Special Issue "Antivirals Against Poxviruses"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Earl R. Kern
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, CHB 128, 1600 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35216, USA
E-Mail:
Phone: +1 205 934 1990

Dear Colleagues,

Although smallpox was eradicated about 30 years ago, there are continuing concerns regarding the intentional or accidental release of variola virus in a population that has little immunity due to the cessation of universal vaccination programs.
Additionally, the inadvertent importation of monkeypox virus into the United States through the sale of infected rodents reinforced the need for effective therapies that could be used during outbreaks of these infections. In response to these concerns, additional resources have been allocated to the research, discovery and development of new antiviral agents and significant advances have been achieved. At the present time there is no licensed drug for the treatment of any orthopoxvirus infection, however, cidofovir has been approved for use in the emergency treatment of smallpox outbreaks or in complications following vaccination. Two additional molecules, CMX001, an orally active analog of cidofovir, and ST-246, a small molecule, are highly active in vitro and in a variety of experimental orthopoxvirus infections in animals including non-human primates. Neither one has been approved due to the inability to conduct clinical studies for efficacy. This special issue will focus primarily on the development of these promising molecules and particularly on the use of animal model systems used to evaluate new antiviral drugs for treatment of orthopoxvirus infections in humans.

Prof. Dr. Earl R. Kern
Guest Editor

• orthopoxvirus
• poxvirus
• antiviral
• animal model
• cidofovir
• CMX001
• ST-246
• variola virus
• monkeypox virus
• vaccinia virus
• cowpox virus
• rabbitpox virus
• ectromelia virus