Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an unprecedented threat to the international community and raised major concerns in terms of public health safety. Although our current understanding of the complexity of COVID-19 pathogenesis remains limited, the infection is largely mediated by the interaction of viral spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The functional importance of ACE2 in different demographic and comorbid condi-tions may explain the significant variation in incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in vulnerable groups, and highlights its candidacy as a potential therapeutic target. We provide evidence supporting the idea that differences in incidence and severity of COVID-19 infection may be related to ACE2. Emerging data based on the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 among those with established high levels of ACE2 expression strongly support our hypothesis. Considering the burden of COVID-19 infection in these vulnerable groups and the impact of the potential therapeutic and preventive measures that would result from adopting ACE2-driven anti-viral strategies, our hypothesis may expedite global efforts to control the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 379 |
Journal | Pathogens |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2021 |
Keywords
- ACE2
- COVID-19
- Coronavirus
- Pandemic
- SARS-CoV-2
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Molecular Biology
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases