Reporter-expressing viruses for antiviral drug discovery research

Viruses continue to pose major global health challenges, with recent pandemics underscoring the urgent need for effective antiviral therapeutics. While vaccines have reduced the burden of some viral diseases, many remain difficult to control. Antiviral drug discovery relies on identifying and validating suitable targets through both target-based and phenotype-based screening strategies. Traditional antiviral assays are accurate but labor-intensive and not easily adaptable for high-throughput analysis. Advances in reverse genetics have enabled the development of reporter-expressing recombinant viruses, which allow real-time tracking of viral replication and are increasingly used in high-throughput screening. This review highlights the application of fluorescent and bioluminescent reporter systems in antiviral drug discovery, emphasizing their advantages, limitations, and future prospects.