RT Journal Article T1 Approaches to the Potential Therapy of COVID-19: A General Overview from the Medicinal Chemistry Perspective A1 Menéndez Ramos, José Carlos AB In spite of advances in vaccination, control of the COVID-19 pandemic will require the use of pharmacological treatments against SARS-CoV2. Their development needs to consider the existence of two phases in the disease, namely the viral infection and the inflammatory stages. The main targets for antiviral therapeutic intervention are: (a) viral proteins, including the spike (S) protein characteristic of the viral cover and the viral proteases in charge of processing the polyprotein arising from viral genome translation; (b) host proteins, such as those involved in the processes related to viral entry into the host cell and the release of the viral genome inside the cell, the elongation factor eEF1A and importins. The use of antivirals targeted at host proteins is less developed but it has the potential advantage of not being affected by mutations in the genome of the virus and therefore being active against all its variants. Regarding drugs that address the hyperinflammatory phase of the disease triggered by the so-called cytokine storm, the following strategies are particularly relevant: (a) drugs targeting JAK kinases; (b) sphingosine kinase 2 inhibitors; (c) antibodies against interleukin 6 or its receptor; (d) use of the traditional anti-inflammatory corticosteroids. PB MPDI SN 1420-3049 YR 2022 FD 2022-01-20 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/72516 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/72516 LA eng DS Docta Complutense RD 5 jul 2025