Viruses 2013, 5(1), 211-225; doi:10.3390/v5010211
Review

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Entry Inhibitors Targeting the F Protein

Zhiwu Sun 1 email, Yanbin Pan 2 email, Shibo Jiang 1 email and Lu Lu 1,* email
1 Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education & Health, Shanghai Medical College and Institute of Medical Microbiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China 2 Aris (Nantong) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Nantong Economic and Technological Area, Jiangsu Province 226006, China
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 7 December 2012; in revised form: 17 December 2012 / Accepted: 11 January 2013 / Published: 16 January 2013
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Entry Inhibitors)
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Abstract: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main viral cause of respiratory tract infection in infants as well as some elderly and high-risk adults with chronic pulmonary disease and the severely immunocompromised. So far, no specific anti-RSV therapeutics or effective anti-RSV vaccines have been reported. Only one humanized monoclonal antibody, Palivizumab, has been approved for use in high-risk infants to prevent RSV infection. Ribavirin is the only drug licensed for therapy of RSV infection, but its clinical use is limited by its nonspecific anti-RSV activity, toxic effect, and relatively high cost. Therefore, development of novel effective anti-RSV therapeutics is urgently needed. The RSV envelope glycoprotein F plays an important role in RSV fusion with, and entry into, the host cell and, consequently, serves as an attractive target for developing RSV entry inhibitors. This article reviews advances made in studies of the structure and function of the F protein and the development of RSV entry inhibitors targeting it.
Keywords: RSV; viral entry; entry inhibitor; F protein

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Sun, Z.; Pan, Y.; Jiang, S.; Lu, L. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Entry Inhibitors Targeting the F Protein. Viruses 2013, 5, 211-225.

AMA Style

Sun Z, Pan Y, Jiang S, Lu L. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Entry Inhibitors Targeting the F Protein. Viruses. 2013; 5(1):211-225.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sun, Zhiwu; Pan, Yanbin; Jiang, Shibo; Lu, Lu. 2013. "Respiratory Syncytial Virus Entry Inhibitors Targeting the F Protein." Viruses 5, no. 1: 211-225.

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