Jun.28,2007  47  US 2007/0148124 Al  43.  A method for the treatment or prevention of a disease  caused by or associated with a viral, bacterial or fungal  infection in a host, which comprises administering to the  host a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount  of an anionic cellulose-based polymer, a prodrug thereof, or  a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said anionic cellulose  based polymer or prodrug, wherein said anionic cellulose  based polymer is molecularly dispersed and mostly disso› ciated in an aqueous solution at pH ranging from about 3 to  about 5.  44.  The method according to claim 43, wherein the  anionic cellulose based polymer comprises a repeating unit  of the following:  45.  The method according to claim 44 wherein said  aliphatic group, alicyclic group, an aryl group and heteroring  group in Formula I is further substituted with one or more  hydroxyl groups.  46.  The method according to claim 44, wherein said acidic  anhydride in Formula I derives from the same or different  acids chosen from the group consisting of acetic acid,  sulfobenzoic acid, phthalic, trimellitic acid, and other car› boxylic acids.  47.  The method according to claim 44, wherein at least  one ofR1, R 2 , R 3 , and R 4  in Formula I is chosen from the  group consisting of trimellitic acid, trimesic acid, hemim› ellitic acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, diethylmalonic acid,  trans-aconitic acid, 1 ,8-naphthalic anhydride, 1,4,5,8-naph› thalene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride, 2-sulfobenzoic  acid cyclic anhydride, 4-sulfo-1,8-naphthalic anhydride, tar› taric acid, D-mallic acid, L-mallic acid, and vinyl acetic  acid.  48.  The method according to claim 44 wherein the repeat› ing unit is repeated n times, wherein n is an integer greater  than or equal to 3.  49.  A method for the treatment or prevention of a disease  caused by or associated with viral, bacterial, or fungal  infection in a host, which comprises administering to the  host an effective amount of an anionic acrylic-based poly› mer, a prodrug thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt  of said anionic acrylic based polymer or prodrug.  50.  The method according to claim 49, wherein said  anionic acrylic-based polymer is molecularly dispersed and  mostly dissociated in an aqueous solution at pH ranging  from about 3 to about 5.  51.  The method according to claim 50, wherein said  anionic acrylic-based polymer comprises a repeating unit of  the following Formula  Formula II  or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof;  or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof;  wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4  are the same or different, and  are hydrogen, C$_{1 }$-C$_{6 }$ hydroxyalkyl, an aliphatic group,  an alicyclic group, an aryl group, arylaliphatic, or an  heteroring group or  Formula!  wherein each of said aliphatic group, alicyclic group, aryl  group, and heteroring group is independently unsub› stituted or substituted by one or more substituents  selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid,  sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, carboxylate, sulfate, sul› fonate, and acidic anhydride; R 7  is hydrogen, C$_{1}$-C$_{6 }$ hydroxyalkyl, an aliphatic group, alicyclic group, an  aryl group, arylaliphatic group or an heteroring group,  wherein which aliphatic groups, alicyclic groups, aryl  group and heteroring are independently unsubstituted  or substituted by one or more substituents selected from  carboxylic acid, sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, carboxy› late, sulfate, sulfonate and acidic anhydride, and, at  least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  contains at least one  COOH group, wherein the pKa of one of the COOH  groups present or if its salt is presents the pKa of the  corresponding acid is less than about 5.0.  wherein Rs is hydrogen, an aliphatic group, an alicyclic  group, an aryl group, aryl aliphatic or an heteroring  group; wherein each of said aliphatic group, alicyclic  group, aryl group, or heteroring group is independently  unsubstituted or substituted by an aliphatic group,  alicyclic group, an aryl or aryl aliphatic or Rs is  Formula!  -OnH  OR~  -trCH20: 2  O- OH H  H  H  OR 3  H  H  O  O  H  CH 2 OR 4  H  OH  -OnH  OR~  -trCH20: 2  O- OH  H  H  H  OR 3  H  H  O  O  H  CH2OR 4  H  OH  0  0  II  II  -e- -S- or  ll  Ii  II  0  0  0 