Recent advances in the development of methyltransferase (MTase) inhibitors against (re)emerging arboviruses diseases dengue and Zika.

Emerging and/or re-emerging viral diseases such as dengue and Zika are a worldwide concern. Therefore, new antiviral therapeutics are necessary. In this sense, a non-structural protein with methyltransferase (MTase) activity is an attractive drug target because it plays a crucial role in dengue and Zika virus replication. Different drug strategies such as virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics have identified new inhibitors that bind on the MTase active site. Therefore, in this review, we analyze MTase inhibitors, including S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH) and guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) analogs, nitrogen-containing heterocycles (pyrimidine, adenosine, and pyridine), urea derivatives, and natural products. Advances in the design of MTase inhibitors could lead to the optimization of a possible single or broad-spectrum antiviral drug against dengue and Zika virus.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Gildardo Rivera reports financial support was provided by Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Antonio moreno-herrera reports a relationship with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP that includes: employment. None.
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