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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
11:34
High-throughput Screening for Broad-spectrum Chemical Inhibitors of RNA Viruses
Published on: May 5, 2014
Nucleic acids-based therapeutics in the battle against pathogenic viruses
1Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam K3-110, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology
|December 3, 2008
Summary
Nucleic acids show promise as antiviral therapies by inhibiting viral RNA. Despite past challenges, RNA interference (RNAi) offers new hope for effective treatments, with several approaches in clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, DNAzymes, and aptamers, have been investigated for antiviral applications for nearly 30 years.
- Challenges such as efficiency, off-target effects, toxicity, delivery, and stability have hindered clinical translation, with only one antisense drug (Vitravene) reaching the market.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of antiviral nucleic acid-based therapeutics.
- To highlight the potential of antisense and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches in combating viral infections.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on nucleic acid-based antiviral strategies.
- Focus on compounds demonstrating efficacy in animal models.
Main Results:
- Antisense and RNAi technologies offer sequence-specific inhibition of viral targets.
- RNA interference (RNAi) approaches show high efficacy in vitro and in animal models, with ongoing clinical trials.
Conclusions:
- Renewed interest in nucleic acid therapeutics, particularly RNAi, due to promising preclinical and early clinical data.
- Antisense and RNAi-based compounds are effective in animal models and represent a significant area for future antiviral drug development.
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