Development of highly effective, broad-spectrum antiviral agents is the major objective shared by the fields of virology and pharmaceutics. Antiviral drug development has focused on targeting viral entry and replication, as well as modulating cellular defense system. High throughput screening of molecules, genetic engineering of peptides, and functional screening of agents have identified promi...

The last few decades have shown a great progress in the development of antiviral agents that were licensed for treatment of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpesviruses, hepatitis viruses and respiratory viruses. The majority of viral infections clear spontaneously and are not in need for specific medical therapy. However, antiviral chemotherapy is indicated in certain clinical situations ...

A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vac‐ cine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is of‐ ten made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so...