Review of SARS-CoV-2 virus major protease inhibitors

Koronavirusno bolezen 2019 (COVID-19) povzroča hud akutni respiratorni sindrom koronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Čeprav so že razvita cepiva, so protivirusna zdravila še vedno potrebna za boj proti okužbam s tem virusom. SARS-CoV-2 je virus z ovojnico in njegov genom kodira poliproteine, ki se lahko predelajo v strukturne in nestrukturne beljakovine. Za to je potrebna glavna proteaza 3 kimotripsinu podobna proteaza - 3CLpro, ki ima pomembno vlogo pri cepljenju virusnih poliproteinov v funkcionalne beljakovine. Zaviranje te proteaze je učinkovita strategija za blokiranje replikacije virusa. Zato bom v okviru svojega diplomskega dela opisala strukturo in funkcijo glavne proteaze virusa SARS-CoV-2 ter nato s pregledom literature sestavila pregled inhibitorjev omenjene proteaze. Na nekaj primerih bom pokazala na kakšen način se inhibitorji vežejo na proteazo.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although vaccines have already been developed, antiviral drugs are still needed to fight the infection. SARS-CoV-2 is a virus with the envelope and its genome encodes polyproteins that can be processed into structural and nonstructural proteins.Therefore, the major protease which is similar to 3-chymotrypsin protease - 3CLpro is required, as it plays an important role in cleaving viral polyproteins into functional proteins. Inhibition of this protease is an effective strategy to block viral replication. In my thesis, I will describe the structure and function of the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus incuding a literature review of the inhibitors of this protease. I will also show a few examples, how the inhibitors bind to the virus proteas