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Lipid‐based therapies against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection
Author(s) -
Alketbi Eman Humaid,
Hamdy Rania,
ElKabalawy Abdalla,
Juric Viktorija,
Pignitter Marc,
Mosa Kareem,
Almehdi Ahmed M.,
ElKeblawy Ali A.,
Soliman Sameh S. M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
reviews in medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.06
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1654
pISSN - 1052-9276
DOI - 10.1002/rmv.2214
Subject(s) - lipid metabolism , viral replication , viral entry , biology , virus , virology , viral life cycle , host (biology) , viral envelope , coronavirus , viral pathogenesis , immunology , covid-19 , medicine , disease , genetics , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , endocrinology
Summary Viruses have evolved to manipulate host lipid metabolism to benefit their replication cycle. Enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses, use host lipids in various stages of the viral life cycle, particularly in the formation of replication compartments and envelopes. Host lipids are utilised by the virus in receptor binding, viral fusion and entry, as well as viral replication. Association of dyslipidaemia with the pathological development of Covid‐19 raises the possibility that exploitation of host lipid metabolism might have therapeutic benefit against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). In this review, promising host lipid targets are discussed along with potential inhibitors. In addition, specific host lipids are involved in the inflammatory responses due to viral infection, so lipid supplementation represents another potential strategy to counteract the severity of viral infection. Furthermore, switching the lipid metabolism through a ketogenic diet is another potential way of limiting the effects of viral infection. Taken together, restricting the access of host lipids to the virus, either by using lipid inhibitors or supplementation with exogenous lipids, might significantly limit SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and/or severity.