Potential of Small-Molecule Fungal Metabolites in Antiviral Chemotherapy

Author: mycolabadmin
2017-07-23
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Summary

This research explores how chemicals produced by fungi could be used to develop new antiviral medications. Fungi represent a largely untapped source of potential medicines, with only a small fraction of fungal species having been studied so far. The review found many promising fungal compounds that could fight viruses like HIV, influenza, and herpes in new ways that current drugs don’t. Impacts on everyday life: – Could lead to new treatments for common viral infections like flu and herpes – May help address growing problem of viruses becoming resistant to existing drugs – Provides more natural alternatives to synthetic antiviral medications – Could reduce side effects compared to current antiviral drugs – May result in more affordable antiviral treatments as fungi can be easily cultivated

Background

Various viral diseases like AIDS, influenza, and hepatitis have emerged as leading causes of human death worldwide. Despite advances in drug discovery processes, developing safe and effective antiviral drugs remains challenging. The emergence of new viruses and drug-resistant viral strains has made this an ongoing battle. Small-molecule fungal metabolites offer vast diversity and stereochemical complexity as potential drug sources, yet only 5-10% of fungal species have been identified and even fewer investigated scientifically.

Objective

To comprehensively review and discuss the antiviral activities of fungal metabolites from diverse origins against important viral diseases, including their mechanisms of viral replication inhibition and structure-activity relationships of common fungal metabolite classes.

Results

The review identified numerous fungal metabolites showing significant antiviral activity against various viruses including HIV, influenza, herpes simplex virus, and others. Many compounds demonstrated novel mechanisms of action and promising therapeutic indices. Key findings included metabolites targeting viral entry, reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease enzymes. Several compounds showed potent activity comparable to or exceeding current antiviral drugs.

Conclusion

While no fungal metabolites have yet been approved as antiviral drugs, many exhibit high potential against various viral diseases. Given that only a small percentage of fungal species have been identified and studied, there remains enormous potential for discovering novel antiviral compounds from fungal sources. Better screening facilities and international collaboration could accelerate the discovery of effective antiviral agents from fungal metabolites.

Published in:Antiviral Chemistry & Chemotherapy,
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.1177/2040206617705500