Abstract

The evolution of viral infections has pushed researchers constantly to find new approaches to disseminate these infections. One such promising finding in this aspect is 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a glucose analogue that gained attention for its potential as an antiviral agent effective against a variety of viral infections. The antiviral properties of 2-DG are due to its ability to interfere with viral replication within host cells, hence reducing the severity of infections. 2-DG is easily taken up by cells as it mimics glucose-like structure but interferes with glycolysis and other metabolic pathways. It also acts as a glycosylation inhibitor that helps in the disruption of viral assembly. Viruses are obligate and utilize the host cell machinery for proliferation. 2-DG mechanistically disrupts the energy supply by inhibiting the glycolysis cycle and providing an unfavourable environment for viral replication. 2-DG elicits broad-spectrum antiviral activity as it was found to be very effective against different families of viruses. By interfering with this process, 2-DG not only interferes with viral replication but also with the ability of the virus to enter host cells and evade the immune system. Although 2-DG has shown some promising antiviral potential, it also possesses some side effects as well. All the attributes related to the antiviral potential of 2-DG have been discussed in this chapter.