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Lecture

Antiviral Drugs: Mechanisms and History

In course

CH-120: Advanced general chemistry II

Acquisition des notions fondamentales liées à la réactivité des molécules organiques, identification de la structure de petites molécules organiques au moyen des techniques de spectrométrie de masse, spectroscopie infra-rouge et résonance magnétique nucléa ...

Description

This lecture explores the mechanisms of action of antiviral drugs, which can target viral proteins or host-cell pathways. It also delves into the history of antiviral drug development, highlighting key milestones from the first approved antiviral in 1963 to the most recent drug for COVID-19 in 2020.

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Instructors (2)

Jérôme Waser

Jérôme Waser biography and CV's are available on the following website: http://lcso.epfl.ch/waser

Luc Patiny

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Antiviral drug

Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Antiviral drugs are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes antibiotic (also termed antibacterial), antifungal and antiparasitic drugs, or antiviral drugs based on monoclonal antibodies. Most antivirals are considered relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections.

COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‐19 are variable but often include fever, cough, headache, fatigue, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste. Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected do not develop noticeable symptoms.

Spike protein

In virology, a spike protein or peplomer protein is a protein that forms a large structure known as a spike or peplomer projecting from the surface of an enveloped virus. The proteins are usually glycoproteins that form dimers or trimers. The term "peplomer" refers to an individual spike from the viral surface; collectively the layer of material at the outer surface of the virion has been referred to as the "peplos". The term is derived from the Greek peplos, "a loose outer garment", "robe or cloak", or "woman['s] mantle".

Viral envelope

A viral envelope is the outermost layer of many types of viruses. It protects the genetic material in their life cycle when traveling between host cells. Not all viruses have envelopes. A viral envelope protein or E protein is a protein in the envelope, which may be acquired by the capsid from an infected host cell. Numerous human pathogenic viruses in circulation are encased in lipid bilayers, and they infect their target cells by causing the viral envelope and cell membrane to fuse.

Drug development

Drug development is the process of bringing a new pharmaceutical drug to the market once a lead compound has been identified through the process of drug discovery. It includes preclinical research on microorganisms and animals, filing for regulatory status, such as via the United States Food and Drug Administration for an investigational new drug to initiate clinical trials on humans, and may include the step of obtaining regulatory approval with a new drug application to market the drug.

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