Patent ID: 6159939
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: C12Q,G01N,Y02A

Abstract:
A method to inhibit morphogenesis, production, release or uncoating of a virus which method comprises contacting animal cells infected with a virus, selected from the group consisting of hepatitis D virus (HDV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), influenza virus, tobacco mosaic satellite virus (TMSV), barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with an amount of an agent effective to specifically inhibit the prenylation of a protein in said virus, thereby inhibiting morphogenesis , production, release or uncoating of said virus,wherein said agent is selected from the group consisting ofa peptide that mimics the amino acid sequence of a ""CXXX"", ""XCXX"", ""XXCX"", or ""XXXC"" box as it occurs in said viral protein,an inhibitor of enzymes included in the pathway of the prenyl lipid synthesis from mevalonate,an inhibitor of a prenyl transferase, anda mimic of a prenyl group.