Editorial [Hot Topic: Drug Targets in Viral Infections (Guest Editor: Jean-Marc Sabatier)]

This special issue of the international journal ‘Infectious disorders - Drug targets’ brings together some of the most famous scientific researchers and clinicians worldwide, who have made major contributions and discoveries in their respective fields of virology. With eleven review articles, the special issue is a real gem covering the latest state of knowledge for each type of pathogenic viruses. Interestingly, it not only deals with currently available therapies, but also focuses on present and ‘future’ molecular targets of the candidate chemotherapeutic drugs that will be potentially developed in upcoming effective or improved antiviral treatments. Basically, the strategy of prospecting ‘novel’ routes of possible molecular targets for antivirals reveals to be crucial regarding the existence and tremendous spread of a variety of viruses with profiles of multiple resistance to drugs. Recently, the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine (2008) has been awarded to distinguished virologists for their pioneer works on human immunodeficiency (Drs. Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier) and papilloma (Dr. zur Hausen) viruses causing AIDS and cervical cancer, respectively. I would like to dedicate this particular issue to those experts (and especially to Dr. Montagnier I collaborated with in the early days of HIV discovery), as well as to other less reknown scientists who daily join their research efforts to fight against viral and non-viral human pathogens, that are likely to represent the 21st century plague.