NBIO .12 - SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 28, 2020...Alison Patteson, an assistant professor of physics at Syracuse University, will test to see if Pritumumab has the potential to block SARS-CoV-2 (SARS2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, from entering cells. According to Patteson, research shows that SARS2 may be traveling into cells by way of a receptor known as cell-surface vimentin (CSV). This ia a protein found on the cell surface, similar to vimentin, which is a key internal structural protein present in many cell types. Vimentin is known for its cage-like structure which protects the cell against damage.