SARS-CoV-2—host cell interactions and pathways: understanding its physiology, pathology, and targeted drug therapy

COVID-19 is an emerging pandemic that has affected millions of individuals for the past few months by causing severe damage to lives, health, and economy globally. Even with concentrated research efforts globally, a properly approved vaccine or antiviral therapy is yet unavailable. With the advent of innovative high-throughput technologies including genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, novel insights into the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle and its interaction of the host cell and systems have been obtained. This information can shed light on the intimate relationship between the virus and its host, serving as the basis to develop optimal prophylactic and therapeutic treatment options. In this chapter we provide a comprehensive outline of the current status of the SARS-CoV-2 research, encompassing every step of the viral replication cycle with a specific focus on virus–host cell interaction. We also review specific chemical inhibitors targeting cellular factors and processes of relevance for the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle and their possible exploitation for the development of next-generation antivirals.