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Antiviral Drugs definitions

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  • Selective Toxicity
    Exploiting differences between host and virus to minimize harm to host cells while targeting viral processes.
  • Entry Inhibitor
    A molecule that prevents viral particles from attaching to or entering host cells by blocking specific cell receptors.
  • Nucleoside Analog
    A compound resembling natural nucleotides, incorporated into viral genomes to disrupt replication by viral polymerases.
  • Reverse Transcriptase
    An enzyme unique to retroviruses that synthesizes DNA from an RNA template, absent in human cells.
  • RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase
    A viral enzyme that copies RNA from an RNA template, essential for RNA virus replication and not found in humans.
  • Protease Inhibitor
    A drug that blocks viral enzymes responsible for cleaving large polypeptides into functional proteins, halting virus maturation.
  • Neuraminidase Inhibitor
    A substance that prevents the release of new viral particles from infected cells by blocking a key viral enzyme.
  • Interferon
    A signaling protein produced by host cells that boosts antiviral defenses and stimulates immune responses against viruses.
  • Retrovirus
    A virus with an RNA genome that uses reverse transcriptase to integrate into host DNA, exemplified by HIV.
  • DNA Virus
    A virus whose genetic material is DNA, often targeted by drugs that inhibit viral DNA polymerases.
  • RNA Virus
    A virus with RNA as its genetic material, relying on unique enzymes for replication, such as RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
  • Viral Load
    The quantity of virus present in a host, often reduced by antiviral therapy to lessen symptoms and transmission.
  • Viral Life Cycle
    The sequence of stages a virus undergoes to infect, replicate, assemble, and exit host cells, targeted by various drugs.
  • Immune Stimulation
    Enhancement of the body's natural defenses, often achieved by administering agents like interferons to combat viral infections.