SARS-CoV-2 Proteases: Role and Potential as Drug Target

Chrecentia Hanna  Swestikaputri; Tjahjani Mirawati  Sudiro

doi:10.24036/eksakta/vol23-iss03/437

EKSAKTA: Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA

Open Access

SARS-CoV-2 Proteases: Role and Potential as Drug Target

Chrecentia Hanna Swestikaputri ¹

, Tjahjani Mirawati Sudiro ²

¹ Master Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

² Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Published 2023-09-30

Vol. 24 No. 03 (2023) PAGES 453-464

DOI 10.24036/eksakta/vol23-iss03/437

Views / Downloads 221 231

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Abstract

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has become a long global pandemic caused by a transmitted and pathogenic virus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Even though WHO has retracted the global emergency status of COVID-19, it remains a threat. Various antiviral treatments are being devised and developed due to the coronavirus's high rate of mutation and need to create more effective treatments for infections. Protease is an important part of the life cycle of SARS CoV-2 hence it is intended as an antiviral target. Several protease inhibitor candidates have been identified, but there is still much to learn, including the structure and mechanism by which these inhibitors inhibit protease. This article investigates the function of proteases in the SARS CoV-2 life cycle and the mechanism of protease inhibition. Past and present research on the protease inhibitor mechanism of action was evaluated in order to generate this literature review. Here we found that the main protease (M^pro), one of SARS-CoV's proteases, is highly conserved among coronaviruses and has no human homolog. As a result, numerous M^pro inhibitors have been developed in an effort to treat COVID-19. PAXLOVID, an M^pro inhibitor, is already approved by FDA for emergency use.

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SARS-CoV-2 Proteases: Role and Potential as Drug Target

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