Viral infections, prophylaxis against

The immunorestorative potential of inosiplex has been evaluated in several clinical conditions, including post-surgical trauma, cancer patients with concurrent viral infections, and cancer patients receiving radiotherapy or chemotherapy. For example, most (84%) of the surgery patients remained immunologicaHy depressed, but 56% of the inosiplex-treated surgery patients had complete restoration of normal skin test reactivity (probability level < 0.0005). The use of inosiplex as an adjuvant to chemotherapy or radiotherapy appears to be valuable in the prophylaxis against opportunistic infections. 

Prophylaxis for malaria includes the administration of antimalarial tablets and protection against mosquito bites but does not include any vaccinations. Hepatitis C is a viral infection and no vaccine is available. Hepatitis B is a viral infection and prophylaxis is provided by a vaccine. 

Methisazone (Fig. 3) is the most active thiosemicarbazone derivative. It inhibits the multiplication of vaccinia and variola viruses, and is utilized in the prophylaxis of smallpox. It blocks the viral infection at a late stage of the process by making the late viral messenger RNA unstable. It thus prevents the synthesis of the structural proteins and the right assembly of the viral particle. Recently it has been found active against several adenoviruses and against encepbalomyocarditis virus which, in contrast to the other sensitive particles, contains RNA. 

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