Modern strategies for etiotropic therapy and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection

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Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus remains one of the leading causes of lower respiratory tract infections worldwide and poses a serious threat to young children and older adults. This review aimed to analyze current strategies for the treatment and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection that have emerged as a result of fundamental advances in viral structural biology. The article reviews up-to-date epidemiological data, including changes in seasonality observed after the pandemic, as well as challenges in clinical diagnosis. It discusses evolution of passive immunoprophylaxis, and presents the results of studies evaluating the efficacy of novel recombinant vaccines for active immunization. Particular attention is paid to the assessment of promising agents for etiotropic therapy. The available evidence indicates that the introduction of new preventive and therapeutic interventions makes it possible to shift respiratory syncytial virus infection into the category of manageable diseases. An important future task is the establishment of continuous molecular epidemiological surveillance to monitor the potential development of viral resistance to existing therapeutic and preventive agents.

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About the authors

Mikhail M. Mirolaev

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after N.F. Gamaleya

Author for correspondence.
Email: mikhailmirolaev@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0006-4748-7823
SPIN-code: 7926-6964
Russian Federation, Moscow

Olga А. Burgasova

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after N.F. Gamaleya; Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Email: Olgaburgasova@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5486-0837
SPIN-code: 5103-0451

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

Irina S. Kruzhkova

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after N.F. Gamaleya

Email: kruzhkovais@zdrav.mos.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1983-481X
SPIN-code: 8858-0350

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

Russian Federation, Moscow

Elena I. Burtseva

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after N.F. Gamaleya; Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies

Email: elena-burtseva@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2518-6801
SPIN-code: 2707-1446

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

Anatoly K. Tokmalaev

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Email: tokmalaev39@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7046-0799
SPIN-code: 1650-0831

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

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