Damage to Cellular Occludin Protein Plays Key Role in Spread of Coronavirus Throughout Body’s Cells

While the coronavirus continues to infect people around the world, researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) have identified a specific protein inside the human body that plays a critical role in how the virus spreads from cell to cell after infection — a discovery that will help us better understand the COVID-19 disease and could lead to the development of new antiviral drugs in the future. The finding provides new insight into how the protein, known as the occludin protein, serves as a mediator for cell-to-cell transmission of the virus.