Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity

A related paper in the journal Pain is named <i>SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein co-opts VEGF-A&#x2F;Neuropilin-1 receptor signaling to induce analgesia</i> [1] was discussed in the podcast <i>TWiV 674: In the company of coronaviruses with Lisa Gralinski</i> [2] (~17 min starting at 1:04:43).<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;journals.lww.com&#x2F;pain&#x2F;Abstract&#x2F;9000&#x2F;SARS_CoV_2_Spike_protein_co_opts.98244.aspx" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;journals.lww.com&#x2F;pain&#x2F;Abstract&#x2F;9000&#x2F;SARS_CoV_2_Spike...</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;8vV3TWtLXnQ?t=3883" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;8vV3TWtLXnQ?t=3883</a>

Papers like this remind me how insanely complicated biological systems are; it&#x27;s amazing how much work has to go into identifying something like this.<p>Hope this and other research yield some effective methods for treating the virus.

Despite a foray into chemistry in my past I find this article prohibitively difficult to fully internalize beyond a superficial understanding and I would really appreciate it if someone in the field could explain what the study shows.

Was Covid-19 a work-in-progress therapy for cancer treatment? Cancer cells (especially metastatic) have an overexpression of NRP1 (Neuropilin-1). Covid-19 will try to invade NRP1 over-expressing cells and try to destroy them, and hence help with destroying cancerous cells. Am I wrong?<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;scholar.google.ch&#x2F;scholar?hl=en&amp;as_sdt=0%2C5&amp;as_vis=1&amp;q=neuropilin+1+overexpression+cell+types&amp;btnG=" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;scholar.google.ch&#x2F;scholar?hl=en&amp;as_sdt=0%2C5&amp;as_vis=...</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&#x2F;pmc&#x2F;articles&#x2F;PMC6515012&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&#x2F;pmc&#x2F;articles&#x2F;PMC6515012&#x2F;</a>

&quot;Such C-terminal sequences that conform to the “C-end rule” (CendR) are known to bind to and activate neuropilin (NRP1 and NRP2) receptors at the cell surface.&quot;<p>Sounds like we should add a CendR-cleaved S-protein to our vaccines...