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The pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 must break into our cells to set up an infection. It gains entry using the now notorious spike protein but, typical of viruses, it must hijack our own biology to jimmy the lock. Scientists are figuring out ways to intercept the virus before it can break in.
Viral spike proteins rely on protein-chomping enzymes, proteases, to re-shape them for cellular entry. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, the spike must first be snipped at a specific point by the furin protease before it latches onto a cell’s ACE2 receptor. Then, another protease must cut the spike protein and initiate viral fusion with the cell membrane.
The idea that researchers are pursuing is to block furin from cutting the spike.
Early on, before COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic, scientists were already on the furin case, observing that the spike protein had amino ...
