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Review
. 2021 Apr 13;13(4):667.
doi: 10.3390/v13040667.

Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Strategies and Nucleoside Analogues

Robert J Geraghty  1 , Matthew T Aliota  2 , Laurent F Bonnac  1
Affiliations
Review

Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Strategies and Nucleoside Analogues

Robert J Geraghty et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

The emergence or re-emergence of viruses with epidemic and/or pandemic potential, such as Ebola, Zika, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 and 2 (SARS and SARS-CoV-2) viruses, or new strains of influenza represents significant human health threats due to the absence of available treatments. Vaccines represent a key answer to control these viruses. However, in the case of a public health emergency, vaccine development, safety, and partial efficacy concerns may hinder their prompt deployment. Thus, developing broad-spectrum antiviral molecules for a fast response is essential to face an outbreak crisis as well as for bioweapon countermeasures. So far, broad-spectrum antivirals include two main categories: the family of drugs targeting the host-cell machinery essential for virus infection and replication, and the family of drugs directly targeting viruses. Among the molecules directly targeting viruses, nucleoside analogues form an essential class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. In this review, we will discuss the interest for broad-spectrum antiviral strategies and their limitations, with an emphasis on virus-targeted, broad-spectrum, antiviral nucleoside analogues and their mechanisms of action.

Keywords: broad-spectrum antivirals; chain terminator; lethal mutagenesis; nucleoside analogues.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Virus replication cycle and antiviral strategies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Non-exhaustive list of nucleoside antiviral drugs and other antiviral nucleoside analogues.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Remdesivir activation mechanism.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Ribavirin activation mechanism.
Figure 5
Figure 5
T-705/Favipiravir activation mechanism.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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