Proteases are enzymes that essentially "eat" protein. Without proteases, infectious organisms cannot properly mount an attack against a host. It is for this reason that proteases have become popular targets for drug discovery. Research has shown that if you can inhibit the protease, you can defend against the invading microbe. The defense against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is the best-documented case of the efficacy of protease inhibitors. Researchers are now trying to deploy this strategy against several infectious agents. This book gives information that is useful in that search.Proteases of Infectious Agents collects reviews from leading experts describing the latest information on the properties of key enzymes from a variety of viruses, fungi, and parasites. Each chapter provides the critical facts needed to initiate a drug discovery effort in that particular area.

J. Erickson and M. Eissenstat, HIV Protease as a Target for the Design of Antiviral Agents for AIDS.C. Steinkühler, A. Urbani, and R. De Francesco, Proteases of the Hepatitis C Virus.S. Abdel-Meguid and X. Qiu, Human Herpesvirus Proteases.C. Abad-Zapatero, R. Goldman, and K. Stewart, The Secreted Proteinases from Candida: Challenges for Structure-Aided Drug Design.M.N.G. James and E. Bergman, Proteolytic Enzymes of the Viruses of the Family Picornaviridae.C. Berry, Proteases as Drug Targets in the Treatment of Malaria.J. Cazzulo, Chagas Disease.H. Kido, Y. Chen, M. Murakami, Y. Beppu, and T. Towatari, Cellular Proteinases and Viral Infection: Influenza Virus, Sendai Virus, and HIV-1.M. Lively, Bacterial Type 1 Signal Peptidases.J.A. Garcia, M.R. Fernández-Fernández, and J.J. López-Moya, Proteinases Involved in Plant Virus Genome Expression.Subject Index.