3.2 Inhibition of genome uncoating
The cessation of the capsid disintegration by viral or host
enzymes/proteins is a drug target used against the influenza virus,
rhinoviruses, hepatitis A, poliovirus and enteroviruses (Yamauchi and
Greber, 2016). In accordance with this approach, rimantadine
disintegrates the viral capsid by blocking the ion channel in the
influenza virus (Balgi et al., 2013). Maoto, a traditional Japanese
herbal medicine also shows inhibitory activity on influenza virus A
(PR8) presumed by inhibition of genome release (Masui et al., 2017).
No effort on blockage of uncoating step in the 2019-nCoV life cycle as a
drug discovery target is reported so far. However, the S-protein-based
vaccines can induce antibodies that block the genome uncoating besides
the viral receptor blockage. Furthermore, it is still not determined
whether the uncoating of 2019-nCoV can occurs in both acidic and neutral
conditions similar to IBV or it is uncoating can be suppressed by the
neutralization of the acidic condition of endosomes and its subsequent
fusion.