Mitoxantrone dihydrochloride, an FDA approved drug, binds with SARS-CoV-2 NSP1 C-terminal

Journal article

Non-structural protein 1 (Nsp1) is one of the first proteins produced during coronaviral infections. It plays a pivotal role in hijacking and rendering the host gene expression under the service of the virus. With a focus on SARS-CoV-2, this review presents how Nsp1 selectively inhibits host protein synthesis and induces mRNA degradation of host but not viral mRNAs and blocks nuclear mRNA export. The clinical implications of this protein are highlighted by showcasing the pathogenic role of Nsp1 through the repression of interferon expression pathways and the features of viral variants with mutations in the Nsp1 coding sequence. The ability of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 to hinder host immune responses at an early step, the absence of homology to any human proteins, and the availability of structural information render this viral protein an ideal drug target with therapeutic potential

Authors: Kumar, P; Bhardwaj, T; Giri, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Journal: RSC Advances
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 5648-5655
• Publication date: 2022-02-10
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ra07434b
• EISSN: 2046-2069
• ISSN: 2046-2069
• Language: English
• Keywords: Drug; Mitoxantrone; Chemistry; Drug repositioning; Medicine; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); Pharmacology; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Internal medicine