The coronavirus, named for its coronal form, was first identified in the 1960s and can cause a range of respiratory symptoms. Coronavirus such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) can aggravate human symptoms and cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome and death. SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) is the newly discovered coronavirus strain.

Chinese scientists have determined that novel coronavirus belongs to 2B CoV subgroup and is different from sars-cov. Genome sequencing showed that the sequence homology of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV was 79.5%, and that of SARS-CoV-2 and bat coronavirus was 96% [1].

Coronaviruses invade host cells by attaching spike proteins to specific host cell receptors. SARS-CoV uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme II(ACE2) host cell receptor, while MERS-CoV uses CD26(DPP4) [2]. Recent results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 can enter cells using the same receptor ACE2 as SARS-CoV [1.3.4]. More studies are needed to confirm ACE2 is the only way to infect the host for SARS-CoV-2. After SARS-CoV-2 enters the cell through ACE2, Cathepsin degrades Spike protein to release nucleic acid. Some studies have shown that using Cathepsin B/L inhibitors can block the process. The study also showed that SARS-CoV-2 could also be directly hydrolyzed by the transmembrane protein TMPRSS2, enter and release nucleic acids [5]。AI was used to screen the inhibitors (Baricitinib, Sunitinib, Erlotinib, etc.) of host endocytic regulatory factor AAK1, the inhibitors can block the delivery of virus to cells and the intracellular assembly of virus particles by inhibiting AAK1[6]。

FineTest® can provide a variety of tools for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) research, including human anti- SARS-CoV-2 antibody (IgG, IgM), inflammatory cytokines, to help the scientific community understand the mechanisms of infection and develop effective treatments.