Scientists have recorded the first atlas showing how the genetic material of the novel coronavirus interacts with the proteins in human cells, a development that could be a starting point for the treatment of new treatments against COVID -19. According to the researchers, including those from the Broad Institute in the US, one of the most urgent tasks is to understand all the molecular interactions between the virus and the cells which he suffers.
They explained that a detailed understanding of these interactions will help identify the processes in host cells that favor the proliferation of the virus, and those that activate the immune system. While the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses host proteins to reproduce, the scientists said so far, not all of the proteins found in human cells that have human cells have been thoroughly understood. interacts with the viral genetic material – its RNA.
In the current research, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, the scientists created the first global atlas of direct interactions between SNA-CoV-2 RNA and the proteins present in human cells. Based on the findings, the researchers also identified important regulators of viral reproduction. The scientists introduced human cells with the novel coronavirus, cleared the viral RNA, and identified the proteins that were attached to it. ” In this particular case, we were able to make quantitative measurements to identify the specific link-specific participants, ” said study co-author Mathias Munschauer of the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Disease Research (HIRI) in the Germany. The scientists said that the atlas of RNA-protein interactions offers specific insights into SARS-CoV-2 infections, enabling a systematic breakdown of factors that affect the reproduction of the virus, and host protection strategies – a critical prerequisite for the development of new therapies. From the results, the scientists identified 18 host proteins that are important in SARS-CoV-2 disease and found 20 small molecules that could inhibit these proteins.
They believe that both the CNBP and LARP1 proteins are particularly interesting. The researchers also identified target sites in these proteins that could be used to inhibit the reproduction of the virus. According to Munschauer, the identification of LARP1 as an antiviral factor is a key finding. ” The way LARP1 binds to viral RNA is interesting because it is similar to the way in which LARP1 regulates some cell messenger RNAs that we already know. This then gives us an insight into possible courses of action, ” he said.
According to the scientists, three out of four small molecules they tested inhibited viral reproduction in different types of human cells – conclusions that could open new avenues for COVID- 19 to handle.