Ali Ahmadi - Faculty of Biological Sciences and Technologies, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
Hamed Hekmatnezhad - Department of Basic Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

Coronaviruses are a large family of Coronaviridae and a subfamily of Coronavirinae and the order Nidovirales that range from the common cold virus to the cause of more serious illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ۲ (SARS-CoV-۲). Spherical or pleomorphic enveloped particles containing single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) are associated with a nucleoprotein within a capsid comprised of matrix protein. The envelope bears club-shaped glycoprotein projections [۱]. Coronavirus disease ۲۰۱۹ (COVID-۱۹), reported on December ۳۱, ۲۰۱۹, in Wuhan, China, causes the acute respiratory syndrome. To date,thousands of people around the world are infected with the virus every day, while the number of people who die by COVID-۱۹ is also significant. COVID-۱۹ disease may manifest either as an asymptomatic infection or a mild to severe pneumonia [۲]. Due to the epidemic of COVID-۱۹ virus in the world, there is an urgent need for new antiviral [۳]. To date, there is no known definitive cure for coronavirus, and no vaccine has been developed that is approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). Research to date has shown that the SARS-CoV-۲ and SARS-CoV genes are up to ۷۹% identical sequence and their receptor-binding domain structure are very similar [۴]. Both viruses have an animal reservoir and have been transmitted from animal to human. SARS was first reported in the Guangdong province of southern China in ۲۰۰۲ [۵].

RNA interference, siRNA, COVID-۱۹, SARS-CoV-۲