Utilization of Antiviral Peptides in Treating Coronavirus Infection: An Overview.

Purpose of Review: This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms employed by antiviral peptides in inhibiting coronaviruses as well as related limitations their therapeutic applications, and how to address the limitations faced as potential drugs in targeted therapy infectious diseases. Recent Findings: The epidemic of MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV or COVID-19 have attracted more attention due to its the high mortality rate, among which, SARS-CoV-2 infections led that more than 625 million confirmed cases and more than 6 million deaths, the mortality rate of MERS-CoV reached 35.5%, SARS CoV reached 10%, although various vaccines and antiviral drugs have been researched and developed, their efficacy is still limited by the emerging SARS-CoV-2 strains. Novel molecules (peptides) are short polycationic antivirals with widely effects, which has unique advantages compared with large proteins and small molecules, such as their biocompatibility, low side effects and target selectivity. Many of them have been verified that therapeutic actions against reported animal coronaviruses such as PEDV, TGEV, IBV or human coronavirus such as MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, COVID-19. Summary: Confronted with complex and changeable infectious diseases, although antiviral peptides are less used in clinical applications, especially in animal husbandry, they can be used as an auxiliary means to assist vaccines in preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. This has largely eased the pressure on vaccine development, making them promising candidates for future medicine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]