Good news! SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is history!
I just blogged here about the recent discovery of another promising vulnerability of coronaviruses.
"... An investigation into how SARS-CoV-2 camouflages itself from cells has unmasked a potential vulnerability in the virus that scientists hope to exploit. ... lab has delineated key steps by which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, disguises one end of its genome. Without this cover-up, the virus can no longer hijack cells to cause an infection. ..."
From the abstract:
"The SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome contains a 5’-cap that facilitates translation of viral proteins, protection from exonucleases and evasion of the host immune response1-4. How this cap is made is not completely understood. Here, we reconstitute the SARS-CoV-2 7MeGpppA2’-O-Me-RNA cap using virally encoded non-structural proteins (nsps). ... nsp9 identified key interactions that mediate the capping reaction. Furthermore, we demonstrate in a reverse genetics system8 that the N-terminus of nsp9 and the kinase-like active site residues in the NiRAN domain are required for successful SARS-CoV-2 replication. Collectively, our results reveal an unconventional mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 caps its RNA genome, thus exposing a new target in the development of antivirals to treat COVID-19."
The mechanism of RNA capping by SARS-CoV-2 (open access)
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