A Helper To COVID-19 Entry

 

Recently, researchers from Germany and Finland (Technical University of Munich and University of Helsinki, respectively) have discovered a thing that helps COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus gain entry into human tissues and cells that wreak havoc the person’s health. They discover a receptor they called “neuropilin-1” which gave the COVID-19 a red-carpet entry into the human’s tissues and cells.

“Neuropilin-1” according to the news is a protein that is abundant on our nasal cavity wherein virus can thrive and flourish.

“Researchers from the Technical University of Munich in Germany and the University of Helsinki in Finland led a study that discovered a receptor called neuropilin-1 gives the novel coronavirus a leg-up in infecting our tissues. This particular protein is relatively abundant on cells lining the nasal cavity, making it a piece of cake for the virus to establish a home inside our bodies, raise a virus family, and then spread to a new host.”(Science Alert)

Aside from “Neuropilin-1” researchers also discovered another receptor much earlier according to the news that helps the coronavirus bind on the cell surface, that is which they called “angiotensin-converting enzyme 2” or “ACE2” and an enzyme which help in entry which they called “Type II transmembrane serine protease” or “TMPRSS2”.

The researchers were thinking why even though both the predecessor of COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 which is SARS-CoV and COVID-19 uses similar main receptor which is “ACE2” yet have a different way of infecting. They discover the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 have an extra piece on its surface protein which is they called “neuropilin-1”.

“"If you think of ACE2 as a door lock to enter the cell, then neuropilin-1 could be a factor that directs the virus to the door,"…. "ACE2 is expressed at very low levels in most cells. Thus, it is not easy for the virus to find doors to enter. Other factors such as neuropilin-1 might help the virus finding its door." With neuropilin-1 expressed in large amounts in nerve tissues within the nasal cavity, we might imagine SARS-CoV-2 has a convenient red carpet rolled out for it the moment we sniff an infected droplet.” (Science Alert)

The main point: Researchers have discovered a thing that help COVID-19 get entry on one’s cells and tissues that wreak havoc on one’s health, that is the receptor they called “Neuropilin-1”.