, particularly antiretrovirals and antiprotozoals, are also notably present in film narratives.
  • The review aims to document the historical portrayal and appearances of these agents in cinema.

Implications:

  • Understanding the cinematic portrayal of antimicrobial agents provides insight into public perception and historical representation.
  • This analysis can inform future media portrayals of pharmaceuticals and their societal impact.
  • The study highlights the intersection of medicine, history, and popular culture through film analysis.

More Related Videos

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds09:29

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds

Published on: October 29, 2015

Assays for the Identification of Novel Antivirals against Bluetongue Virus12:02

Assays for the Identification of Novel Antivirals against Bluetongue Virus

Published on: October 11, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors01:22

Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...
Anthelminthic Agents01:15

Anthelminthic Agents

Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis01:30

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...