From SARS to MERS, Thrusting Coronaviruses into the Spotlight.

Area of Science:

• Virology and infectious diseases
• Molecular biology and structural analysis
• Epidemiology and public health

Background:

• Coronaviruses (CoVs) were once considered minor respiratory pathogens.
• Zoonotic spillover events led to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreaks, causing high morbidity and mortality.
• These events underscored the need for international infectious disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current knowledge on SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment.
• To detail the structure and function of viral spike proteins (S proteins).
• To compare animal models for pathogenesis and explore host receptor roles in species tropism.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of coronaviral diseases, focusing on SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
• Analysis of viral spike protein structure-function relationships.
• Comparative assessment of existing animal models and host receptor interactions.

Main Results:

• Detailed understanding of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV characteristics, including their spike protein's role in host cell entry.
• Evaluation of current animal models' efficacy in replicating human disease.
• Identification of host receptors as key determinants of viral tropism and pathogenicity.

Conclusions:

• Further research is crucial to fully elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
• Development of reproducible animal models is essential for countermeasure testing.
• Enhanced understanding will facilitate the development of effective treatments and prevention strategies against emerging coronaviral diseases.