SARS-CoV-2 Enzyme Enhances Infectiousness, Offers Drug Targets

Japanese researchers from Kobe University found that SARS-CoV-2 carries an enzyme that efficiently removes the ISG15 tag from its nucleocapsid proteins, helping it evade the host’s innate immune response. This mechanism enhances its infectiousness compared to SARS and MERS. The findings may lead to new antiviral drugs targeting this enzyme and the nucleocapsid protein.