Volker Czudai-Matwich

Dr. Volker Czudai-Matwich

Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Giessen, Germany

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
5 November 2022 in Viruses
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
JEJohanna Eichberg
Johanna Eichberg
EMElena Maiworm
Elena Maiworm
MOMarkus Oberpaul
Markus Oberpaul
VCVolker Czudai-Matwich
Volker Czudai-Matwich
Tim LüddeckeTim Lüddecke
Tim Lüddecke
KHKornelia Hardes
Kornelia Hardes
Influenza is a severe contagious disease caused by influenza A and B viruses. The WHO estimates that annual outbreaks lead to 3–5 million severe infections of which approximately 10% lead to the death of the patient. While vaccination is the cornerstone of prevention, antiviral drugs represent the most important treatment option of acute infections. Only two classes of drugs are currently approved for the treatment of influenza in numerous countries: M2 channel blockers and neuraminidase inhibitors. In some countries, additional compounds such as the recently developed cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir marboxil or the polymerase inhibitor favipiravir are available. However, many of these compounds suffer from poor efficacy, if not applied early after infection. Furthermore, many influenza strains have developed resistances and lost susceptibility to these compounds. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop new anti-influenza drugs against a broad spectrum of subtypes. Natural products have made an important contribution to the development of new lead structures, particularly in the field of infectious diseases. Therefore, this article aims to review the research on the identification of novel lead structures isolated from natural resources suitable to treat influenza infections.