Toward antiviral therapy/prophylaxis for rhinovirus-induced exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: challenges, opportunities, and strategies

Hendrik Jan Thibaut, Céline Lacroix, Armando M De Palma, David Franco, Mark Decramer, Johan Neyts

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening lung illness characterized by persistent and progressive airflow limitation. Exacerbations of COPD contribute to the severity of this pathology and accelerate disease progression. To date, pharmacological treatment of both stable COPD patients and patients experiencing exacerbations is mainly symptomatic with bronchodilators and steroids as the mainstay of therapy. Bacteria trigger such exacerbations in a number of cases; hence, antibiotics might be included in the treatment as well. Several respiratory viruses are frequently detected in sputum from patients during COPD exacerbations. These include influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and, most often, rhinoviruses. In this review, we discuss the potential use of an anti-rhinovirus drug for the treatment and prophylaxis of rhinovirus-induced COPD exacerbations and the path forward toward the development and use of such a drug. 

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)21-33
    JournalReviews in Medical Virology
    Volume26
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2016

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