Coronavirus Infection and Cholesterol Metabolism

The document reviewed the relationship between host cholesterol metabolism and the spread of human pathogenic coronaviruses, highlighting that cholesterol plays a crucial role in virus entry, membrane fusion, and syncytia formation. It suggested that cholesterol-modifying drugs could potentially affect virus-host interactions and serve as promising drug targets for coronavirus infections. The review also noted that low cholesterol levels were associated with COVID-19, indicating cholesterol's potential as a marker for monitoring infection status. The authors proposed that targeting cholesterol dysregulation could be an effective antiviral strategy, as cholesterol and its metabolizing enzymes have antiviral effects linked to various stages of coronavirus replication.