SARS-Cov-2 Spike protein RBD

Target information

Early January 2020, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, formerly known as 2019-nCoV) was identified as the infectious agent causing an outbreak of viral pneumonia (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China. Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses that are distributed broadly among humans, other mammals, and birds and can cause respiratory, enteric, hepatic, and neurologic diseases. Common signs of infection of SARS-CoV-2 include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. So far, COVID-19 has posed a serious threat to global public health.

The SARS-Cov-2 spike (S) protein is a multifunctional molecular machine that plays the most important roles in viral attachment, fusion and entry. The identified receptor-binding domain (RBD) in SARS-CoV-2 S-protein binds strongly to human and bat angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, which supports the high infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 to humans. Therefore, the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein RBD serves as a valuable target for development of antibodies, entry inhibitors and vaccines for COVID-19.