SARS-CoV-2, which was first identified in China, is responsible for the severe respiratory illness known as COVID-19 and was declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by the WHO. SARS-CoV-2 is a positive single stranded RNA beta-coronavirus related to the previous pandemic viruses such as SARS and MERS. In a short period, it spread globally and infected more than 31 million people and more than 900,000 deaths are reported, as of Sep 23, 2020. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is a major concern for the FDA due to its threat to public health. Until now, no specific drug or vaccine has been reported for COVID-19. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify a drug or vaccine specifically to inhibit the function of SARS-CoV-2 .

This Research Topic focuses on the research detailing the mechanisms and functions of therapeutic drug targets for SARS-CoV-2 infections, as well as the macromolecules responsible for the binding of the virion to the host receptor protein. Understanding the detailed pathophysiological mechanism during COVID-19 infections is of the utmost importance to develop an effective therapeutic intervention. Likewise, understanding the atomic insight of the macromolecules presented in the virion is important to combat the viral pandemic via the development of a vaccine. Revealing the pathological mechanisms and atomic information of the macromolecule will assist in the development of a novel agonist or antagonist which could become a primary drug candidate to treat this pandemic.

In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research and Review articles. We will not be accepting studies based only on in silico data. We expect topics to cover, but are not limited to the following:
1. Mechanism of host proteins for the SARS-CoV-2 replication and maturation;
2. SARS-CoV-2 mutations in role of pathogenicity;
3. Cancer and diabetic drug target for SARS-CoV-2 protein -protein interactions;
4. Plant compounds as drug candidates to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections;
5. Study on antibody interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteins;
6. Drug repurposing for the treatment of COVID-19;
7. Progression on drug screening for SARS-CoV-2 drug targets;
8. Structure-based modeling to identify critical residues.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Participating Journals

Impact