Resistance to Antiviral Drugs

Dear Colleagues,

Every year, new viruses are being identified as etiologic agents of human diseases and without efficient antiviral therapy, many prove to be lethal. Direct acting antivirals have changed the way we deal with viral infections. There are more than 50 drugs approved for human use against viruses such as HSV, HIV-1, CMV, the influenza virus, HBV, and HCV. Therapy for HIV infection has demonstrated how antivirals can impact the outcome of a lethal, chronic infection and extend life expectancy, while the treatment of HCV infection with direct acting antivirals is a good example of what is needed for reaching sustained virological response. These lessons could be useful to further improve research for treating many other viral diseases in the future since the development of new antiviral drugs is very much a work in progress, with active drug discovery programs for filoviruses, coronaviruses, dengue, and others. In the past, the primary focus for drug development has been viral enzymes, but targeting host cellular activities necessary for viral entry and replication can also be a good strategy. Finally, the repurposing of drugs already approved for human use to target a whole spectrum of viruses instead of one could save time and money. However, viruses can easily adapt to any therapy, therefore the resistance to antiviral drugs should be intensely studied.

In this Special Issue, our aim is to emphasize the need to keep a close eye on drug resistance, improving the methods for establishing which mutations cause it and new, easily performed, largely available, and cost effective tests. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as many other potential threats, will need new treatment solutions but monitoring the development of resistance mutations is essential if we want to be one step ahead of the virus.

Dr. Ivana Grgic
Guest Editor

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• Antiviral therapy
• Direct acting antivirals
• Drug resistance testing
• HIV drug resistance
• HCV drug resistance
• HBV drug resistance
• CMV drug resistance
• HSV drug resistance