Viral and host nucleic acid–related processes

Viral and host nucleic acid–related processes encompass the biochemical pathways and molecular machinery responsible for the replication, transcription, translation, and maintenance of genetic material in both viruses and host organisms (NIH). This broad category includes essential enzymes such as DNA and RNA polymerases, reverse transcriptases, and integrases, as well as regulatory proteins and nucleic acid-sensing receptors (UniProt). In the context of infectious diseases, drugs targeting these processes aim to selectively inhibit viral replication or modulate the host's innate immune response to viral nucleic acids (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery). For example, nucleoside analogs like acyclovir and tenofovir act as chain terminators during viral DNA synthesis (PubChem). Because this term describes a collection of biological events and multiple distinct molecular targets rather than a single protein or receptor, it is classified as a functional grouping or therapeutic category rather than a discrete target (NCBI). This classification is often used in pharmacological databases to group antivirals and certain antineoplastic agents that interfere with nucleic acid metabolism (DrugBank).

Other names

Nucleic acid metabolismViral replication machineryHost-virus nucleic acid interactionsNucleic acid synthesis and processing

Inhibition of viral and host enzymes involved in nucleic acid synthesis and processing, including polymerases, integrases, and reverse transcriptases (PubChem, UniProt).