G-protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs): A Potential Target of Apigenin as a Novel hACE2 Receptor Specific Therapeutic for Impeding Lung Cancer Considering a Group of Missense and Nonsense Mutations in COVID-19 Patients

This research investigates the role of mutation cascades in enhancing COVID-19-related lung cancer fatalities, specifically through analyzing mutations in the ACE2 gene associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Notably, a natural flavonoid, apigenin, has been identified as a promising hACE2-specific therapeutic. The study involved detailed examinations of 27 mutations (23 missense and four nonsense) and the molecular interactions between apigenin and hACE2, revealing a binding energy of -8.1 Kcal/mol. Various molecular dynamics parameters suggested stable interactions, while the drug-gene interaction analysis demonstrated that 18 GPCR genes could metabolize apigenin, effectively blocking hACE2 and thereby inhibiting S-protein attachment. The findings propose that apigenin could serve as a targeted therapy for COVID-19-induced lung cancer.