AI Article Synopsis
- New World alphaviruses, including Venezuelan, eastern, and western equine encephalitis viruses, pose significant health risks due to their potential to cause severe illness and death in humans, and there are concerns about their use as bioweapons.
- *Currently, there are no FDA-approved antiviral treatments specifically for these viruses, highlighting the urgent need for research in this area.
- *This review focuses on the functions of various viral proteins and discusses possible therapeutic targets, noting an increasing interest in non-structural protein 3, capsid, and E2 proteins, while emphasizing the need for further investigation into host protein interactions with other viral proteins.
Article Abstract
The New World alphaviruses, Venezuelan, eastern and western equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV), are important human pathogens due to their ability to cause varying levels of morbidity and mortality in humans. There is also concern about VEEV and EEEV being used as bioweapons. Currently, a FDA-approved antiviral is lacking for New World alphaviruses. In this review, the function of each viral protein is discussed with an emphasis on how these functions can be targeted by therapeutics. Both direct acting antivirals as well as inhibitors that impact host protein interactions with viral proteins are described. Non-structural protein 3 (nsP3), capsid, and E2 proteins have garnered attention in recent years, whereas little is known regarding host protein interactions of the other viral proteins and is an important avenue for future study.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.01.015 | DOI Listing |
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