Disha khanna biography templates

Abstract

The COVID‐19 (coronavirus disease) global pandemic, caused by the spread of the SARS‐CoV‐2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) virus, currently has limited treatment options which include vaccines, anti‐virals, and repurposed therapeutics. With their high specificity, tunability, and biocompatibility, small molecules like peptides are positioned to act as key players in combating SARS‐CoV‐2, and can be readily modified to match viral mutation rate. A recent expansion of the understanding of the viral structure and entry mechanisms has led to the proliferation of therapeutic viral entry inhibitors. In this comprehensive review, inhibitors of SARS and SARS‐CoV‐2 are investigated and discussed based on therapeutic design, inhibitory mechanistic approaches, and common targets. Peptide therapeutics are highlighted, which have demonstrated in vitro or in vivo efficacy, discuss advantages of peptide therapeutics, and common strategies in identifying targets for viral inhibition.

Keywords: coronavirus, peptide therapeutics, SARS‐CoV, SARS‐CoV‐2, SARS‐CoV‐2 mutants

SARS‐CoV‐2 has rapidly spread across the globe, impacting millions. With its rise, the design of peptide inhibitors has expanded swiftly, and in the last 18 months many groups have worked to identify both new viral targets for inhibition and potential therapeutics. Here much of the recent work in the field is covered, and recent computational and experimental data are consolidated.

1. Introduction: From SARS to SARS‐CoV‐2

COVID‐19 (coronavirus disease) was identified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, and is caused by viral infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). The first recorded cases originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. From there, global travel and commerce allowed for rapid global transmission of the virus.

SARS‐CoV‐2 is the most recent of the seven