Repurposing Small-molecule Inhibitors against Bunyaviruses: Advances, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Prospects.

Bunyaviricetes, including highly pathogenic members such as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, and Rift Valley Fever Virus, pose significant global health threats characterized by high mortality rates and a lack of approved specific therapeutics. Drug repurposing provides pharmaceutical companies with cost-effective and expedited strategies to discover innovative treatment options for patients. Given the issue of antiviral drug resistance and the high cost of developing new antiviral drugs, drug repurposing offers enormous potential for expanding the repertoire of available therapeutics. This paper reviews the progress made in developing candidate drugs against bunyaviruses through high-throughput screening and drug repurposing methods, summarizes the mechanisms of action of candidate drugs targeting viruses and host cells, and looks ahead to future trends in the development of small-molecule antiviral drugs, with the aim of providing a reference for promoting the development of new bunyavirus drugs.