Antiviral strategies against RNA viruses - An overview from classical therapies to innovative approaches targeting RNA structures

Lazzeri, Samuel (2021) Antiviral strategies against RNA viruses - An overview from classical therapies to innovative approaches targeting RNA structures. Master's Thesis / Essay, Biomolecular Sciences.

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Abstract

RNA viruses occupy a relevant position among the human pathogens, counting a continuously increasing number of different species, which can cause more or less severe diseases in humans. Impressive research efforts over the last decades have led to the development of a variety of different antiviral strategies, but the biological diversity and rapid adaptive rates of RNA viruses have proven to be difficult to overcome. This implies a continuous research for new antiviral compounds and strategies. In this respect, RNA structural elements have been recently recognized to participate to virus functioning and could therefore be appealing and innovative antiviral pharmaceutical targets. Here we report the most common antiviral strategies currently applied, along with the factors underlying the exceptional ability of RNA viruses in developing resistance. We then analyse the possibility to target viral RNA structural elements with antiviral purposes, highlighting the most problematic issues concerning this approach and reporting the most advanced progresses in this direction. Although the field can be still considered on its early development and several crucial challenges still need to be addressed, the antiviral strategy of targeting RNA structural elements has an enormous potential and could dramatically improve our antiviral arsenal, which is of critical importance considering the emerging crisis of viral drug resistance.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master's Thesis / Essay)
Supervisor name:	Incarnato, D.
Degree programme:	Biomolecular Sciences
Thesis type:	Master's Thesis / Essay
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	12 Feb 2021 14:39
Last Modified:	12 Feb 2021 14:39
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/23957

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