Smallpox future or investigational therapies

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2]

Overview

Even though smallpox has been eradicated, there are undergoing studies to identify effective antiviral drugs against smallpox virus due to the potential of an outbreak as a result of bioterrorism.

Future or Investigational Therapies

Since the eradication of the smallpox virus, several antiviral drugs have been studied combating orthopox viruses in general, including:^[1]

Inhibitor of the viral DNA polymerase^[2]
Treatment of other DNA viruses
Investigational drug for the treatment of potential adverse effects of smallpox vaccination
Available in the IV form, with severe nephrotoxicity
New formulations are being studied

References

↑ Moore, Zack S; Seward, Jane F; Lane, J Michael (2006). “Smallpox”. The Lancet. 367 (9508): 425–435. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68143-9. ISSN 0140-6736.
↑ Smee DF, Sidwell RW (2003). “A review of compounds exhibiting anti-orthopoxvirus activity in animal models”. Antiviral Res. 57 (1–2): 41–52. PMID 12615302.
↑ Buller RM, Owens G, Schriewer J, Melman L, Beadle JR, Hostetler KY (2004). “Efficacy of oral active ether lipid analogs of cidofovir in a lethal mousepox model”. Virology. 318 (2): 474–81. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2003.11.015. PMID 14972516.
↑ Quenelle DC, Collins DJ, Wan WB, Beadle JR, Hostetler KY, Kern ER (2004). “Oral treatment of cowpox and vaccinia virus infections in mice with ether lipid esters of cidofovir”. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 48 (2): 404–12. PMC 321539. PMID 14742188.
↑ Painter GR, Hostetler KY (2004). “Design and development of oral drugs for the prophylaxis and treatment of smallpox infection”. Trends Biotechnol. 22 (8): 423–7. doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2004.06.008. PMID 15283988.
↑ Yang H, Kim SK, Kim M, Reche PA, Morehead TJ, Damon IK; et al. (2005). “Antiviral chemotherapy facilitates control of poxvirus infections through inhibition of cellular signal transduction”. J Clin Invest. 115 (2): 379–87. doi:10.1172/JCI23220. PMC 546427. PMID 15690085.

Overview