Current Breakthroughs in Structure-based Design of Synthetic and Natural Sourced Inhibitors Against Zika Viral Targets

Background: Zika is a worldwide pandemic dreadful viral transmission through Aedes mosquito vector. It significantly causes fever, joint pain or rash, and conjunctivitis. Pregnant mothers suffering from Zika viral infection may have fetal abnormalities due to severe neurological problems, characterized by microcephaly along with Guillain-Barré syndrome, issuing ZIKV a major public health concern as declared by the World Health Organization. There is hardly any FDA approved anti-Zika viral drugs available. Objective: Therefore, it is a big panic for the scientists to destroy the virus completely by generating potent inhibitors. Methods: For the purpose, various Zika viral targets were explored by structure-based design in the present review in connection with the discovery of various synthetic and natural sourced inhibitors against Zika virus. Results: The structure-based drug design tools such as x-ray crystallography and molecular docking reported various co-crystallized ligands and Zika virus inhibitors. Conclusion: Such inhibitors could further be modified for the design of highly active leads to combat Zika virus utilizing chemoinformatics modules.