Viral replication cycle in respiratory viruses

The viral replication cycle in respiratory viruses refers to the multi-step biological process through which viruses such as Influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) propagate within the human respiratory tract (StatPearls, 2023). This cycle begins with the attachment of viral surface proteins to specific host cell receptors, followed by entry, uncoating, and the replication of the viral genome using host or viral polymerases (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2020). Subsequent steps involve the assembly of new viral particles and their release from the host cell to infect neighboring cells. Therapeutic intervention typically involves small molecules or monoclonal antibodies that target specific viral proteins essential to these stages, such as the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase or neuraminidase (PubMed, 2021). Because this term describes a complex pathway involving numerous distinct molecular targets rather than a single receptor or enzyme, it is classified as a biological process in drug development contexts.

Other names

Viral life cycleRespiratory virus replication pathwayViral infection cycle

Antiviral agents disrupt the cycle by inhibiting specific viral enzymes such as polymerases, proteases, and neuraminidases, or by blocking viral entry and fusion with the host cell membrane (StatPearls, 2023; PubMed, 2021).