Summary:
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection remains a public health problem at a global level, particularly in the Asia-pacific region. The infection normally manifests as hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD); however, it is capable of developing into potentially fatal neurological complications. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral substance available for prevention or treatment of EV71 infection. There has been no research undertaken to examine the possible antiviral activity of heparan sulphate (HS) mimetics against the Human Enterovirus A (HEV-A), in particular EV71. Therefore, this PhD research began with the aim of investigating the antiviral potencies of HS mimetics against EV71 infection. ...