Antiviral agents

Question 1

What is the main challenge of antiviral therapy?
a. Viruses are intracellular pathogens so they are inherently harder to target selectively
b. Viruses use the host enzymes, which makes selectivity challenging
c. Viruses mutate very easily so the onset of resistance is fast
d. All of the above are significant challenges

Answer 1

d. All of the above are significant challenges

Question 2

What is an inhibitor of DNA polymerase?
a. An agent that blocks the uncoiling of the viral DNA
b. An agent that selectively blocks the elongation of viral DNA
c. A direct inhibitor of the enzyme DNA polymerase
d. An antiviral agent that blocks chain elongation once incorporated in the viral DNA

Answer 2

d. An antiviral agent that blocks chain elongation once incorporated in the viral DNA

Question 3

What is the mechanism of action of acyclovir?
a. Acyclovir is a nucleoside-like DNA polymerase inhibitor
b. Acyclovir is an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase
c. Acyclovir is a protease inhibitor
d. Acyclovir is a non nucleoside like DNA polymerase inhibitor

Answer 3

a. Acyclovir is a nucleoside-like DNA polymerase inhibitor

Question 4

What is the mechanism of action of foscarnet?
a. Foscarnet stimulates the patient’s immune defences
b. Foscarnet is a protease inhibitor
c. Foscarnet is DNA polymerase inhibitor; it acts like a phosphate analogue
d. Foscarnet is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor

Answer 4

c. Foscarnet is DNA polymerase inhibitor; it acts like a phosphate analogue

Question 5

How do nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors work?
a. They are allosteric inhibitors of viral reverse transcriptase
b. They prevent the access of the virus to the cell
c. They prevent the buddying of the virus and the infection of neighbouring cells
d. They are incorporated in the growing DNA chain leading to chain interruption

Answer 5

d. They are incorporated in the growing DNA chain leading to chain interruption

Question 6

What is the mechanism of action of zidovudin?
a. It is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
b. It blocks ion channels on the virus
c. It is a protease inhibitor
d. It is a non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor

Answer 6

a. It is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor

Question 7

What is highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)?
a. A combination of antiviral agents with different mechanism of action used to treat hepatitis C
b. A combination of antiviral agents with the same mechanism of action used to treat HIV infections
c. A combination of antiviral agents with different mechanism of action used to treat multipathogen infections
d. A combination of antiviral agents with different mechanism of action used to treat HIV infections

Answer 7

d. A combination of antiviral agents with different mechanism of action used to treat HIV infections

Question 8

What are neuroaminidase inhibitors?
a. Anti influenza agents that block buddying of the virus
b. Antiviral agents that block the access of the virus to the host cells
c. Anti influenza agents that block the access and the access of the virus to epithelial cells
d. Antiviral agents that block the access and the exit of the virus from the host cells

Answer 8

c. Anti influenza agents that block the access and the access of the virus to epithelial cells

Question 9

What is the mechanism of action of oseltamivir?
a. Oseltamivir is an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase
b. Oseltamivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor
c. Oseltamivir is a non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
d. Oseltamivir is a DNA polymerase inhibitor

Answer 9

b. Oseltamivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor