Poliovirus type 1 and type 3 (PV1 and PV3) (PV1 & PV3)

Poliovirus type 1 and type 3 are serotypes of the species Enterovirus C, belonging to the Picornaviridae family, and are the primary causative agents of poliomyelitis (WHO, 2023). These viruses are characterized by a non-enveloped icosahedral capsid containing a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome that encodes a single polyprotein (UniProt, 2024). Infection occurs primarily via the fecal-oral route, where the virus replicates in the gastrointestinal tract and can subsequently invade the central nervous system to destroy motor neurons, leading to acute flaccid paralysis (CDC, 2022). While Poliovirus type 2 has been declared eradicated, types 1 and 3 remain critical targets for global health efforts due to the persistence of wild-type 1 and the emergence of vaccine-derived strains of both types (Global Polio Eradication Initiative, 2023). Therapeutic intervention is almost exclusively preventative, utilizing Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) and Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV) to induce protective immunity. Experimental antiviral drugs, such as the capsid inhibitor Pocapavir, are currently under investigation to treat chronic excretors and manage potential outbreaks in the post-eradication era (PubMed, 2022).

Other names

Poliovirus serotype 1Poliovirus serotype 3Enterovirus CHuman poliovirus 1Human poliovirus 3PV1PV3

Vaccines stimulate the production of neutralizing antibodies (IgG and mucosal IgA) that bind to the viral capsid proteins (VP1-VP4), preventing the virus from attaching to the host cell receptor CD155 (PVR) (StatPearls, 2023). Small-molecule inhibitors like Pocapavir act as capsid-binding agents that occupy a hydrophobic pocket within the VP1 protein, thereby stabilizing the capsid and preventing the uncoating process required to release the viral RNA genome into the host cytoplasm (PubMed, 2022).