Special Issue on Advances in Antiviral Drugs

Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections. Like antibiotics for bacteria, specific antivirals are used for specific viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do not destroy their target pathogen; instead they inhibit their development. Antiviral drugs are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic drugs. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections. They should be distinguished from viricides, which are not medication but deactivate or destroy virus particles, either inside or outside the body. Antivirals also can be found in essential oils of some herbs, such as eucalyptus oil and its constituents.

Most of the antiviral drugs now available are designed to help deal with HIV, herpes viruses (best known for causing cold sores and genital herpes, but actually the cause of a wide range of other diseases, such as chicken pox), the hepatitis B and C viruses, which can cause liver cancer, and influenza A and B viruses. Researchers are working to extend the range of antivirals to other families of pathogens.

Designing safe and effective antiviral drugs is difficult, because viruses use the host's cells to replicate. This makes it difficult to find targets for the drug that would interfere with the virus without also harming the host organism's cells. Moreover, the major difficulty in developing vaccines and anti-viral drugs is due to viral variation.

In this special issue, we are going to invite front-line researchers and authors to submit original research and review articles that explore antiviral drugs.

Authors should read over the journal’s Authors’ Guidelines carefully before submission, Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Paper Submission System.

Please kindly notice that the“Special Issue’’ under your manuscript title is supposed to be specified and the research field “Special Issue-Advance in Antiviral Drugs” should be chosen during your submission.

According to the following timetable:

Guest Editor:

For further questions or inquiries

Please contact Editorial Assistant at

pp@scirp.org