Flavivirus NS4B protein: Structure, function, and antiviral discovery.

Infections with mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as Dengue virus, ZIKV virus, and West Nile virus, pose significant threats to public health. Flaviviruses cause up to 400 million infections each year, leading to many forms of diseases, including fatal hemorrhage, encephalitis, congenital abnormalities, and deaths. Currently, there are no clinically approved antiviral drugs for the treatment of flavivirus infections. The non-structural protein NS4B is an emerging target for drug discovery due to its multiple roles in the flaviviral life cycle. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge on the structure and function of flavivirus NS4B, as well as the progress on antiviral compounds that target NS4B. [Display omitted] • This review summarizes the latest knowledge on the structure and function of flavivirus NS4B protein. • Flavivirus NS4B is a membrane protein essential for viral replication and host immune response • Flavivirus NS4B interacts with various viral and host proteins in infected cells [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]