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Acyclovir: The Past Ten Years

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Book cover Immunobiology and Prophylaxis of Human Herpesvirus Infections

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 278))

Abstract

Compared to the remarkable progress made in the treatment of bacterial infections over the past four decades, advances in the chemotherapy of viral diseases have proceeded at a much slower pace. In the United States, only a few antiviral agents of proven clinical value are currently available for a limited number of indications. Initial success was achieved with vidarabine therapy of severe and life-threatening herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections—specifically, herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and neonatal HSV infections. Subsequently, acyclovir has become the standard therapeutic agent for life-threatening HSV and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections in both normal and immunocompromised hosts. The success of this compound has been nothing short of remarkable. Nevertheless, the recent problems encountered with viral resistance to acyclovir in severely immunocompromised patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection demonstrates the necessity for the development of newer antiviral agents that are active against HSVs. This article will review the advances made over the past decade in the management of HSV and VZV infections with acyclovir.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA

    Richard J. Whitley & Mark Middlebrooks

  2. Departments of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA

    Richard J. Whitley, Mark Middlebrooks & John W. Gnann Jr.

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  1. Richard J. Whitley
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    Carlos Lopez

  2. Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Ryoichi Mori

  3. The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Bernard Roizman

  4. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

    Richard J. Whitley

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Whitley, R.J., Middlebrooks, M., Gnann, J.W. (1990). Acyclovir: The Past Ten Years. In: Lopez, C., Mori, R., Roizman, B., Whitley, R.J. (eds) Immunobiology and Prophylaxis of Human Herpesvirus Infections. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 278. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5853-4_25

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