Potential pharmacological strategies targeting the Niemann-Pick C1 receptor and Ebola virus glycoprotein interaction

Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) receptor is an intracellular protein located in late endosomes and lysosomes whose main function to regulate cholesterol trafficking. Besides being postulated as necessary for the infection of highly pathogenic viruses which integrity transport required, this also allows entry Ebola virus (EBOV) into host cells acting receptor. EBOV glycoprotein (EBOV-GP) interaction with NPC1 at endosomal membrane triggers release viral material cell, starting infective cycle. Disruption NPC1/EBOV-GP could represent attractive strategy development drugs aimed inhibiting thus infection. Some today available inhibitors were proposed interrupt interaction, but molecular structural details about their mode action are still preliminary more efforts needed properly address these points. Here, we provide a critical discussion potential its EBOV-GP therapeutic target infections.