a protein facilitates the infection of cells by Covid-19

Since the start of the pandemic, one particular protein has received a great deal of attention: called the Spike protein (or protein S). Indeed, the latter allows the new Covid-19 to easily enter human cells.

This protein is the main target of the antibodies secreted by the body after infection. Following the sequencing of the virus genome, it was possible to create this protein in the laboratory. In this article we will therefore look at the role of the Spike protein and its impact in the infection process.

What is the main role of the Spike protein?

In practice, it is certain Spike shows some biochemical differences with the same viral envelope proteins produced under physiological conditions in a cell “Of course” suffering from SARS-CoV-2. These differences could affect the effectiveness of possible vaccines and tests whose activity is targeted at Spike.

However, they turn out to be very complex to highlight with conventional search devices, and only a few teams in the world have done so better technical means allowing them to be identified.

PCR allows you to duplicate a large number of copies of DNA sequences from a certain amount of nucleic acid in the beginning, generally used to identify and look for the genetic material of the virus in the body.

Some researchers use the mass spectrometry : this is a very powerful technique, which allows the direct study of viral proteins, although they are present only in minor concentrations in the biological samples analyzed.

The gateway for Covid-19 during an infection

Several researchers have long established that the binding of SARS-CoV-2 in acute respiratory syndrome to the angiotensin-2 converting enzyme is necessary for the virus to integrate into the host cell and infects it.

A study published in October 2020, in the renowned journal Science, reports the potential therapeutic values ​​of the second type of transmembrane host receptor: named neuropilins, which bind primarily to SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and can increase its infectivity.

The Dr Boris Simonetti, a well-known Cullen lab researcher, recently used numerous approaches to find that SARS-CoV recognizes a certain protein called neuropilin-1 located on the surface of human cells to facilitate viral infection.

Promising results on neuropilin 1

To make this discovery, some researchers have had to go back a bit as the story goes Ravi ojhan, another co-author of the study.

Several experiments conducted on a large number of samples taken from mice and deceased coronavirus patients have claimed that the neuropilin 1 facilitated the penetration of the virus into the nervous system.

Therefore, the researchers intend to use this scientific discovery to develop much more effective means against the spread of the virus.