Recent Advances on Targeting Proteases for Antiviral Development.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Virology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Viral proteases are crucial for viral replication, maturation, assembly, and cell entry.
• Emerging viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlight the need for novel antiviral strategies.
• Drug-resistant viral strains necessitate exploration beyond traditional protease inhibition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in viral protease inhibitors and therapies.
• To discuss molecular approaches for viral protease inactivation and degradation.
• To provide insights into diverse strategies against viral proteases as drug targets.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent scientific publications.
• Analysis of various molecular mechanisms targeting viral proteases.
• Discussion of therapeutic strategies and drug development approaches.

Main Results:

• Identification of multiple strategies to inhibit viral protease activity.
• Exploration of methods like active site inhibition, allosteric targeting, and protein degradation.
• Highlighting the potential of inducing protein aggregation and proteasomal degradation.

Conclusions:

• Viral proteases represent a significant target class for antiviral drug development.
• Diverse molecular strategies, including protein degradation, offer promising avenues against viral infections.
• Understanding these approaches is vital for developing effective therapies against current and future viral threats.