An international research team based at the University of Bristol in the UK has identified a fatty acid binding pocket in the structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that they believe could be exploited to develop small molecule drugs effective against the virus. According to a report published in Science on 21 September, the pocket binds strongly to linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. When such binding occurs, the shape of the spike protein molecule is distorted in a way that severely restricts its ability to interact with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).
