Abstract
The COVID-19 plague is hitting mankind. Several viruses, including SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, EBOV, and SARS-CoV-2, use the endocytic machinery to enter the cell. Genomic variants in NPC1, which encodes for the endo-lysosomal Niemann-Pick type C1 protein, restricts the host-range of viruses in bats and susceptibility to infections in humans. Lack of NPC1 and its pharmacological suppression inhibits many viral infections including SARS-CoV-1 and Type I Feline Coronavirus Infection. Antiviral effects of NPC1-inhibiting drugs for COVID-19 treatment should be explored.
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-Cov-2, Niemann-Pick C1, modifier gene, drug repurposing, virus, infection.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.052] [PMID: 32142651]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.45498] [PMID: 32226290]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.6019] [PMID: 32282022]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmv.26179] [PMID: 32542661]
[PMID: 25345099]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.042] [PMID: 31940478]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11785] [PMID: 26698106]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiy248] [PMID: 30010949]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature10348] [PMID: 21866103]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature10380] [PMID: 21866101]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00565-15] [PMID: 26015498]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2012.53] [PMID: 22395071]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2013.10.002] [PMID: 24135719]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01196-17] [PMID: 29046459]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v6093683] [PMID: 25256397]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.07.022] [PMID: 28780424]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056265] [PMID: 23441171]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03316-5] [PMID: 28600536]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aag3267] [PMID: 27608667]