Virus nucleocapsid protein is a prime target for disease-fighting interventions
The virus s nucleocapsid protein is a prime target for disease-fighting interventions.
April 22, 2021
Researchers at Oregon State University have taken a key step toward new drugs and vaccines for combating COVID-19 with a detailed biophysical study of one protein s interactions with the SARS-CoV-2 genetic material; SARS CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. A U.S. National Science Foundation grant supported the research.
The virus nucleocapsid protein, or N protein, has multiple functions, including packaging the RNA genome and interacting with other structural proteins during virion assembly. The N protein has critical roles in the coronavirus infection cycle and, because it mutates at a comparatively slow pace, drugs and vaccines targeting the N protein could be highly effective for longer periods of time, making them less susceptible to resistance.