Cisplatin antiviral activity

The use of complexes of cisplatin with modified nucleosides such as acyclovir has also been proposed for antiviral applications [23]. This approach is similar to that described for antitumour responses in Chapter 3. For antiviral effects, the fact that many of the antiviral nucleoside analogues are not very specific must be considered a disadvantage in this approach. Thus, although there is a distinct synergy between say, are-C, and cisplatin in antitumour effects, the therapeutic index of ara-C for a virus is almost unity and thus toxic side effects may not be overcome. The complex d5-[Pt(NH3)2(Guo)2] has also been reported to have antiviral activity [23], and also to have some antitumour activity (Section 3.5) [24]. However, the carrier approach may be more effective in antiviral therapy than in destroying tumour cells. 

The demonstrated antitumour activity of cisplatin was naturally extended to studies on antiviral effects. The complex may be used as an activator in the presence of light or oxygen to inactivate Herpes Simplex, Type 1 [21]. Further studies showed that the compound had antiviral action in vitro... 

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