SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the Baltimore Group IV classification of RNA viruses, which also includes hepatitits C virus (HCV), West Nile virus, dengue virus, and rhinoviruses, but it most closely resembles Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) (18) (Table 1). SARS-CoV-2, like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, is a member of the Betacoronavirus genus and shares 80% RNA sequence identity with SARS-CoV (19) (20), and 50% sequence identity with MERS-CoV (20) (Figure 2). While the rates of mortality and transmission differ between SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, there is substantial overlap in the pathogenesis, genetic makeup and clinical features of the diseases caused by these viruses (21). Numerous kinases have been suggested as being important mediators of various viral infections, in particular SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and these same proteins are predicted to be involved in mediating infection by SARS-CoV-2, as well.
Table 1. Classification of viruses and the kinase inhibitors showing antiviral activity.
Virus Baltimore classification Kinase inhibitors showing antiviral activity(potential kinase targets)
SARS-CoV-2 Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus imatinib
(unpublished; preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.25.008482v2.full)
abemaciclib, gilteritinib, osimertinib
(unpublished; preprint:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.20.999730v3.full.pdf)
SARS-CoV Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib (ABL2)
(27) (29)
MERS-CoV Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus imatinib, dasatinib (ABL2) (27)
saracatinib (LYN, FYN) (33)
sorafenib (RAF) (68)
Dengue Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus dasatinib, saracatinib (SRC, FYN) (34) (35) (36)
sunitinib, erlotinib (AAK1, GAK, AXL, KIT, RET) (46)
Hepatitis C Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus sunitinib, erlotinib (AAK1, GAK) (41) (42)
gefitinib, erlotinib (EGFR) (59) ((56) (57)
West Nile Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus sunitinib, erlotinib (46)
Zika Group IV, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus sunitinib, erlotinib (46)
Ebola Group V, negative sense single-stranded RNA virus nilotinib (ABL1) (24)
Influenza A Group V, negative sense single-stranded RNA virus alvocidib (CDK9)
Human cytomegalovirus Group 1, double-stranded DNA virus gefitinib, erlotinib (EGFR) (59) (57) (56)
Vaccinia Group 1, double-stranded DNA virus imatinib (ABL) (25)
Herpes simplex type 1 Group 1, double-stranded DNA virus palbociclib (CDK6) (62)