Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2
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Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2

Published on: November 5, 2021

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Targeting Multiple Signal Transduction Pathways of SARS-CoV-2: Approaches to COVID-19 Therapeutic Candidates

Sajad Fakhri1, Zeinab Nouri2, Seyed Zachariah Moradi1,3

  • 1Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6734667149, Iran.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Understanding COVID-19 pathogenesis is crucial for developing effective treatments. This review details destructive signaling pathways and host-pathogen interactions, offering insights into therapeutic targets and natural product candidates for combating the disease.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents complex pathogenic mechanisms, posing significant therapeutic challenges.
  • The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) shares clinical similarities with COVID-19, including lung failure and pneumonia.
  • Effective strategies against future epidemics necessitate a deep understanding of viral pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review the destructive signaling pathways implicated in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
  • To explore host-pathogen interactions involving SARS-CoV-2.
  • To identify potential therapeutic targets and treatment strategies, including natural products.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on molecular mechanisms of COVID-19.
  • Analysis of signaling pathways: inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy.
  • Examination of host factors and SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle stages (attachment, entry, replication, assembly, release).

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 involves key signaling pathways such as inflammation (TNF-α), oxidative stress (Nrf2), apoptosis (Bax/caspases), and autophagy (Beclin/LC3).
  • Understanding host factors and viral replication steps offers potential therapeutic avenues.
  • Natural products show promise as complementary treatment candidates.

Conclusions:

  • Elucidating COVID-19's molecular pathways is vital for developing effective therapies.
  • Targeting specific host-pathogen interactions and signaling mediators can combat the disease.
  • Further research into natural products may yield novel therapeutic agents for COVID-19 and future epidemics.
Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2apoptosisautophagycoronavirusinflammationnatural productsoxidative stresssignaling pathway

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