Advances in Developing Therapies to Combat Zika Virus: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Zika virus (ZIKV) re-emerged significantly after 2007, leading to a 2016 WHO public health emergency declaration.
• Previously considered mild, ZIKV is now linked to severe conditions like microcephaly, neurological damage, and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
• ZIKV infection during pregnancy poses substantial risks for congenital abnormalities and neurological degeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the progress in the design and development of various anti-ZIKV therapeutics.
• To highlight the ongoing genomic and molecular investigations into ZIKV pathology and pathogenicity.
• To emphasize the urgent need for novel therapies to inhibit ZIKV and counter associated diseases.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive review of existing literature on anti-ZIKV therapeutic strategies.
• Analysis of genomic and molecular investigations into ZIKV.
• Discussion of various drug classes and therapeutic approaches targeting ZIKV.

Main Results:

• Progress has been made in developing diverse anti-ZIKV therapeutics.
• Therapeutic strategies include targeting virus entry, helicase and NS3 proteins, nucleosides, small molecules, and methyltransferase inhibitors.
• Other approaches include interferons, repurposed drugs, computational drug design, neutralizing antibodies, convalescent serum, and herbal medicines.

Conclusions:

• Developing effective anti-ZIKV therapies is crucial to address the public health concerns associated with ZIKV.
• Continued research into ZIKV pathology and novel therapeutic targets is essential.
• A multi-faceted approach combining various therapeutic strategies may be necessary to effectively counter ZIKV-associated diseases.