ReviewNorovirus drug candidates that inhibit viral capsid attachment to human histo-blood group antigens

- Human histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) serve as norovirus attachment receptors.
- Inhibitors of HBGA-Norovirus capsid protein binding may be promising drug candidates.
- Conserved norovirus-HBGA structures may act as targets for broad antiviral activity.
- The role of HBGAs in norovirus infection warrants further study.

Human noroviruses are the leading causative agents of epidemic and sporadic viral gastroenteritis and childhood diarrhoea worldwide. Human histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) serve as receptors for norovirus capsid protein attachment and play a critical role in infection. This makes HBGA-norovirus binding a promising target for drug development. Recently solved crystal structures of norovirus bound to HBGA have provided a structural basis for identification of potential anti-norovirus drugs and subsequently performed in silico and in vitro drug screens have identified compounds that block norovirus binding and may thereby serve as structural templates for design of therapeutic norovirus inhibitors. This review explores norovirus therapeutic options based on the strategy of blocking norovirus-HBGA binding.