Research Progress and Challenges of Anti-monkeypox Virus Drugs Targeting F13 Protein

F13 protein is highly conserved in orthopoxviruses and serves as a classic broad-spectrum antiviral target. Nevertheless, clinical trials prove tecovirimat has weak efficacy and poor resistance profile. F13 inhibitors only hinder EEV release to stop viral spread instead of suppressing replication, leaving IMV intact. Current improvements include domain optimization to enhance bioavailability, simplified pharmacophores to boost potency, skeletal editing for better solubility, novel scaffolds for virion assembly inhibition, and dual antiviral-anti-inflammatory agents. Crucially, future paradigms must break away from standalone F13 monotherapy and transition toward combination regimens─such as pairing F13 blockers with host-targeting entry/uncoating inhibitors─or developing multitarget inhibitors that interrupt the viral life cycle prior to IMV maturation by targeting DNA polymerase or transcription machinery.

Background:

F13 protein is highly conserved in orthopoxviruses and serves as a classic broad-spectrum antiviral target. Clinical trials prove tecovirimat has weak efficacy and poor resistance profile. F13 inhibitors only hinder EEV. Encapsulation of protein-based drug carriers represents a promising strategy for enhancing therapeutic efficiency by improving stability.

Methods:

N/A - Review article; the provided text does not specify methodology details.

Results:

The text reports that F13 protein is a conserved broad-spectrum antiviral target, that tecovirimat has weak efficacy and poor resistance profile, and that F13 inhibitors only hinder EEV. It also reports that encapsulation of protein-based drug carriers is a promising strategy for enhancing therapeutic efficiency by improving stability.

Data Summary:

No quantitative results or key statistics are provided in the text.

Conclusions:

F13 protein is a conserved antiviral target, but tecovirimat has weak efficacy and poor resistance profile, and F13 inhibitors only hinder EEV. Encapsulation of protein-based drug carriers is presented as a promising strategy for enhancing therapeutic efficiency by improving stability.

Practical Significance:

The text identifies encapsulation of protein-based drug carriers as a promising strategy for controlled loading and releasing efficiency, enhancing therapeutic efficiency by improving stability.