Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses
Novel coronaviruses emerged as zoonotic outbreaks in humans in 2003 (SARS), 2012 (MERS), and notably in 2019 (SARS2), which resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, causing worldwide health and economic disaster. Vaccines provide the best protection against disease but cannot be developed and engineered q...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/3/563 |
| _version_ | 1797440980599701504 |
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| author | Fernanda Gonzalez Lomeli Nicole Elmaraghy Anthony Castro Claudia V. Osuna Guerrero Laura L. Newcomb |
| author_facet | Fernanda Gonzalez Lomeli Nicole Elmaraghy Anthony Castro Claudia V. Osuna Guerrero Laura L. Newcomb |
| author_sort | Fernanda Gonzalez Lomeli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Novel coronaviruses emerged as zoonotic outbreaks in humans in 2003 (SARS), 2012 (MERS), and notably in 2019 (SARS2), which resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, causing worldwide health and economic disaster. Vaccines provide the best protection against disease but cannot be developed and engineered quickly enough to prevent emerging viruses, zoonotic outbreaks, and pandemics. Antivirals are the best first line of therapeutic defense against novel emerging viruses. Coronaviruses are plus sense, single stranded, RNA genome viruses that undergo frequent genetic mutation and recombination, allowing for the emergence of novel coronavirus strains and variants. The molecular life cycle of the coronavirus family offers many conserved activities to be exploited as targets for antivirals. Here, we review the molecular life cycle of coronaviruses and consider antiviral therapies, approved and under development, that target the conserved activities of coronaviruses. To identify additional targets to inhibit emerging coronaviruses, we carried out in silico sequence and structure analysis of coronavirus proteins isolated from bat and human hosts. We highlight conserved and accessible viral protein domains and residues as possible targets for the development of viral inhibitors. Devising multiple antiviral therapies that target conserved viral features to be used in combination is the best first line of therapeutic defense to prevent emerging viruses from developing into outbreaks and pandemics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:16:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db2ff8b4876e403d85ca96b2040ca566 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:16:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-db2ff8b4876e403d85ca96b2040ca5662023-11-30T22:46:20ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-03-0114356310.3390/v14030563Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging CoronavirusesFernanda Gonzalez Lomeli0Nicole Elmaraghy1Anthony Castro2Claudia V. Osuna Guerrero3Laura L. Newcomb4Biology Department, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USABiology Department, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USABiology Department, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USABiology Department, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USABiology Department, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USANovel coronaviruses emerged as zoonotic outbreaks in humans in 2003 (SARS), 2012 (MERS), and notably in 2019 (SARS2), which resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, causing worldwide health and economic disaster. Vaccines provide the best protection against disease but cannot be developed and engineered quickly enough to prevent emerging viruses, zoonotic outbreaks, and pandemics. Antivirals are the best first line of therapeutic defense against novel emerging viruses. Coronaviruses are plus sense, single stranded, RNA genome viruses that undergo frequent genetic mutation and recombination, allowing for the emergence of novel coronavirus strains and variants. The molecular life cycle of the coronavirus family offers many conserved activities to be exploited as targets for antivirals. Here, we review the molecular life cycle of coronaviruses and consider antiviral therapies, approved and under development, that target the conserved activities of coronaviruses. To identify additional targets to inhibit emerging coronaviruses, we carried out in silico sequence and structure analysis of coronavirus proteins isolated from bat and human hosts. We highlight conserved and accessible viral protein domains and residues as possible targets for the development of viral inhibitors. Devising multiple antiviral therapies that target conserved viral features to be used in combination is the best first line of therapeutic defense to prevent emerging viruses from developing into outbreaks and pandemics.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/3/563COVID-19coronaviruszoonosisantiviral |
| spellingShingle | Fernanda Gonzalez Lomeli Nicole Elmaraghy Anthony Castro Claudia V. Osuna Guerrero Laura L. Newcomb Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses Viruses COVID-19 coronavirus zoonosis antiviral |
| title | Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses |
| title_full | Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses |
| title_fullStr | Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses |
| title_short | Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses |
| title_sort | conserved targets to prevent emerging coronaviruses |
| topic | COVID-19 coronavirus zoonosis antiviral |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/3/563 |
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