Perspectives and potential approaches for targeting neuropilin 1 in SARS-CoV-2 infection

• Published in: Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 162 - 15
• Main Authors: Chapoval, Svetlana P, Keegan, Achsah D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 27.12.2021; BMC
• Subjects: ACE2, angiotensin converting enzyme 2; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - chemistry; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - metabolism; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Comorbidity; COVID-19 - drug therapy; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - etiology; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus - virology; Female; Host-Pathogen Interactions - drug effects; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; Humans; Infant; Molecular structures; Molecular Targeted Therapy - methods; Neuropilin-1 - chemistry; Neuropilin-1 - immunology; Neuropilin-1 - metabolism; NRP-1, neuropilin-1; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - drug therapy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - virology; Review; SARS-CoV-2 - pathogenicity; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - metabolism; Spike protein; Immunotargets and strategies; ACE2, angiotensin converting enzyme 2; Comorbidities; RBD, receptor-biding domain; Spike protein; CendR C-end rule; NRP-1, neuropilin-1; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; Host immune response; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Molecular structures
• ISSN: 1076-1551; 1528-3658
• DOI: 10.1186/s10020-021-00423-y

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel type b coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 224 million confirmed infections with this virus and more than 4.6 million people dead because of it, it is critically important to define the immunological processes occurring in the human response to this virus and pathogenetic mechanisms of its deadly manifestation. This perspective focuses on the contribution of the recently discovered interaction of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein with neuropilin 1 (NRP1) receptor, NRP1 as a virus entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2, its role in different physiologic and pathologic conditions, and the potential to target the Spike-NRP1 interaction to combat virus infectivity and severe disease manifestations.