Antivirals Flashcards
Which blood-borne viruses have no vaccine?
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- hepatitis C virus (HCV)
What viruses have no vaccine that are not blood-borne?
- Herpesviruses (Herpes simplex virus type-1, HSV-2, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus)
- Enteroviruses (echoviruses, coxsackieviruses)
- Rhinoviruses (common cold)
- Paramyxoviruses (resp syncitial virus - RSV)
Why are viral infections hard to treat?
They rely on host cell machinery for their own replication
Thus, therapy should target some viral process and not interfere with cellular function (selectivity)
Ideally, an antiviral should NOT be:
- Toxic
- Mutagenic
- Teratogenic
- Carcinogenic
- Allergenic
What are the 5 viral targets?
- Attachment and entry to host cell
- Uncoating
- Genome replication
- Expression and processing of viral genes and proteins
- Virus assembly
Can different viruses use the same host cell receptor?
Yes
How do viruses enter host cells?
Viruses have multiple receptor binding sites on their surface, also called virus attachment proteins (VAPs). These interact with host cell receptors. Sometimes they also interact with a host cell co-receptor.
What are host cell receptors?
They are cellular proteins which can interact with specific viral proteins.
What type of viral attachment protein do enveloped viruses have?
Glycoprotein
What type of viral attachment protein do on-enveloped viruses have?
A spike or capsid protein
What are the two processes by which viruses can enter host cells?
- Endocytosis
2. Fusion
What is the process of fusion? E.g. HIV
Glycoprotein 120 binds to CD4 Conformational change CCR5 is recruited Glycoprotein 41 binds to the cell surface Viral membrane fuses to cell membrane
What is the process of endocytosis?
Virus binds to receptor
Coated pit forms
Virus is taken up in an endosome
Virus uncoats and DNA/RNA enters the nucleus
What are some agents that can be used to prevent attachment and entry?
- Agents which mimic the virus attachment protein
- Agents which mimic the host cell receptor
- Agents which inhibit fusion
How do agents which mimic the virus attachment protein work?
They act by blocking the host cell receptor, however, by doing this it can interfere with cellular functions and may be toxic
How do agents that mimic the host cell receptor work?
These are typically antibodies or proteins.
In the case of HIV they can recombinant soluble CD4 receptor peptides. However, whilst they worked well in cell culture they underperformed in clinical trials. High doses were required, which cost more and they weren’t very stable.
How do agents that inhibit fusion work?
They target conformation changes that are critical to membrane fusion.
In the case of HIV T20 (Enfuvertide) was developed which inhibited HIV fusion by binding to gp41, preventing the hinging effect and the virus cannot get close enough to the membrane to fuse.
What is T20 (Enfuvertide)?
It is an agent that inhibits the fusion of HIV to the cell membrane by binding to gp41, preventing the hinging effect and preventing the virus from getting close to the membrane to fuse.
What are the steps involved in uncoating?
- Release of the viral nucleic acid
- by change in pH
- by proteolytic digestion
What are the 3 drugs that inhibit uncoating?
- Pleconaril (picovir)
- Amantidine
- Rimantidine
What is Pleconaril (picovir)?
It is a broad spectrum anti-viral against picornaviruses, which include enteroviruses and rhinoviruses.
It acts by preventing uncoating.
What is the mode of action of pleconaril (picovir)?
- Binds to a cavity or pocket on the virus capsid
- Increases the stability of the capsid
- Protects the capsid from proteolytic digestion
- Prevents uncoating
Is pleconaril (picovir) approved for use by the FDA?
The FDA declined licensing in 2003 as it only had a modest reduction in duration and severity of symptoms.
What is amantidine and rimantidine?
They are agents that are active against influenza A, and target the viral matrix protein 2 (M2)
What is the mode of action of amantidine and rimantidine?
- Blocks membrane ion channel formed by M2
- Prevents pH from dropping
- Virus cannot uncoat
Is amantidine and rimantidine approved for use by the FDA?
Yes, it was approved by the FDA in 1968 and 1994 respectively.
Is resistance an issue for amantidine and rimantidine?
Yes, it is an area of great concern
What is a nucleoside?
It is a base + sugar (ribose or deoxyribose)
e.g. gaunosine
What is a nucleotide?
It is a base + sugar + phosphate
e.g. dGMP, dGDP, dGTP
What are inhibitors of viral replication?
Most inhibitors of viral replication are either nucleoside or nucleotide analogues (NAs)
How do most nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NAs) work?
They work by DNA/RNA chain termination
How are NAs classified?
They are RNA/DNA polymerase inhibitors
What are the most common antiviral agents?
Nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NAs)
What is an example of a NA and how does it work?
An example is Di-deoxy cytosine (ddC), it is the same as the deoxy cytosine that would typically be in the backbone of DNA however it is missing the hydroxyl group on the 5 prime.
Without the hydroxyl group a phosphodiester bond cannot be formed between it and the next nucleotide and the chain is instead terminated.
What is a NA against herpesviruses?
Acyclovir - acyclic guanosine analogue
What is acyclovir?
It is a NA against HSV-1, HSV-2
Is acyclovir approved for use by the FDA?
Yes, it was approved in 1982
What is the mode of action of acyclovir?
It is incorporated into the growing DNA strand by thymidine kinase and terminates viral DNA replication
What type of inhibitor is acyclovir?
It is a DNA polymerase inhibitor
What are 2 compounds that are related to acyclovir?
Ganciclovir and Famciclovir