Recent Developments in Anti-influenza A Virus Drugs and Use in Combination Therapies

Kunihiro      Kaihatsu; Dale      L. Barnard

Abstract

The pandemic potential of influenza viruses has engaged a large portion of the antiviral drug discovery research community in the development of numerous antiviral agents, with the ultimate goal to supplement effective immunization when new strains arise, especially after an antigenic shift. Antiviral agents against influenza A targets different replication steps of the virus life cycles. Some of the agents are analogues of biomolecules required during virus infection and others are inspired from natural plant extracts. In this review, we summarize their mechanisms of action during the influenza life cycle in vitro and the efficacies of combinational therapies with these agents against the influenza virus infections in vivo.

Keywords: Anti-influenza A virus drugs, Ion channel, Hemagglutinin, RNA Polymerase, Neuraminidase, Membrane fusion, Drug resistance, combination therapy, sialic acid, complementary RNA, DRUG RESISTANCE MUTATIONS