Viral infections are a persistent threat impacting global health with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The appearance of new virus strains and growing resistance to existing antiviral therapies underscore the pressing need for more effective and broadly acting antiviral drugs. Traditional drug discovery efforts are proving inadequate, which emphasizes the necessity for new, innovative methods in this field.

This Research Topic aims to promote and advance state-of-the-art techniques for discovering promising antiviral agents. By drawing on the collective expertise of specialists in virology, pharmacology, computational biology, nanotechnology, and natural products chemistry, this interdisciplinary effort seeks to speed up the creation of antiviral solutions that are both efficient and widely available, potentially making a profound impact on worldwide health.

The scope of this research initiative includes a wide variety of groundbreaking strategies for antiviral drug discovery. To further extend our knowledge, contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes are encouraged:

Investigation of new viral targets beyond traditional ones like viral enzymes, including host-virus interaction interfaces, regulatory pathways, and non-coding RNAs, to uncover novel therapeutic avenues and cover less studied viruses with significant public health concerns.
Application of artificial intelligence and structural modeling to quicken drug candidate identification, predict drug efficacy and resistance, and facilitate smarter drug design.
Drug repurposing: Examining already approved drugs for new roles against viral infections, offering a shortcut in drug development timelines and cost reduction.
Advanced delivery mechanisms: Utilizing nanotechnology, prodrugs, and gene therapy to enhance drug delivery and activity across biological barriers to access viral sanctuaries.
Natural product research: Investigating extreme environments and unconventional microbial populations for antiviral compounds, also looking at host immune modulators and viral enzymes for potential therapeutic gains.
Collaborative initiatives: Fostering collaborations across disciplines, promoting shared data and insights, and initiating joint efforts in antiviral research.
This Research Topic aims to explore and advance cutting-edge methods for uncovering promising antiviral agents. We welcome researchers from diverse disciplines, including virology, pharmacology, computational biology, nanotechnology, and natural product chemistry, to collaborate and contribute their expertise. By fostering interdisciplinary research and embracing innovative approaches, we can accelerate the development of effective and accessible antiviral agents, ultimately significantly impacting global health.

This Research Topic will encompass a broad range of innovative approaches to antiviral drug discovery, focusing on, but not limited to the following themes:
- Targeting novel viral components: Shifting focus beyond traditional targets like viral enzymes to novel components like host-virus interaction interfaces, regulatory pathways, and non-coding RNAs could yield unique therapeutic opportunities. Exploring untapped viral families with high public health impact.
- Leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and structural modeling can accelerate the identification of candidate drugs, predict efficacy and resistance profiles, and guide rational drug design.
- Repurposing existing drugs: Exploring the potential of existing drugs for repurposing against viral targets has the advantage of reduced timelines and lower costs compared to de novo drug development.
- Developing alternative delivery systems: Nanocarriers, prodrugs, and gene therapy vectors can improve drug targeting, enhance bioavailability, and overcome barriers to viral reservoirs.
- Exploring unconventional natural sources: Bioprospecting marine environments, extremophiles, and understudied microbial communities can provide diverse lead compounds with unique antiviral properties. Exploring alternative sources like host immunity pathways and viral modification enzymes for potential therapeutic agents.
- Collaborative framework: Encouraging interdisciplinary research collaborations between virologists, pharmacologists, computational biologists, nanotechnologists, and natural product chemists. Establishing platforms for data sharing, knowledge exchange, and joint research projects.

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Frontiers in Drug Discovery

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