TARGETING SPIKE PROTEIN OF SARS-COV-2 FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in the sea-food market of Wuhan, China which and later declared as a pandemic. The novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was later given the name severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) due to its close similarity with SARS-CoV. The entry of the virus is mediated through the interaction of spike glycoprotein with the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The Spike protein plays a pivotal role in SARS-CoV-2 infection as it is required for both receptor binding and viral fusion, hence the key target for neutralizing antibodies. Owing to its important role, Spike protein stands as the prime target for developing vaccines and therapeutics. The S glycoprotein carries the receptor-binding domain and the major B cell and T cell epitopes, which indicate that it is a potential target for vaccines and therapeutics. Several candidate vaccines have already entered into the clinical trials. The commonly employed vaccine platforms for COVID-19 include subunit, virus-like particles (VLPs), DNA, RNA, and viral vector-based platforms. The majority of these vaccine candidates target the Spike glycoprotein to elicit an efficient immune response. The safety profile and clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines that are currently under trials are quite reassuring, but it is still way ahead from attaining commercial utility. In this review, we have highlighted the recent advances in S protein-based vaccine and anti-viral platforms along with their importance in prophylaxis and control of COVID-19.