Flaviviruses are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses that are typically transmitted to humans by mosquitos or ticks.  West Nile virus, Hepatitis B virus, Zika virus, yellow fever, and dengue viruses are all flaviviruses.  Despite flaviviruses’ prevalence of infection, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas, with hundreds of millions infected by this family of viruses worldwide annually and half of the world’s population at risk for infection, there is a lack of effective pharmaceutical therapy.  Mosquito control is the primary defense against flaviviruses.

Researchers in Drexel University’s Department of Microbiology & Immunology and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute have designed, synthesized, and tested in vitro new designs of iminocyclitol compounds to generate a novel broad-spectrum antiviral molecule against flaviviruses.  More specifically in the molecule, the iminosugar inhibits the cellular glucosidase, interfering with glycoprotein processing and viral morphogenesis during the viral life cycle.  The side chain of an existing iminosugar was modified to increase the spectrum of activity against flaviviruses.