Search

Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne infection that causes significant morbidity and mortality throughout the tropical and subtropical areas of the world and has spread in recent years such that it is endemic in over 100 countries. Therapeutic agents for the treatment of DENV infection are lacking, but agents that exhibit antiviral activity, either by direct action on viral targets or indirect action on host targets, have been reported with increasing frequency in the past few years. Promising viral targets include the NS3 protease, NS3 helicase, NS5 polymerase, and methyltransferase. Host targets include inhibitors of viral entry and translation. Successes in identifying useful chemical starting points and even in animal models of infection give cause for optimism that effective treatments of dengue infection might be available in the future.