Viral RNA polymerase: a promising antiviral target for influenza A virus.

Influenza A virus, which has a high rate of morbidity and mortality, has become a serious threat to human health and society. Because of antigenic variation, the application of influenza vaccination is limited. Till now, the current antivirals are mainly against the M2 protein (such as adamantanes) and the neuraminidase (such as zanamivir and oseltamivir). However, many viral strains have developed resistance to these marketed antiviral drugs, and it is urgent to find new antivirals for the prevention and treatment of influenza. RNA polymerase that is crucial for the replication and transcription in the virus life cycle has been proved to be an effective target for design of new antivirals. In this review, we describe the recent progress of the structure, function, and inhibitors of the novel target.