Dengue: an update on treatment options.

Area of Science:

• * Virology
• * Infectious Diseases
• * Public Health

Background:

• * Dengue virus is a major global pathogen, causing approximately 100 million acute cases annually.
• * Severe dengue can be life-threatening, with no currently available effective vaccine or licensed antiviral treatment.
• * Current management relies on supportive care, primarily fluid administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To review current gold-standard dengue management strategies.
• * To explore emerging antiviral therapies and therapeutic antibodies investigated in clinical trials.
• * To assess the potential of these novel interventions to inhibit all four dengue virus serotypes.

Main Methods:

• * Literature review of clinical trials and established case management protocols for dengue.
• * Analysis of interventions targeting dengue virus replication and host response.
• * Evaluation of therapeutic antibodies and antiviral drug candidates.

Main Results:

• * Existing dengue management is supportive; no specific antiviral cure is licensed.
• * Exploratory therapies, including antiviral drugs and therapeutic antibodies, are under investigation.
• * Some promising results have emerged from clinical trials for novel dengue treatments.

Conclusions:

• * Antiviral drugs and therapeutic antibodies for dengue are still under development.
• * These investigational therapies hold potential for future clinical application.
• * Effective treatments need to target all four dengue virus serotypes to reduce disease severity.