OBJECTIVE ACE2 long served as the human gateway for multiple coronaviruses, including the currently pandemic SARS-CoV-2. This mini-review explores the potential of targeting ACE2 in blocking viral penetrance. MATERIALS AND… Click to show full abstract
OBJECTIVE ACE2 long served as the human gateway for multiple coronaviruses, including the currently pandemic SARS-CoV-2. This mini-review explores the potential of targeting ACE2 in blocking viral penetrance. MATERIALS AND METHODS PubMed search was conducted using the terms: "coronaviridae", "peptidyl-dipeptidase A", "ACE2", "SARS", and "SARS-CoV-2". References of relevant articles were further screened by the author. RESULTS Four main methods of blocking ACE2-mediated viral penetrance were identified: receptor blockage, receptor decoying, receptor shedding, and co-receptor inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Drugs that inhibit viral binding to ACE2 present a strong choice for the current, and if necessary, future outbreaks. Further research is needed to establish the clinical and pharmacological aspects of the identified candidate molecules.
               
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