Membrane fusion process

Membrane fusion is a ubiquitous and essential biological process in which two lipid bilayer membranes merge to become one continuous structure. This process underlies many critical cellular functions including endocytosis, exocytosis, vesicular trafficking, fertilization, and the entry of enveloped viruses into host cells[1][2][3][5][7][8]. It is mediated by a complex interplay of lipids and specialized proteins (such as SNAREs and viral fusion proteins), as well as regulatory factors like calcium ions. Therapeutically, "membrane fusion" is sometimes targeted indirectly—most notably in antiviral strategies to prevent viral entry—but it does not itself constitute a single, canonical drug target, making the use of this term as a molecular target technically incorrect.

Other names

Lipid bilayer fusionBiological membrane fusionMembrane merger

Inhibition of viral membrane fusion by blocking viral fusion proteins or host receptors[6]