Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 ( SARS ‐CoV‐2) leads to coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID ‐19), which poses an unprecedented worldwide health crisis, and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) on March 11, 2020. The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 ( ACE 2) has been suggested to be the key protein used by SARS ‐CoV‐2 for host cell entry. In their recent work, Lindskog and colleagues (Hikmet et al , 2020) report that ACE 2 is expressed at very low protein levels—if at all—in respiratory epithelial cells. Severe COVID ‐19, however, is characterized by acute respiratory distress syndrome and extensive damage to the alveoli in the lung parenchyma. Then, what is the role of the airway epithelium in the early stages of COVID ‐19, and which cells need to be studied to characterize the biological mechanisms responsible for the progression to severe disease after initial infection by the novel coronavirus? The Angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been suggested as the key protein used by SARS‐CoV‐2 for host cell entry. In their recent study, Lindskog and colleagues (Hikmet et al , 2020) report very low ‐if any‐ ACE2 protein expression in respiratory epithelial cells.
【저자키워드】 Microbiology, Virology & Host Pathogen Interaction, Methods & Resources, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, ACE2, pandemic, Infection, progression, SARS‐CoV‐2, COVID, Protein, Health, WHO, expression, early stage, mechanism, acute respiratory distress, angiotensin, ACE, airway epithelium, ACE2 protein, severe disease, lung parenchyma, host cell, World Health Organization, acute respiratory syndrome, enzyme, syndrome, respiratory epithelial cells, Cell, initial, responsible, characterized, expressed, suggested, 【제목키워드】 Infection, COVID, expression, ACE, respiratory epithelia, explain, Can,