Endocrine Abstracts

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has devastating consequences. The establishment of antiviral intervention targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, is urgently needed. However, such approaches require the identification of virus-host cell interactions essential for viral spread and pathogenesis. The viral spike protein (S) mediates the first step in SARS-CoV-2 infection, viral entry into target cells, and is the key target for neutralizing antibodies. In this presentation, I will discuss the cellular factors engaged by the SARS-CoV-2 S protein for entry and will outline strategies for intervention. One focus will be on the S protein activation by host cell proteases. I will discuss why the serine protease TMPRSS2 plays a central role in this process whether auxiliary S protein-activating proteases might impact extrapulmonary spread of SARS-CoV-2. Further, I will discuss how S protein activation can be blocked and whether such strategies are successful in COVID-19 patients.