Host Cell and SARS-CoV-2-Associated Molecular Structures and Factors as Potential Therapeutic Targets

oleh: Jitendra Kumar Chaudhary, Rohitash Yadav, Pankaj Kumar Chaudhary, Anurag Maurya, Rakesh Roshan, Faizul Azam, Jyoti Mehta, Shailendra Handu, Ramasare Prasad, Neeraj Jain, Avaneesh Kumar Pandey, Puneet Dhamija

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-09-01

Deskripsi

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is caused by an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus, referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which belongs to the realm <i>Riboviria</i>, order <i>Nidovirales</i>, family <i>Coronaviridae</i>, genus <i>Betacoronavirus</i> and the species <i>Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus</i>. This viral disease is characterized by a myriad of varying symptoms, such as pyrexia, cough, hemoptysis, dyspnoea, diarrhea, muscle soreness, dysosmia, lymphopenia and dysgeusia amongst others. The virus mainly infects humans, various other mammals, avian species and some other companion livestock. SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry is primarily accomplished by molecular interaction between the virus’s spike (S) protein and the host cell surface receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), although other host cell-associated receptors/factors, such as neuropilin 1 (NRP-1) and neuropilin 2 (NRP-2), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), as well as proteases such as TMPRSS2 (transmembrane serine protease 2) and furin, might also play a crucial role in infection, tropism, pathogenesis and clinical outcome. Furthermore, several structural and non-structural proteins of the virus themselves are very critical in determining the clinical outcome following infection. Considering such critical role(s) of the abovementioned host cell receptors, associated proteases/factors and virus structural/non-structural proteins (NSPs), it may be quite prudent to therapeutically target them through a multipronged clinical regimen to combat the disease.