Neuropilin-1 Drives SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity, Finds Breakthrough Study

We had two Soylentils write in to tell us of promising research breakthroughs pertaining to neuropilin-1 and its part in COVID-19.

Neuropilin-1 drives SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, finds breakthrough study

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for AzumaHazuki:

Neuropilin-1 drives SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, finds breakthrough study:

In a major breakthrough an international team of scientists, [...] discovered [an] interaction between virus and host, demonstrating a potential anti-viral treatment.

Unlike other coronavirus, which cause common colds and mild respiratory symptoms, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, is highly infective and transmissive. Until now, major questions have remained unanswered as to why SARS-CoV-2 readily infects organs outside of the respiratory system, such as the brain and heart.

[...] In this breakthrough study, the [researchers] used multiple approaches to discover that SARS-CoV-2 recognises a protein called neuropilin-1 on the surface of human cells to facilitate viral infection.

Journal Reference:
James L. Daly, Boris Simonetti, Katja Klein, et al. Neuropilin-1 is a host factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection [open], Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.abd3072)

Study Suggests Blocking NRP1 Receptors Could Help Treat SARS-CoV-2

"Barry" writes:

Like its predecessor, SARS-CoV-2 enters human cells through ACE2 receptors. ACE2 is typically expressed only at low levels on most cells, meaning that a virus might have difficulty finding ACE2 receptors to bind to. A recent study from the University of Helsinki found that SARS-CoV-2 contains a protein found not present in the 2003 SARS-CoV virus but that is found in HIV, Ebola, and highly infectious strains of avian influenza. This second protein binds to neuropilin-1 receptors and this may help the SARS-CoV-2 virus locate ACE2 receptors on the surface of cells. The importance of neuropilin-1 was tested by blocking this receptor, which reduced the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. While there are potential side effects associated with blocking neuropilin-1, this result suggests that blocking the neuropilin-1 receptor could be useful for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections. A manuscript describing this work has been accepted for publication in Science.

Journal Reference:
Ludovico Cantuti-Castelvetri, Ravi Ojha, Liliana D. Pedro, et al. Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity [open], Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.abd2985)

Original Submission 1 Original Submission 2

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