VIRUS PROTEINASE-INHIBITORS - WHAT NEXT AFTER HIV

The recent approval by the regulatory authorities in the United States of several HIV proteinase inhibitors as therapeutics for the treatmen t of AIDS confirms that virus proteinases are valid molecular targets in the search for new antiviral drugs. This review summarizes the avai lable approaches that can be taken to discover virus proteinase inhibi tors and reviews the current status of our knowledge with respect to v irus proteinases in viruses of clinical significance other than HIV. T he major focus is on proteinases identified in the viruses that cause the common cold, hepatitis C virus and the herpesviruses.