Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Texas, USA.
Cardiovasc Pathol. 2021 Jan-Feb;50:107278. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2020.107278. Epub 2020 Sep 2.
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to two other coronaviruses that caused disease epidemic breakouts in humans in the last 2 decades, namely, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The similarities have enabled the scientists to apply the basic scientific discoveries garnered from studying the structure and modus operandi of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV to develop therapies that specifically target SARS-CoV-2 and to develop vaccines to prevent COVID-19. Targeted therapies including the use of antibodies to prevent virus entry, nucleotide analogues to prevent viral replication, and inhibitors of proteases to prevent virion formation, among others, are being tested for their clinical efficacy. Likewise, complete sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 and identification of its structural and nonstructural proteins have enabled development of RNA-, DNA-, and peptide-based vaccines as well attenuated viral vaccines to instigate the host-immune responses. The clinical impacts of the basic science discoveries are amply evident on the rapid pace of progress in developing specific antiviral therapies and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. The progress emphasizes the merit of discovering the fundamental scientific elements, regardless of whether or not they have apparent or immediate clinical applications.
新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）由严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2 型（SARS-CoV-2）引起。SARS-CoV-2 与另外两种在过去 20 年中导致人类疾病爆发的冠状病毒密切相关，即严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒（SARS-CoV）和中东呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒（MERS-CoV）。这些相似之处使科学家能够应用从研究 SARS-CoV 和 MERS-CoV 的结构和作用方式中获得的基本科学发现，开发专门针对 SARS-CoV-2 的治疗方法，并开发预防 COVID-19 的疫苗。正在测试针对病毒进入、病毒复制的核苷酸类似物和蛋白酶抑制剂等靶点的治疗方法，以评估其临床疗效。同样，对 SARS-CoV-2 的完全测序以及鉴定其结构和非结构蛋白，使 RNA、DNA 和肽基疫苗以及减毒病毒疫苗得以开发，以引发宿主免疫反应。基础科学发现的临床影响在针对 SARS-CoV-2 开发特定抗病毒疗法和疫苗方面的快速进展中得到充分体现。这一进展强调了发现基本科学要素的价值，无论这些要素是否具有明显或直接的临床应用。
