Brief Introduction of Measles Virus and Its Therapeutic Strategies

Measles virus (MV) is an infectious disease related to thousands of deaths in previous outbreaks. Health agencies estimated that approximately 42% of countries would have the eradication of this pathogen. However, the virus remains as a challenging health problem for countries’ economies. This pathogen is highly transmissible via the respiratory droplets of infected individuals, which remain in the air and surfaces for several hours, increasing its rate of transmission. Prophylactic vaccination is the most effective strategy in controlling this infection. In recent years, political-economic factors and the anti-vaccine movement have contributed to its reemergence. Despite apparently being a controlled disease, these factors contributed to the increase in the number of cases, including fatalities. Also, there is still no drug used in the disease’s clinical management, justifying the investment in new alternatives. This chapter will be addressed to the main advances in new therapies against MV, highlighting hit compounds, focusing on non- and nucleoside, peptide, quinoline, retinoid analogs, and other derivatives. Besides the main advances in biological approaches such as glycosaminoglycan and interferon; also immunological approaches exist such as plant-and peptide-based vaccines. Nucleoside and non-nucleoside analogs are the most explored chemical agents, resulting in several promising molecules. Also, natural products could be effective in controlling MV. Finally, advances in immunological strategies, such as discovering new vaccines show that (despite a vaccine’s existence) it is necessary to find another more effective and accepted by the population, leading to the definitive eradication of this disease.