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Cellular host factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Jim Baggen1, Els Vanstreels1, Sander Jansen1

  • 1KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, Leuven, Belgium.

Nature Microbiology
|September 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified host factors crucial for SARS-CoV-2 replication, offering new antiviral targets. These host-dependent mechanisms are key to developing effective COVID-19 treatments against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Area of Science:

  • Virology and Molecular Biology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, presents a significant global health and economic crisis.
  • There is an urgent need for effective antiviral therapies against SARS-CoV-2 due to the lack of approved treatments.
  • Understanding virus-host interactions is critical for identifying novel therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and summarize proviral host factors essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • To discuss cellular processes vital for the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle.
  • To identify host factors targetable by existing or investigational drugs for COVID-19 treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Functional genetic screens
  • Interactome screens
  • Analysis of 'omics' data
  • Review of existing literature on SARS-CoV-2 and coronavirus biology

Main Results:

  • Numerous proviral host factors required for SARS-CoV-2 replication have been identified.
  • Specific cellular pathways and processes are critical for the virus's life cycle.
  • Parallels exist between SARS-CoV-2 host factors and those of other viruses, including non-coronaviruses.

Conclusions:

  • Proviral host factors are promising targets for antiviral therapies due to their relative genetic stability.
  • Several host factors identified can be targeted by clinically approved drugs or agents in clinical trials.
  • Targeting host-dependent mechanisms offers a viable strategy for developing broad-spectrum antiviral therapies for COVID-19.

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