Instruct: Identify the main category of Biorxiv papers based on the titles and abstracts
Query: Spike mimicry of thrombopoietin may induce thrombocytopenia in COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, a disease curiously resulting in varied symptoms and outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. Autoimmunity due to cross-reacting antibodies resulting from molecular mimicry between viral antigens and host proteins may provide an explanation. We computationally investigated molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and known epitopes. We discovered molecular mimicry hotspots in Spike and highlight two examples with tentative autoimmune potential and implications for understanding COVID-19 complications. We show that a TQLPP motif in Spike and thrombopoietin shares similar antibody binding properties. Antibodies cross-reacting with thrombopoietin may induce thrombocytopenia, a condition observed in COVID-19 patients. Another motif, ELDKY, is shared in multiple human proteins such as PRKG1 and tropomyosin. Antibodies cross-reacting with PRKG1 and tropomyosin may cause known COVID-19 complications such as blood-clotting disorders and cardiac disease, respectively. Our findings illuminate COVID-19 pathogenesis and highlight the importance of considering autoimmune potential when developing therapeutic interventions to reduce adverse reactions.
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The categories of this paper are: cell
30
The categories of this paper are: scientific
13
The categories of this paper are: animal
25
The categories of this paper are: bioengineering
21
The categories of this paper are: toxicology
2
The categories of this paper are: biology
29
The categories of this paper are: education
9
The categories of this paper are: synthetic
8
The categories of this paper are: genomics
12
The categories of this paper are: behavior
24
The categories of this paper are: cancer
4
The categories of this paper are: neuroscience
19
The categories of this paper are: epidemiology
22
The categories of this paper are: physiology
28
The categories of this paper are: communication
20
The categories of this paper are: pharmacology