Main pathway of infection route of COVID-19 virus has been found
코로나19 인체 감염 핵심 물질 발견, 새 치료제 개발 단초
Among COVID-19 variants, the most contagious, KP.3, has led infections this summer.
A national research team has determined the main pathway of the infection route of this COVID-19 mutant virus causing this resurgence.
Cha Yun-kyung has more.
COVID-19 infections have been increasing worldwide with the appearance of the KP.3 variant.
Variant mutations of COVID-19 have various names, such as KP.3 and KP.2 among many others.
When the COVID-19 virus breaks into human cells,
it uses a spike glycoprotein on projections of a cell
as a key to breaking into it.
However, the KP.3 variant does not use the original shape of the spike glycoprotein, but modifies the cellular spike’s shape by using one of the human body’s own enzymes because it does not have its own enzyme for mutation.
The national research team has newly determined that KLK5, an enzyme in the body, plays a main role in modifying the cellular spike.
“When the COVID-19 virus breaks into human bodies, two parts of a virus cell have to be cut to inosculate with cell membranes in human bodies. Through the research of our team, we were able to find out that KLK5 plays an important role for the virus to inosculate with human bodies.”
If a new substance that can control KLK5 is created, a new type of COVID-19 vaccine can be developed.
Paxlovid, the representative COVID-19 vaccine, suppresses the propagation of the virus after it breaks into the cell.
But, the findings from this research are different from the principle of Paxlovid, as the new substance could stop COVID-19 viruses from entering cells.
The research team is working on developing a COVID-19 vaccine based on a therapeutic agent that can suppress the production of KLK5 enzymes.
This process might be time-consuming, but the team is looking at whether it could lead to the commercialization of a new vaccine as the country is currently fully reliant on treatments from overseas.
Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.
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