Invention:
This invention is a set of compounds which have antiviral activity against the enteroviruses D68, A71, and coxsackievirus B3. They can be used both prophylactically, to prevent infection, and therapeutically, to treat it.
Background:
Enteroviruses are a group of viruses that belong to the Picornaviridae family. One enterovirus, the polio virus, reached epidemic proportions in the early 1900s, causing paralysis in many people. While polio has been eliminated in most developed countries, the other enteroviruses are just beginning to cause serious disease. In 2014, almost 2,000 people in the United States and Canada alone were infected with EV-D68, a virus that had been rarely seen before. In certain cases, EV-D68 can cause a form of paralysis, similar to polio. EV-A71 has been associated with hundreds of thousands of cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Asia since 2008. Finally, coxsackievirus B3 is implicated in viral myocarditis, which is a disease that may cause up to 10% of cases of acute onset heart failure.
Enteroviruses are becoming an important issue in virology and health around the globe. However, a vaccine has only been developed for EV-71A to date, and none of these viruses have effective antivirals for treatment once infection has occurred. Thus, it is extremely important to develop antivirals for the treatment and prevention of these infections.
Applications:
- Treatment and prevention of enteroviruses D68 and A71, as well as treatment and prevention of coxsackievirus B3
- Potential starting point for discovery of more effective antiviral compounds
Advantages:
- Selective/safe
- Effective
- Easy to produce
- Can be used therapeutically
