The old but new: Can unfractioned heparin and low molecular weight heparins inhibit proteolytic activation and cellular internalization of SARS-CoV2 by inhibition of host cell proteases?

ABSTRACT: Currently, our world is facing the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and tremendous efforts are made for developing drugs to treat and vaccines to prevent the disease. At present, there is no specific antiviral drug or vaccine for COVID-19. The pathogenic infectivity of the virus requires the S1 subunit of the spike (S) protein to bind the host cell receptor, angiontensin converting enzyme (ACE2). While the binding to host cell receptor is the first step of infection, the entrance of the virus into the cell needs the cleavage of S1-S2 subunits to expose S2 for fusion to cell membrane via host proteases including cathepsins, cell surface transmembrane protease/serine (TMPRSS) proteases, furin, trypsin and factor Xa. Previous in vitro studies have shown that factor Xa inhibition can

SUBMITTER: Belen-Apak FB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7169882 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature