UNDURTI N DAS
UND Life Sciences, USA

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2) is an enveloped virus that contains spike proteins (see Figure 1 for the structure of the virus) on their surface which utilize angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the cellular protease transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) to enter target cells. Despite the development of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the emergence of many mutant strains suggests that other methods of inactivating the virus need to be developed to stem the pandemic now and in the future. This is since it is likely that the current vaccines may not be able to protect against the some of the mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2. In this context, the role of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the pathobiology of COVID-19 is interesting. Studies revealed that (i) arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA) can inactivate SARS-CoV-2; (ii) suppress excess production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) that may produce cytokine storm in COVID-19; (iii) regulate M1 and M2 macrophages generation that are needed for timely inflammation and its resolution ...