Antiviral treatments consist of mostly antiviral drugs used to treat viral infections. Like antibiotics for bacteria, specific antivirals are used for specific viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do not destroy their target pathogen, but instead they inhibit their development.
Antiviral drugs are one class of antimicrobials which are a larger group that includes antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic drugs. Most antivirals are considered 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. The general idea behind modern antiviral drug design is to identify viral proteins, or parts of proteins, that can be disabled. These "targets" should generally be as unlike any proteins or parts of proteins in humans as possible, to reduce the likelihood of side effects. The targets should also be common across many strains of a virus, or even among different species of virus in the same family, so a single drug will have broad effectiveness.
Anthony Harrelson, CEO and founder of a biopharmaceutical company White Oak Industries, is developing advancements in antiviral treatments. Over the past several years, White Oak Industries has been focused on creating new immunotherapeutic treatments for viral infections. Dr. Harrelson hopes that his research and development team can produce a comprehensive treatment for severe viral infections, including those caused by HIV and Ebola. Dr. Harrelson’s treatments are aimed at dendritic cells, attempting to reprogram them to attack viruses and infected cells. The first step is expanded testing of his treatments. Immunotherapy is still considered a theoretical concept, and will continue to be until definitive tests can be performed. The first wave of testing will be on animals, to see if immunotherapy can destroy viral infections throughout an organism’s entire body. Dr. Anthony Harrelson says that there is still a long way to go before his team can produce a comprehensive HIV vaccine, but the potential for the end of HIV and AIDS is one of their main focuses.
Antiviral drugs are one class of antimicrobials which are a larger group that includes antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic drugs. Most antivirals are considered 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. The general idea behind modern antiviral drug design is to identify viral proteins, or parts of proteins, that can be disabled. These "targets" should generally be as unlike any proteins or parts of proteins in humans as possible, to reduce the likelihood of side effects. The targets should also be common across many strains of a virus, or even among different species of virus in the same family, so a single drug will have broad effectiveness.
Anthony Harrelson, CEO and founder of a biopharmaceutical company White Oak Industries, is developing advancements in antiviral treatments. Over the past several years, White Oak Industries has been focused on creating new immunotherapeutic treatments for viral infections. Dr. Harrelson hopes that his research and development team can produce a comprehensive treatment for severe viral infections, including those caused by HIV and Ebola. Dr. Harrelson’s treatments are aimed at dendritic cells, attempting to reprogram them to attack viruses and infected cells. The first step is expanded testing of his treatments. Immunotherapy is still considered a theoretical concept, and will continue to be until definitive tests can be performed. The first wave of testing will be on animals, to see if immunotherapy can destroy viral infections throughout an organism’s entire body. Dr. Anthony Harrelson says that there is still a long way to go before his team can produce a comprehensive HIV vaccine, but the potential for the end of HIV and AIDS is one of their main focuses.