[The virtual infected cell: a systems biology rational for antiviral drug discovery]

Infection caused by pathogens kills millions of people every year. Comprehensive understanding of molecular pathogen-host interactions, i.e. the infectome, is one of the key steps towards the development of novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies. In this quest, progress in high-throughput << omics >> technologies applied to pathogens, i.e. infectomics, opens new perspectives toward systemic understanding of perturbations induced during infection. Deciphering the pathogen-host system also relies on the analytical and predictive power of molecular systems biology and by developing in silico models taking into account the whole picture of the molecules and their interactions. In this context, we have reconstructed a prototype of the human virtual infected cell based on 30 years of intensive research in the field of molecular virology. This model contains more than one hundred viral infectomes, including major human pathogens (HCV, HBV, HIV, HHV, HPV) and has led to the generation of novel systems-level hypotheses that could be suitable for the development of innovative antiviral strategies based on the control of cellular functions.