Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Differential Effects of Lipid-lowering Drugs in Modulating Morphology of Cholesterol Particles
Published on: November 10, 2017
Anti-flavivirus Properties of Lipid-Lowering Drugs
Carlos Noe Farfan-Morales1, Carlos Daniel Cordero-Rivera1, José Manuel Reyes-Ruiz2
1Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico.
Abstract:
Although Flaviviruses such as dengue (DENV) and zika (ZIKV) virus are important human pathogens, an effective vaccine or antiviral treatment against them is not available. Hence, the search for new strategies to control flavivirus infections is essential. Several studies have shown that the host lipid metabolism could be an antiviral target because cholesterol and other lipids are required during the replicative cycle of different Flaviviridae family members. FDA-approved drugs with hypolipidemic effects could be an alternative for treating flavivirus infections. However, a better understanding of the regulation between host lipid metabolism and signaling pathways triggered during these infections is required. The metabolic pathways related to lipid metabolism modified during DENV and ZIKV infection are analyzed in this review. Additionally, the role of lipid-lowering drugs as safe host-targeted antivirals is discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions
Lipid Absorption
These breakdown products bind with bile salts and lecithin to form micelles, which quickly pass between microvilli to come in close contact with the apical...
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin,...
Atherosclerosis III: Management

