New Horizons for Antiviral Agents
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 276
Special Issue Editors
Interests: innovative drug research; antiviral drug; drug design; medicinal chemistry; antigout drug
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: antiviral drug; medicinal chemistry; drug design; new drug modalities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: GPCR medicinal chemistry; innovative drug discovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Each year, viral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), influenza virus (IFV), and other viral pathogens cause millions of deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic (caused by SARS-Cov-2 infection) has led to tremendous deaths globally. Antiviral agents have been playing a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of viral infections.
The discovery and development of antiviral agents have evolved dramatically over the last four decades. Early antiviral medications, such as acyclovir, were groundbreaking in the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections. Today, a wide array of antiviral compounds exists, utilizing various mechanisms of action, including inhibition of viral entry, replication, and assembly. For instance, protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors are crucial in the treatment of HIV infection.
Recent advancements in technology have also led to the emergence of novel antiviral agents, including those developed through high-throughput screening and structure-based drug design. The rapid development of antiviral therapies for COVID-19, including Remdesivir and Paxlovid, exemplifies the importance of timely research and innovation in response to emerging viral threats.
Furthermore, the concepts of broad-spectrum antivirals are gaining traction, aiming to create agents that can target multiple viruses, thereby providing a strategic advantage amidst the unpredictable emergence of novel viral pathogens. This is particularly relevant in our increasingly interconnected world, where zoonotic spillovers are a constant threat.
Ongoing research into the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and host interactions continues to drive the discovery of new antiviral agents. As we face the challenge of viral resistance and the need for more effective treatments, the field of antiviral agents remains at the forefront of infectious disease research.
In this Special Issue, recent endeavors and achievements in the field of antiviral agents research will be primarily outlined, working on the identification, synthesis, and evaluation of direct-acting antiviral or host-targeting agents that inhibit viral replication or pathogenesis. Furthermore, we also welcome the submission of mechanistic studies of new small organic molecules, PROTACs, metal complexes, and natural products, as well as studies on drug resistance, the in silico design of antiviral agents, and antiviral target validation.
Prof. Dr. Xinyong Liu
Prof. Dr. Peng Zhan
Prof. Dr. Boshi Huang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- antiviral
- antiretroviral
- drug resistance
- drug design
- antiviral small molecules
- medicinal chemistry
- innovative drug research
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