Dengue molecules: revisiting NS2B/NS3 protease inhibitors

Dengue is a public health problem of global importance and has become known as one of the most important arboviruses affecting humans today, with recurrent epidemics in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Great efforts have been made in research to find treatments for dengue, but there is still no antiviral available on the market for the treatment of this disease. Among the strategies that have been used for the development of antivirals against dengue, the inhibition of the NS2B/NS3pro complex stands out. In this context, this review describes dengue and molecules related to the dengue virus, such as viral proteins and their inhibitors, specifically those of the NS3 protease linked to its NS2B cofactor (NS2B-NS3pro). Additionally, the properties of different classes of inhibitors are compared by calculating their molecular descriptors.