Systems virology: host-directed approaches to viral pathogenesis and drug targeting

High-throughput molecular profiling and computational biology are changing the face of virology, providing a new appreciation of the importance of the host in viral pathogenesis and offering unprecedented opportunities for better diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. Here, we provide a snapshot of the evolution of systems virology, from global gene expression profiling and signatures of disease outcome, to geometry-based computational methods that promise to yield novel therapeutic targets, personalized medicine and a deeper understanding of how viruses cause disease. To realize these goals, pipettes and Petri dishes need to join forces with the powers of mathematics and computational biology. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (doi:10.1038/nrmicro3036) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.