Scope of computational biology and bioinformatics towards the discovery of potential therapeutic agents against viral diseases

ABSTRACT

Computational biology and bioinformatics resources provide a cutting-edge platform for the screening and development of novel therapeutic agents against probable targets of emerging viral diseases. Emerging viral infections such as COVID-19, Ebola, Nipha andMiddle East respiratory syndrome are some of the potential public health threats reported with high mortality and morbidity. The infections caused by these viruses were recently considered as acute onset immune dysrhythmia syndrome. The altered monocytic, cytokines and chemokines balances observed in several emerging viral infections lead to the acute respiratory distress and multiinflammatory syndromes [1]. Recent studies suggested that many countries were unable to manage the drastic and unexpected onset of these viral outbreaks and such a scenario adversely affected the global economy [2]. There are limited vaccines currently available for most of these viral infections and the vaccine development strategies are extremely tedious and complex. In addition, there are no approved drugs available for most of the emerging viral infections. For example, although the use of non toxic concentrations of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a glucose analog that inhibits the activity of phosphoglucoisomerase in the glycolytic pathway of SARS-CoV-2 is suggested to be one of the promising therapeutic agents for COVID-19, the successful application of this drug is yet to be confirmed [3]. Thus, the present editorial briefly outlines the scope of bioinformatics and computational biology toward the discovery of potential therapeutic agents against various viral diseases.