Targeting the Achilles Heel of Zika Virus and Other Emerging Viral Pathogens

Viruses are a leading cause of infectious diseases and represent one of the world's biggest global health problems. The continual appearance of new and reemerging viruses exceeds our capacity to provide effective medical solutions, as highlighted by the recent Zika epidemic. Herein, the authors discuss how unconventional approaches might lead to innovations in antiviral drug development that would address this outstanding need. In particular, the case of Zika virus is analyzed and the authors suggest that a materials science and engineering perspective might revolutionize antiviral drug development. Zika virus and related viruses possess a lipid membrane envelope that is an Achilles heel because it is necessary for viral function and there is a high barrier for mutations to evolve there. The development of antiviral drugs, such as certain membrane-active peptides, to selectively target the lipid membrane envelope would represent an entirely new therapeutic approach. Such efforts could be aided by engineering approaches to design and characterize promising drug candidates that work against multiple viruses. Looking forward, there is excellent potential to develop new therapeutic strategies that target the Achilles heel of Zika virus and other emerging viral pathogens.