Antiviral Chemotherapy

Abstract

The chemotherapy of virus diseases is one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. Fruitful research in the field is retarded by the very intimate association of viruses and the host cells, since viruses absolutely depend on the host metabolic processes for their replication. Thus, at best, so far only subtle differences have been revealed between host biochemical events and those that are virus-specific. To meet the challenge several antiviral substances have been tested. These may either be naturally occurring biological products or synthesized compounds. Few of these substances arc of current clinical application. However, all the inhibitors studied have helped in certain ways in the elucidation of host-virus relationships, which is an essential first step in the ultimate solution of the problem. The antiviral compounds of clinical use are 5-iodo-2'-dcoxyuridine, isatin thiosemicarbazone and amantadine hydrochloride which are active respectively against herpes simplex, pox and influenza viruses.