Chikungunya virus non-structural protein 2 (nsP2)

Chikungunya virus non-structural protein 2 (nsP2) is a multifunctional enzyme essential for the replication and pathogenesis of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). It possesses several distinct enzymatic activities, including a C-terminal papain-like cysteine protease responsible for cleaving the viral polyprotein precursor into functional units, and an N-terminal region containing RNA helicase, NTPase, and RNA triphosphatase domains. Beyond its role in viral RNA synthesis, nsP2 is a key factor in evading the host immune response by inhibiting JAK-STAT signaling and inducing the shutoff of host cell transcription and translation. Due to its critical role in the viral life cycle, nsP2 is considered a primary target for the development of antiviral therapeutics, with research focusing on small-molecule inhibitors of its protease and helicase activities. While no drugs are currently FDA-approved specifically for this target, several experimental compounds and peptides have demonstrated potent inhibitory effects in preclinical models.

Other names

nsP2CHIKV nsP2Non-structural protein nsP2Alphavirus non-structural protein 2

Inhibition of the papain-like cysteine protease domain or the RNA helicase domain to prevent viral polyprotein processing and RNA replication.