Antivirals articles from across Nature Portfolio

Extracellular vesicles carrying phosphatidylserine on their surface, found in large quantities in semen, saliva and breast milk, but not in blood, provide an innate defence strategy by blocking viral entry through competition for binding to cellular phosphatidylserine receptors, explaining why many viruses are transmitted by blood rather than by these body fluids.

PAV-104, a small molecule, potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in human airway epithelial cells by disrupting viral particle assembly and release. These findings suggest that PAV-104 holds significant promise as a therapeutic for COVID-19.

Huang et al. show how plant Sw-5b NLR mimics the ABA receptor to activate ABA-dependent antiviral immunity via the PP2C-SnRK2 complex. They reveal that Sw-5b NLR induces ABA accumulation, upregulates ABA response genes, and triggers defense against viral infections by releasing SnRK2 from  PP2C inhibition.

Nipah virus is a WHO priority pathogen, and there is currently no approved drug for clinical therapy. Here, the authors identified potent human neutralizing antibodies that block receptor binding and provide protection against NiV infection in vivo.

Effective antibodies targeting various respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) proteins are needed to address public health burden of RSV. Here the authors shows that in addition to the currently approved F-targeting monoclonal antibodies, anti-G cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies to RSV-A and RSV-B strains can provide cross-protection and prevent from RSV disease.

Extracellular vesicles carrying phosphatidylserine on their surface, found in large quantities in semen, saliva and breast milk, but not in blood, provide an innate defence strategy by blocking viral entry through competition for binding to cellular phosphatidylserine receptors, explaining why many viruses are transmitted by blood rather than by these body fluids.

In this study, Tsuji et al. report the glycolipid 7DW8-5 that exploits the host innate immune system to control SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza virus infections.

The authors developed a refillable, long-acting subcutaneous nanofluidic antiretroviral delivery implant that conferred protection against infection with simian–human immunodeficiency virus in rhesus macaques.

We identified and mapped at high-resolution RNA structures in viral genomes that are essential for virus reproduction. We then rapidly designed potent antivirals with high barriers to resistance that prevent or treat severe infections of these viruses with pandemic potential — via development of what we term ‘programmable antivirals’.

This study presents the results of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) challenge trial with EDP-938, a nonfusion replication inhibitor of RSV, showing effective lowering of viral load and symptoms, without apparent safety concerns.