Spiking Pandemic Potential: Structural and Immunological Aspects of SARS-CoV-2.
Trends Microbiol
; 28(8): 605-618, 2020 08.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-324606
ABSTRACT
SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious respiratory disease causing thousands of deaths and overwhelming public health systems. The international spread of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the ease of global travel, and societal dynamics, immunologic naiveté of the host population, and muted innate immune responses. Based on these factors and the expanding geographic scale of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic-the first caused by a coronavirus. In this review, we summarize the current epidemiological status of COVID-19 and consider the virological and immunological lessons, animal models, and tools developed in response to prior SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV outbreaks that can serve as resources for development of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics and vaccines. In particular, we discuss structural insights into the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, a major determinant of transmissibility, and discuss key molecular aspects that will aid in understanding and fighting this new global threat.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Pandemics
/
Betacoronavirus
Type of study:
Observational study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Trends Microbiol
Journal subject:
Microbiology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.tim.2020.05.012
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